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

[saisdoesmatter]

He knew things were bad other places. After some of the adventures he's been on with his brothers, different worlds had different problems, and considering the information Casey gives him, he's...horrified. Even that shows on his face. The Kraang won in Casey's world?

"...holy shit, Case. That's awful."

A thought. "...and then you ended up here?"

[apuckalypse]

"Kind of? It's complicated... Master Michelangelo and sensei - that's Leo - sent me back in time, to the day the Krang invaded. I was supposed to stop it from happening. It was... mixed results." They did invade! But they were stopped. Just took... well. A lot. "When it was all over, I was brought here."

It was a very, very long day.

[saisdoesmatter]

That certainly sounds like a lot on a kid's plate. Not that he wasn't used to that in a way - the last few years were rough with stopping the Kraang and space and loss and--not now. It wasn't about him right now. Casey had basically needed to stop the Kraang twice - in two different worlds.

"...were you guys able to stop it before you ended up here or...?"

[apuckalypse]

"In the past, yeah. The Krang are gone, or locked away."

His timeline is a different story, but... there's nothing to be done about that.

[saisdoesmatter]

"But you don't know if it fixed your world because you ended up here?"

[apuckalypse]

"No, it... wouldn't have changed. Donnie called it a 'bifurcated time branch'. So both timelines would exist at the same time, one where they won and one where they lost."

[saisdoesmatter]

Well.

Shit.

That made sense. He could literally hear that coming out of his brother's face too, not to mention the other Donnie's. Damn it.

"Where would that leave...you though? Given that you were tossed into a past self? If you go back, which world would you go back...to?"

[apuckalypse]

Casey falls silent at that. It's... something that has crossed his mind a couple of times. Logically he knows it's unlikely; April confirmed he's around after the city's rebuilt, so at least a few months, right? If he was going to disappear, it would've happened sooner, right? He doesn't know the time travel rules that apply to him, but Thirteen sends people back to the world they came from every time... right?

....

He turns, climbing a little higher up the rigging. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

He really can't handle an existential crisis or the threat of going back to nothing or death right now, thanks.

[saisdoesmatter]

Even though this isn't HIS Casey, it's still A Casey to be concerned about. The kid was dealt a terrible hand, given what he's talked about when it comes to his questions and concerns. Time travel stuff was more of Donnie's realm of ponderings than his own.

When Casey turns and starts climbing the rigging again, he doesn't stop him. "O'course, man. Dropping it now."

He looks away, checking to see if the ship was anywhere near some sort of landing or if they were going to be floating around for awhile more. This sucked.

[apuckalypse]

The relief is pretty palpable, and Casey's able to relax as he goes higher. "Thanks... sorry."

He does feel kinda bad for snapping. It isn't Raph's fault, and questions like that are borne of worry. It's not a bad thing to have someone worried about you, even someone you just met. Hopefully this won't sour anything going forward.

Speaking of forward, though- "Um, land ho! That's what people say, right? ...There's an island. Looks like Never Fade."

[saisdoesmatter]

"S'fine," he answers, because it is. The whole thing sounds like a shit experience for Casey and it's understandable that he doesn't want to answer Twenty Questions about it.

Raph lets him climb to get a better look as he moves further down the ship to see what Casey's spotted. "The what now? Is that like Neverland and there's going to be Lost Boys and pissy fairies being mad that we're around?"

[apuckalypse]

He can probably answer twenty questions over the course of an extended friendship as it develops, but all at once has become a lot, the longer he's here and has discovered that boundaries are like, healthy. That and he doesn't want to trauma-dump.

"I dunno what Neverland is." It's like they're speaking two different languages, here. "Never Fade is a floating island over Folkmore, it's got mostly goats. And bubble tea."

[saisdoesmatter]

"Sorry, old story book reference," he says, wincing a little bit as...well now that he thinks about it, Casey probably didn't have a chance to you know, read for pleasure!

Man, he's being an unintentional jerk. He rubs the back of his neck a little bit, at least glad that Casey doesn't seem to be angry about it.

"...do the goats have something to do with the bubble tea because that doesn't sound sanitary."

[apuckalypse]

He's definitely playing catch-up on a lot of media now. Casey's used to that sort of confusion, though, and he's definitely not mad about it. Now that the kerfuffle about digging into his nebulous existence is off to the wayside, he's in a better mood. He's excited about the prospect of bubble tea, actually.

He grins a bit at the comment. "No, no, they don't make it! They just guide you to the best food spots. They're pretty great, actually."

[saisdoesmatter]

He had to admit, he hasn't had anything like that in awhile himself, so when Casey brings up that the goats actually guide you around to the best food spots, he's grinning back.

"Oh yeah? At least I know I won't starve around here then. Though having goat food recommendations is a new one for me."

[apuckalypse]

"It was for me, too. I'd never even seen a goat before I got here."

Not a real one, anyway. Yokai are different.

"You'll never starve in this world so long as you talk to people. That's how you get money- uh, lore, here. Since you're new, though, let me treat you! I've got loads."

[saisdoesmatter]

That's not unexpected given that Casey pretty much has known nothing but a bad end. Raph refrains from commenting on it, since that's a touchy subject and as curious as he is, he's not a complete asshole.

"Issat so?" Not his favorite thing to do but hey, it beats physical labor when he isn't in the mood for it. "Alright, you're on. I could use a little pick me up from beating pirate heads in."

[apuckalypse]

"Me too. I'm itching for some bubbles." Tapioca, kiddo, they're called tapioca.

The ship finally docks (itself???) next to a brightly shining lighthouse, and with some poking around they can find a spot to climb off to Never Fade proper. Onward, to boba! ...And goats!

[saisdoesmatter]

"I'm not big on the bubbles but if they got fruit I'm down," he remarks, though he realizes the ship just...kind of docked itself.

Whelp, that kind of makes sense, given the fact that you know...there's no crew.

Whatever, rolling with it! So he's heading for where they can climb off of it without falling to their deaths.

[apuckalypse]

"Last time I was there I had pie, so they definitely have fruit. Or maybe the squishy little jellies, instead of the boba stuff." And now he wants pie. It really is a good thing they're going for food.

Seems to be a ladder going over the side, so he hops around the rail and makes his way down. "Whoa... watch the gap. Wouldn't wanna fall from all the way up here."

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph laughs a little bit at the options. "Man, I could eat anything really. Fightin' works up the appetite after all."

He waits to make sure that Casey can clear it, glancing over to see where the gap was, then follows suit. "After all that? It'd be a travesty to just fall now."

[apuckalypse]

"Seriously." Though if either of them fell it'd be okay, he has his staff and can fly. They both make it to solid ground just fine, though, so Casey will head towards the main path, though he pauses briefly at the lighthouse. "I don't remember seeing this before..."

[saisdoesmatter]

At least there's paths to walk, not necessarily wandering into a forest or whatnot, though he slows when Casey pauses. "Have you been to this island before?"

[apuckalypse]

"I've been a couple of times, yeah. It's kind of out of my way, but they have festivals and stuff, and the food's good, so it's worth the trip if you don't hate heights."

The air balloon takes way too long, though, so he's glad he can fly.

[saisdoesmatter]

"But the lighthouse is new to you?" He supposes that maybe they were on the other side of the island than where Casey's been.

"Heights don't really bother me though."