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folkmore mod ([personal profile] folkie) wrote in [community profile] folkmeme2025-06-14 12:37 am
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June-July 2025 Test Drive Meme

June-July 2025 TDM
Introduction

[ TDM QuestionsJump to CommentsFull Navigation ]

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 OnePrompt 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).
notapancake: (... Sigh)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-03 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
I mean, it can't be worse than how I died to get here? [Yeah, he might be trying to make light of his situation? He is horrible at it.] But yeah, I will try to avoid that at all costs.
licensetocrane: (she's gotta be different)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-03 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I see you only got more blunt over time. [What a Surprise. But she smiles anyway.]

Good. Make the most of it, I guess. Future Boy would love watchin' you relax a little here.
notapancake: (Leo wtf)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-03 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm as blunt as I need to be, O'Neil. [Flat as fuck delivery.]

... Hm, yeah. I'll try?
licensetocrane: (pic#17566943)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-04 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
Good. [I am a broken record.]

...for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here.
notapancake: (Thinking)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-05 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
[Hey sometimes a good is all one needs.]

... I think you're the only one out of your lot then that'll feel that way.
licensetocrane: (pic#16919998)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-06 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
Skill issue.

[Flippant, but she's also perfectly fine with that. Of course they'd have issue with their future selves. She already knows Donnie has like a million hangups and Leo... is a whole mess she's tried not to poke at too hard.]

I think you'll find you'll get grumpily looked out for anyway. From a distance. With a lot of bitchin'.
notapancake: (Judging)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-06 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[He honestly expects things to go sideways with the younger version of him and Leo.]

Well I would hope they wouldn't waste their time?
licensetocrane: (pic#16919996)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-07 10:48 am (UTC)(link)
And why would you hope that, Donnie? [Sweetly.]
notapancake: (Cautious)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-07 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aw shit, he knows that tone of voice. Time to pick his words carefully as he visibly tenses up.]

Because I am an adult, and they're all children and should put their time and energy towards themselves and not me.

[He was good and didn't even say he doesn't want to be like Splinter this time! Mostly because he's pretty sure April wouldn't get the reasoning behind that line of thought.]
licensetocrane: (pic#17890649)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-08 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, they will. [Cheerful.] You'll be a distant second thought, but you'll be a thought all the same. Like, you can't blame 'em for bein' curious and/or concerned.
notapancake: (Tending Plants)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-08 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not just talking about Leo and Donatello, April.

[He has a hunch that Raph and Mikey will want a connection or something, he is going to nip that shit right in the bud.]
licensetocrane: (pic#16919985)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-09 11:49 am (UTC)(link)
Neither am I. [Low voice.] Is there a reason you got a problem with people givin' a damn?
notapancake: (You dumbfound me)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-09 01:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's okay to feel things, Donatello something said to him, by not family but a third party, during the early days of the turtles being part of the rebellion. But he shakes his head to get that train of thought to go away, as he pushes himself off the barrel he's leaning on.

Basically moving to go.]


No. I don't. [A lie, he has a million reasons. He just doubts April would accept any of them.]
licensetocrane: (pic#16910116)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-10 07:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Correct! ✨]

Hmm. [That's all the doubt she expresses about his answer, but after a brief flick of a look she shrugs.] Well, then. There's no problem.
notapancake: (... Sigh)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-10 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[He knows his bestie, even if she is a decade or two younger then when he last saw her.]

For you, perhaps.
licensetocrane: (pic#17890646)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-11 10:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Yeah, that's what she figured.]

Tell me what you actually want, Dee.
notapancake: (Understanding)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-11 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[What he wants, huh? That's certainly a question and his answer comes easily.]

Nothing. [In that he doesn't want anything from his younger versions of his family.]
licensetocrane: (pic#16910116)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-12 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Right.

[Well, look. He's just arrived. She's probably asking too much.] I'll harass you some more if you're still here in a month. [Lightly.]
notapancake: (Sarcasm)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-12 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
[He means it!!! He doesn't want to set off his younger self being all territorial or something.]

Wow, thanks April.
licensetocrane: (pic#17874626)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-12 11:10 am (UTC)(link)
[It's too late for that, bigger Dee.]

You're so welcome.
notapancake: (Cool Old Man Time)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-12 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[It sucks, April!!!]

... we need more pirates or something, now.
licensetocrane: (pic#17890626)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-15 10:25 am (UTC)(link)
[You're a whole-ass grown up now! You'll deal!]

You can always bail from the conversation by takin' a nap. [She's only partly joking. You look like you need one.]
notapancake: (... Sigh)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-18 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
[Apparently his way of dealing is unacceptable or something??? LET HIM FIGHT HIMSELF!!!]

... I'm not just going to fall asleep on you.
licensetocrane: (pic#16910114)

[personal profile] licensetocrane 2025-08-19 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
I'll kick you awake if pirates come back. Or, I dunno, Jehovah's Witnesses.
notapancake: (Gun)

[personal profile] notapancake 2025-08-19 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
If door to door religions show up on the ship in the middle of the sky, then yeah I kind of want to see that.

[And yet he is still not going to take a nap.]

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