June-July 2025 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

June-July 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]

Pirates of the Loreibbean . ★

Content Warnings:

Old wood creaks and groans, barely audible over a howl of wind. Wet droplets of rain hit faces and soak into clothing. Clouds overhead are a murky gray, blocking out the sun. Though summer weather is often somewhat temperamental, a true storm has now hit. Both newly arrived Star Children and veterans may find themselves in the midst of this situation quite abruptly, standing on the unsteady deck of an old, grand ship. Those who run to the nearest rail and peer overboard may be shocked to discover a stark absence of water below. Instead, the view just goes down… and down… The land of Folkmore lies far below, as this ship is flying through the storm, its sails struggling to hold under the force of whipping winds. There is no captain, there is no helmsman- there is no crew at all to be found, only fellow Star Children. And yet… the ship is still moving full speed ahead through the storm, as if it has a destination in mind.

A resounding boom echoes, and those with a keen gaze may just spot something whizzing past, missing the ship by a hair. Was that… a cannonball?

Just like that, a second vessel weaves its way out of a deck of gray clouds, pulling up side by side to the ship the Star Children are on. Lightning flashes, illuminating a whole bunch of sneers across the way, along with some eye patches, bandanas and goggles. Sky pirates are attacking! It's clear from their animalistic features that they're local spirits, but they're hardly as benevolent as those typically seen in Folkmore.

Ready yourselves, Star Children!

Those who wish to return fire will find several cannons lined along the ship's deck, ready to be used. These don't work just like any old artillery, though. In place of those unwieldy metal balls, one must load magic into these cannons. Lore, to be precise! It even says so on a small metal plaque, attached near the firing mechanism: "Connection is one's true ammunition." Find a fellow Star Child and start chatting! The more meaningful the conversation, the grander the magic ball one may blast at the pirates with the cannons.

Unfortunately, the cannons alone are not enough to fight off the pirates, as several of them swing their way aboard with ropes. (Or just fly, if they're bird spirits.) Star Children can head down into the armory below deck to grab a weapon. Yes, even weapons from home (or items that can be improvised weapons) are available, and may be kept after the fight is over. Star Children capable of flight may even be daring enough to make their way to the enemy's ship and deal some real damage over there.

The ship continues to shake and creak and bob in the storm, which may complicate the fight, but not all is lost. There, in the distance, up ahead… A beacon of light flickers, struggling to be seen through the thick clouds. What is that?

• Star Children (new and old) find themselves aboard a grand wooden ship, flying through a storm. Yes, literally flying!
• Sky pirates attack! They're just the local spirits, but a rowdy bunch nonetheless.
• Use conversation to load up a cannon with Lore energy, then blast it at the pirate ship.
• Alternatively, grab a weapon (possibly from home) from your ship's armory and start swashbuckling.
• Star Children can keep one (1) weapon/item from home and other basic weapons.

So Said the Lighthouse Keeper. ★

Content Warnings:

Other Star Children, both new and old, may find themselves drawn to the floating island of Never Fade. Up here, in the clouds, the storm rages just as fierce, and the native spirits all share the same worry: the lighthouse is broken. Indeed, up on the highest hill of Never Fade stands a towering white spire, its beacon dimmed. 'A ship is coming in at any moment', the spirits all whisper. 'And there's reports of pirates in the area, too. What will we do?'

The goats which are quite common in Never Fade join forces to guide Star Children up the hill towards the lighthouse. And if not guiding, then dragging, chompers clenched around the fabric of sleeves or pant legs as they pull. The rain does not slow, but the wind thankfully blows uphill. Best to just go along with it, so you can go take shelter from the storm inside the enormous spire building, because the goats won't leave you alone otherwise.

Just outside the lighthouse stands a very curious cat. It's so large, it's almost the size of a pony, and its fur is black. No, white. … No, it's black, isn't it? (It really depends on what mood it's in.) Karma the cat peers up at any approaching Star Children with knowing eyes. It dashes inside the lighthouse for a second, then reappears with an envelope in its mouth, holding it out for the newcomer to take. Careful- the paper might get wet in the rain! Come stand under the awning or inside the house as you read:

"The lighthouse keeper is on vacation. Please help! The beacon needs to be charged. We need positive energy to power the light, and negative energy to rotate the lens. Be nice or be mean, both are good! :)"

Are you up for the task, Star Children? Then stay in the lighthouse's near vicinity, or go right on up to the beacon, and do as Karma asked: Either compliment your fellows, or insult them. Share fond memories with one another, or commiserate on how terrible this situation is. Both pleasant conversation and nasty confrontation will do the job. Before long, the light springs to life and the great glass lens begins to rotate around it, a majestic beam of light revolving outward from the spire, piercing the dark clouds.

Those who wait around will see it: that great big wooden ship which comes flying towards Never Fade's docks to make port there. … Is that a hole in its side? And a cutlass sticking out of the mast? Confusion may make way for relief, as all the Star Children aboard disembark, surely bursting with a great tale to tell. Elated spirits bring out the hot soup, bread and all other hearty comfort foods to celebrate the successful arrival. Time to celebrate! Or raid the armory for a free weapon from home, if you haven't gotten one yet- with an emphasis on one, because Karma the cat will attack anyone who got greedy, be it now or during the earlier voyage.

• Star Children who weren't taken to the ship may instead have been drawn to Never Fade, where the storm rages just as fiercely.
• Goats guide Star Children towards the lighthouse, which is broken. Karma the cat awaits them there.
• In order to get the lighthouse beacon working again, it must be charged with both positive and negative energy. Engage in either pleasant or hostile conversation with a fellow Star Child to help out!
• Once the lighthouse is up and running, the ship from the first prompt will dock at Never Fade, uniting all the Star Children for a great celebration.
• The ship's armory is still available for a free weapon (possibly from home), but anyone who got greedy and tried to take more than one will be confronted by Karma. Literally. (And lose the additional items).

