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

[supersmashbro]

[ They are both ancient. Source: Raph being a teenager.

This is so weird. How come this place can't go a month without doing something crazy and weird? Not that he guesses it's... bad. To see Casey get some of his OG family back here. Raph will not get insecure about that at all. ]

Call that karma for goin' rogue on me! But hey, easy fix. Cover my starboard side? [ And now nobody can give Raph shit for not being careful about his blind spot. He doesn't know if Big Donnie is a narc about that stuff. It's fine.

He'll start trying to detangle this turtle, for however long it takes to get frustrated and start ripping it. ] Lucky for us, we're probably not gonna be stuck on this ship long enough to get used to the lifestyle.

[ Sooner or later they'll be back on the ground where like everybody else is.

Real talk, the movies made sailing look so much cooler and easier. It's still cool and the fighting is still fun! There's just all this other stuff to think about. ]

[notapancake]

[Donnie says nothing, accepting the Raph lecture while just wordlessly watching his brother's right side... and left, and back, for any pirates that might try something during this lull.]

That's good to know and... it's good to hear you again.

[Whoops, that's a little emotional shit slipping through as Raph gets him untangled and he uh... kinda stumbles at being freed. Totally because of being untangled and not because he's still fresh from deaths door.]

[supersmashbro]

[ Ough. Right in the heart. There's just something about it. Donnie being in his feelings, as much as he ever tends to be.

And that's not even thinking about the broader implications behind the statement. Raph's good at not thinking about that, though. Or at least good at leaving it to run on a quiet spin cycle in the back of his mind, how much this other timeline lost, how much their family lost in it. Pairs up nicely with the regular anxiety undercurrents he usually has going.

Leaves more space for his expression to soften up while he puts a hand on Donnie's arm to offer some extra support. ]

Gimme time, I'll have you sick of Raph lectures before the month's out. Always got those on tap.

[notapancake]

[THIS IS WHY HE TOLD CASEY HE'D AVOID THE YOUNGIN'S, not that he knows he got Raph in the feels with that. But the arm support is noticed and he kind of subconsciously pulls away from Raph.

Too many people have been babying him that he might be a bit tired of it by now. As to being tired of lectures within a month, well...]

Can't be worse than the last one I heard before I ended up here.

[Yeah his... Last conversation with his brothers did not end well at all.]

[supersmashbro]

[ Pulling away. Classic annoying Donnie behavior. It's almost sorta comforting. Big Leo is so... different. Hard to suss out. Then again, being hard to suss out is pretty true to form for Leo.

At least Big Donnie has some of the same roots already. ]

I got a legal obligation to assume you earned it if future me gave it. It's Raph-to-Raph knowledge, Dee. Casey'll probably back us up, too!

[ Because Casey is a GOOD BOY who understands lecturing and will support both Uncle Raph and big brother Raph about whatever the hell Donnie was doing. Which was. Possibly dying. Much to consider. ]

[notapancake]

[Oh just wait, Raph will get to see how this Donnie is different from his younger self.]

It mostly consisted of everyone calling me an idiot, in some form. And don't. Don't involve Junior in this.

[He has no idea if Casey even heard his last conversation with his brothers, so he'd prefer if Casey remained clueless about that part of the whole dying thing. Since Casey is aware of the aftermath of it.]

[supersmashbro]

[ The face Raph makes goes firmly in the category of "okay yeah so I'm right to assume future me was right, if it was a team effort."

He's sure he's missing a lot of context and vital lore. He's mostly sure it's not stuff that's his place to ask (or demand), strictly speaking. A big brother's a big brother, but-- that future comes with a real messed-up minefield, and Raph's not looking to set one off the first day. ]

He's family. Family's default involved in everything. [ Naturally. ] If you don't want me askin' 'cause it'll hit bad memories, that's all you gotta say, alright? It's not like I'm not gonna get it. Raph invented little brother bubble wrap.

[ Or uhhhhh. Little. Nephew. Bubble wrap. General attempted insulation that could border on smothering in the wrong hands, etc. ]

[notapancake]

[He rumbles a little, it... Hit something with him, because his last words to his brothers were most certainly not the nicest, and now that he can actually think about it and dwell on it. With the whole not being dead anymore thing, he has regrets.]

He doesn't know, but some things were said that can't be taken back, Raph.

[Mostly about how Donnie had accepted his death and he would rather be useful in death then rotting away just for his brothers' comfort.]