Comments

[grabaslice]

Has a mild inconvenience ever stopped you from enacting your inherent need for violence? [He bats back easily enough.]

[notapancake]

When I feel like death warmed over, Leon.

[Whoops, maybe a bit too real there. But it's true.]

[grabaslice]

Sounds like you need to get good, Dee. [He's keeping things light at least. As much as he can.

He reaches a hand out to adjust his scarf over his twin. He is fussing, a little bit.] I'm glad I found you though.

[notapancake]

Scoff.

[UGH fussing, it takes everything in Donnie to not swat away Leo's hand.]

You found me? You have that turned around, I found you.

[grabaslice]

[Truly, he has the greatest restraint. Leo rolls his eyes at the reaction.]

Does it matter who found who first? [He bats back at his twin.] Glad you found me then, you dumdum.

[notapancake]

Of course it matters. [He jabs a finger at Leo's chest.]

And as you should be, even though I know you can handle yourself in such situations.

[grabaslice]

[He accepts the jab without complaint, just amused at best.] You gonna lord it over my head till the end of time, huh?

We've dealt with a lot of situations. Thankfully, we've gotten through most of them just fine.

[notapancake]

Until my dying days. [If he can't joke about dying, what else can he joke about?]

That we have, and in comparison some pirates are nothing.

[grabaslice]

Wellll, that counter restarted, so, it'll be a good while to hold it over my head. [He can acknowledge the whole dead aspect, but make sure to at least hope they have more time.]

It's why our next cannonball is going to blow them away, Dee. C'mon.

[notapancake]

Mmhmm. If I have my way, you'll get tired of me long before then. [He grins as he says it, very much leaning into the light-hearted angle here.]

Well of course it will, that's just a given!

[grabaslice]

Dunno about that, Dee, but, we'll see. Usually, I drive you crazy first. [Apparently the teasing counts as a connection. The thunk of a cannonball is loud.]

Apparently being snarky makes cannonballs, make note of that, dear twin.

[notapancake]

You've had time without me around, your tolerance is weak. [Seems like it, which is fine by him. He could go at Leo all day.]

I shall, dearest Leonard. Shall we fire it then?

[grabaslice]

We'll see how I fare. If I tap out too soon, I owe you a favor. [Is he being vague so Donnie can do something devious, mayhaps. Clearly a sign he missed his twin if he's having giving him this much leeway.

He reaches out to adjust the cannon. He has enough strength to actually aim the thing.] Let's take the shot together.

[notapancake]

[Oh he notices that leeway, and he is not going to draw any attention to it. Just in case Leo didn't mean it.

And good that Leo's doing that. Less work for him.] Alright, you'll want to angle it like this...

[And he will direct Leo on where to aim.]

[grabaslice]

[Leo follows the given direction, still grinning a little as he hits the angle Donnie wants.]

Look good, or we headed more to the left?

[notapancake]

Yeah, we're good. That should hit the gun deck a bit better than previous shots.

[Of course he knows parts of a damned pirate ship.]

[grabaslice]

Of course you know what that's called. [He teases absently before he fires the cannon. The ball whirls outwards, lost amongst its fellow cannonballs if only for a moment before it lands. Their combined efforts in connecting and in aiming do the trick. A good chunk of the gun deck crumples fully in on itself. Pirates yelp and shout, trying to escape the collapse on the enemy ship.]

Team work, Dee, once again winning the day.

[notapancake]

Well one of us needs to. [His tone light, and smart assed, as he watches their shot hit true. He can't help it, he holds out a fist for a bump at Leo's words.]

We be We still works after all this time, it seems.

[grabaslice]

C'mon, we all know it should be called the scurvy deck. [He readily meets Donnie for a fist bump, grinning now. His expression light, the heavy weariness has dropped away.]

Never forget, We be We.

[He would like to bask in the moment, truly, but a cannonball narrowly misses them.]

Okay, so, make note, pirates don't like we be we.

[notapancake]

[He snorts at Leo saying that about the deck, about to point out that there is a deck called the poop deck and that should amuse his brother but...

Yeah that's a bit too close for comfort, that cannonball.]

They need better tastes then, or more cannonballs. We can at least help with one of those things.

[grabaslice]

At this rate, we're gonna need a lot more cannonballs. [This is one of those times he wishes Raph was here. Their brother could've batted the ship down easily enough.]

Okay, okay, connections- [He's trying to think of what to talk about that would 'count'. Them bantering technically counted.] You know, Casey has a boyfriend now? Nice enough kid. Sans the whole blood magic thing.

[notapancake]

[Connecting with Leo is easy... Until he mentions Casey has a boyfriend. Eyebrows are going up here.]

Huh... I mean, makes sense. He does take after you a lot. [Vague roast of Leo, perhaps, perhaps not.] And blood magic, really.

[grabaslice]

[He snorts at that.] It feels odd to see Casey dating, but, I'm happy he's happy.

Caught them doing magic in the kitchen. By cutting Casey's arm with a scalpel. [what the FUCK is that sentence!!] They have a reason for it, but, you know, little alarming to walk in on that.

[notapancake]

[That? That he can agree on, making sure Casey is happy and healthy and all that good shit.

But the magic, even at this age Donnie is still kind of not too keen on magic.]

Ooookay, Casey is aware that probably whatever they're doing can be done better with technology yes?

[grabaslice]

[As always, Donnie, the magic hater.]

He trusts Hunter and his magic. [He already knows Donnie will have Opinions about the whole tracking spell thing.] I've seen the healing spell glyph Hunter made work, so, I know its real.

I wish they had thought about it just a little more before deciding to cut Casey's arm.