[supersmashbro]

[ Hmmmmmmmmm. ]

Fine. Casey-free council of Raphs. [ And wow, what do you know, the Raphs all concur! Raph is the most correct and right all the time. That's fine. It's fine.

Except for Big Donnie's emotional and mental health, probably. ]

Nothin' gets a takeback once it gets said anyway. You guys had a real five-alarm, huh?

[notapancake]

How about no council of Raphs?

[Seriously!!! Raph don't worry about this kind of thing? You're a kid? It's an adult issue!!!

Also his mental and emotional health isn't that important.]

Especially when you die shortly after saying it.

[That kind of puts the kibosh on apologies.]

[supersmashbro]

Council votes no. [ Sorry man, it's a strict department. Meticulously cultivated.

Additionally: oh. Personal bad future Donnie timeline point confirmed, he guesses. The pain of the thought makes a pass through his face in the way that most feelings do. The drawback of being a heart-on-his-sleeve type.

It's always something to worry about when things get dangerous. Where you'd be leaving it, all the stuff you never figured out how to say at all. Raph remembers thinking about it when he stuck Leo with his escape pod. They still haven't really talked about it, per se, but they got the chance to re-find some equilibrium. This Donnie never did, apparently. ]

Well, they love you. And since they're kinda us, they always knew that's mutual. So let's go ahead and figure their end's covered on forgivin'. [ Might as well be straightforward about that much, because he's positive on that much. Maybe it was complicated, maybe they stayed mad the rest of their lives, sure, and maybe he can't speak for Donnie's side on this one. But the love's there. Up until the very end and then some. Despite being no Doctor Feelings himself, Raph knows that.

Forgiving is like, super easy. Especially when it's the end of the world. At least he figures it is from his own experience. ]

Y'know, whatever that's worth right now.

[notapancake]

[Rude, but he kind of knows that he really has no say in how Raph does things. That's his oldest brother, putting everyone else first and such.

But yeah, he may as well get it out there that he died before he got here. No point in hiding that fact. Also never tell this Donnie about all the bullshit you young turtles pulled during the Krang invasion you dealt with.

He'd probably die again, only of an aneurysm.]

Not much, unfortunately. But the feeling is nice to consider.

[supersmashbro]

[ There's no such bullshit to tell of (as long as everyone else is cool and also doesn't mention it). As far as Donnie needs to know, only one turtle here has had to deal with any sort of Krang infections of any kind. ]

Some's better than none. [ Take what earnest effort can get you in dark times. ] And you're sure you're not hurt or nothin'? No dramatic keelin' over once we hit land?

[ Donnie is clearly, as the kids say, Not Well. Underfed and exhausted sort of seems to be the bad timeline starting state, but you know. There's a line between not well and actively dying all over again, and Raph really wants to know where they sit on that line. ]

[notapancake]

[There is so much bullshit, don't lie. And yeah, all he knows is the bifurcated time branch was made by Casey and them all.]

I'm fine Raph. [Said a bit more harshly than he intended it to sound, but no take backs. Also he is not going to tell Raph that hey, I might still have a Krang Infection but don't worry it's not the kind that spreads! Just the kind that eats away at a person until they're a husk.

Yeah, not sharing that. He knows Raph would freak out knowing that. But he's also not one hundred percent sure if he's still got it or not.]

[supersmashbro]

'scuse Raph for bein' worried, mister attitude.

[ The nerve. The audacity. Nobody wants to let Raph mother hen them anymore (citation needed). ]

We're gonna do fine if you're fine, then. Maybe head for the apartments... I mean, I dunno what kinda space you're gonna want long-term or anything, but they're a good starter to rest up in. Y'know, get the lay of the land, ask some questions.

[notapancake]

You don't need to worry about me, you're a kid. [He is going to end up saying that to all the younger turtles if they show concern for him.]

I spoke with Leo, my Leo, a bit earlier. He brought up the two of us sticking together?

[supersmashbro]

[ ??? ]

Good. You should stick together. [ And also stick with us, but Raph is sure both of these older turtles will understand that soon.

That being said: what's with these guys and the 'you shouldn't worry about me' brigade?

(Pot and kettle but okay.) ]

But let's get out ahead of this one, buddy. Raph's always gonna worry about you. It don't turn optional just 'cause you get older.

[ He is the big brother forever all the time? It's his whole thing. Age is not a factor in Raph's instinct, wow. ]

[notapancake]

Mm, I guess? I just assumed he'd stay with Casey? [The most subtle change in Donnie's eye color, seems even that idea makes him feel a thing. (It's sadness.)]

Do I have to point out that you're a kid and I'm the adult here?

[Maybe Donnie doesn't want to be like their Father, and make his issues a bunch of kids problem.]

[supersmashbro]

He's gonna wanna keep you close.

[ And give Casey ~space~ lest he ~burden him~ or some nonsense.

Like some turtles of whom Raph could speak at this very moment. He makes a gesture. Like a sort sharp "ok and???" gesture. ]

I'm already standin' here, Donnie. I see that. I don't see how that matters.

[ Don't parentify him?? Fine. He'll do it himself. This is his Job. ]

[notapancake]

[Honestly that's what Donnie plans on doing too, sure he said he wouldn't leave Casey but... he's not going to do anything to jeopardize Casey's future.

Also wow, Raph.]

What I'm saying is Leo and I aren't children, you don't need to worry about us.

[He will de-parentify you, Raph.]

[supersmashbro]

[ Scoffs! Huffs! Etc. Weirdass language being spoken here today. ]

Even if I believed you guys don't "need" worried about anymore- [ full air quotes. He does not believe that. ] - since when has that stopped me? Raph's worried either way!

[notapancake]

We're not dad, Raphael.

[There he said it, harshly even. Although really, looking at Casey? They might a bit like their father.]

[supersmashbro]

[ You know what stinks about ship rigging? There's nothing really satisfying to punch into pieces nearby. Raph clenches his jaw like any emotionally-struggling hammer in want of a nail instead. ]

Watch your mouth.

[ Saying that like it's some kind of a good thing. Like it's soooo simple and straightforward, like either one of them right here and now wouldn't give anything to have Pops fall out of the sky to talk to them, even for a minute-- bullcrap, is what it is. A pointy stick getting jabbed into some feelings to hurt because god forbid someone out-stubborns the guy on a level playing field, or makes Donnie think about regular emotions for too long, that little-- that absolute little-- like Raph's even gonna give him the satisfaction of falling for it!

Doesn't even have anything to do with anything that they're talking about right now. At all. At all.

(Like their dad doesn't deserve all the worrying and care they can spare and then some anyway, after everything.)

This is, Raph thinks, not a great spot for him to physically be right now, what with all the nothing good to burn some too-big feelings out on. So he pulls in a breath and starts climbing back down, towards some fantastic demolition zones that include the straggling remains of enemy pirates. That'll fix him. ]

Try and stay outta the ropes this time, Donatello. Raph'll see you when we get docked.

[ And if you get re-tangled anyway then oh well!!! Because he will definitely not care or worry or come right back because he still loves you or anything, you little grown-adult-in-his-30s shit!!!! ]

[notapancake]

Or what, Raph?

[God, what wouldn't Donnie do to see his father again, since he passed so early into the invasion, but he's also come to terms that actually? Splinter wasn't the greatest, he was flawed but he tried, but also?

Donnie would never want to be like their father. Having that pointed out to him once when he was younger was a very big wake-up call, so blame some of this on Mikey for pointing that out to a younger Donatello so many years ago. Also with time and age, he realized that they put a lot of pressure on Raph too, so like hell will he let himself do that to this Raph.

So if he has to be an asshole to a younger version of his oldest brother? He'll be an asshole. But he also doesn't do anything to stop Raph from leaving, instead shifting a little from his spot in the rigging to get himself a better, less tangled, foothold.]

You don't want me climbing up to the crow's nest, so I'll be fine here.

[That's mostly because he is sure he'd fall off before he got to the crow's nest, and not because there might be another Donatello up there.]

[supersmashbro]

Whatever. [ He doesn't know "or what." That was gonna be a later problem. Stinks either way.

So whatever. Whatever, the or what doesn't matter. Whatever, it clearly doesn't matter what Raph wants or not or Donatello would let himself get looked out for. Why even bother saying it?

Disrespectful, is what it is. To dad especially. Objectively! (Not objectively literally at all. Raph is in his feelings right now.)

So he just climbs the rest of the way down and thinks about how mad he is, because it's easier to be mad than to dissect hurt when there's more important issues on the docket. And it's a lot easier to punch his way through a temper flare-up, anyway.

But he 100% really is going right back to Donnie once things are settled with the pirates for real, so long as there's a Donnie to find. To Raph's mind, this is part of how he wins the imaginary war. ]