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

[semilethal]

"So you really don't have your Ninpo." It wasn't a test, making the staff (he really does need it), but he'd noticed this Raph only using regular weapons without even so much as a flash of red light and had also wanted to see how he'd react to a more obvious display. "No mystic powers at all?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"Ninpo? What? Was that what you just did????" he asks again, because yup, this boy doesn't have any mystic at all. Just good old fashioned hard work and training every day for hours on end.

He shakes his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Donnie."

[semilethal]

Wow that sounds like torture. You should try getting shiny magic powers by being a super special main character boy.

While it is...decidedly weird hearing his name come from a new voice with such familiarity, it's nothing to pitch a fit about. Just a little strange. Will take some getting used to. "The Hamato Clan's abilities," Donnie tries again; this Raph's mutation was an accident and not intentional like his own, but surely they're still Hamato. "Your father- Sensei? He was a human mutated into a rat when the rest of you were mutated, right? Don't you have some of his DNA?"

[saisdoesmatter]

Sorry, just a normal mutant ninja here! One that trains way too much to be as good as he is.

He quirks a brow at Donnie when he talks about the clan? Abilities? What? But he shakes his head. "What abilities? That ninpo thing? We don't have that," he answers, though he nods when he talks about his father. "Sensei is Hamato, yes. We were all mutated off of his human DNA, yeah."

[semilethal]

"Well then you should have Ninpo! It's because we're Hamato Clan. -unless! Did you just not awaken them yet? That could be it..." He's getting that crazy Donnie look in his eye. "We're going to need a waterfall. And your brothers."

[saisdoesmatter]

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm just me--there's no powers to talk of???"

The mention of a waterfall and his brothers just makes him frown. "...my brothers aren't here."

[semilethal]

Waves a hand. No brothers? No problem. "Give it a few months. It was just Leo and myself for ages and then all of a sudden everybody and their dog showed up. I think there's some sort of homing effect when more people of a single world gather in a particular pocket dimension, but I don't have a way of testing that hypothesis. Yet."

[saisdoesmatter]

As much as he'd appreciate having his brothers here, it'd be better if they were all home. "You think so? By the way this place seems, it's almost like they need us to fix its problems."

[semilethal]

Yeah you'll get over that selflessness pretty quick don't worry. In Donnie's opinion, better to have them in eyesight to KNOW they're safe than just assume they are. "I don't deny that. But what quicker way to get fixing than to source forced labor?"

Ah there's the restaurant where Donnie re-caulked the brick oven, he can probably bum a free meal here. Changes course and makes a beeline, assuming new Raph will follow. "Besides, the physical laws of this place are so screwy I still haven't figured everything out. And I've been living here for YEARS. Your Donatello has no hope of breaking in from the outside."

[saisdoesmatter]

"Great. Enslavement. Again. Awesome," he mutters, shaking his head at the thought of getting plucked up out of the ether by beings more powerful than one was. It was like fighting in space all over again.

As they wander, Donnie pivots to another direction, prompting Raph to pause before following suit. He idly wonders about the place, though there's the smell of food wafting on the breeze, which he perks up at. Nothing like a good hard fight to make a ninja hungry. "Pfft, that's even if they notice I'm gone..."

[semilethal]

"They probably won't," Donnie agrees, either not paying attention or not picking up on the despondency of Raph's tone (more likely the second option). He waves to the restaurant host as he enters and heads for the optimal seating arrangement of his chosing. "By most accounts, time isn't passing back home while we're here. They likely have no idea you've been trapped in another dimension, though of course I can't offer any guarantees. Bread!" The last cry of delight is in response to a server bringing over a basket of warm honey butter rolls, of which Donatello immediately partakes, nudging the basket closer to Raphael so he can also grab.

[saisdoesmatter]

"Unsurprising, really." It wasn't like he could blame them - he ran out a lot on his own when he was tired of their crap. He hesitates at the door, surprised that they can just waltz in like this, but the host doesn't even seem shocked that they do.

So he scurries after Donnie, trying to make sense of the whole thing before there's the spot to plunk down in across from wherever Donnie prefers. "Not sure if that helps ease the thought of them getting into trouble without me there or not..."

Though he does smile when Donnie is delighted by bread, reaching to take one when offered and glancing up at the server with a little "thank you" to them before having a nibble.

[semilethal]

Do not listen to this Fucking Hypocrite. Six months ago he kidnapped and experimented on a dozen people because he thought his little brother could be at home, wondering where he is, getting into trouble trying to rescue them. There were other factors but that was the main impetus.

At least there's fresh bread. "Mmph. Are you still the leader?" Since his Raph is in a weird co-leader/second-in-command situation with Leo but also is mostly just the big brother and is de facto in charge in all other circumstances, maybe this Raph is beholden to the same eldest pitfalls. Must always keep eyes on brothers.

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph has no idea that he's talking to a more megalomaniac version of his brother, but it's bound to come up as an argument some day. Instead he settles in and nibbles at the bread, before the question makes him lift a brow.

"What? I've never been the leader of the group. That's Leo's job."

[semilethal]

"You've...never. That's insane." You wear the heavy mantle of 'I'm the oldest so I have to look out for these bozos' that his own Raphael drags around like his own personal cross. The idea that Leo was the leader the whole time is horrifying. "And your Leo is still...beloved? By his family?" Because Donnie would've killed him if he'd been the leader during all of the shit they've gotten up to.

[saisdoesmatter]

"Well, I suppose if you count when Leo was hurt and stuff, someone had to keep the others training and everything, but to be like 'yes everyone listen to me I'm the leader'? Nah. They don't listen to me when I'm right as it is." That...might be a tad bitter. Whatever.

"...why wouldn't Leo be loved by the rest of us?"

[semilethal]

Resolutely does not think back to all the times they didn't listen to their Raph either and decides that it's absolutely not the same. "Look. He is my brother and I love all my brothers, natch." Laces fingers together and leans forward. "If he was allowed to boss us around from the very beginning, he and I would have killed each other by age eight."

The server comes back to take their order, so Donnie leans back. "Dad usually put Raph in charge because he's the oldest, and it kind of stuck. Mostly." The guy probably has heart palpitations and six ulcers. "Until he made Leo the leader a few months before we showed up here."

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph leans back in his seat, lounging a bit as he's finishing off the bread before snorting a laugh. He doesn't realize that the alternate bros are all feral as hell and someone would have eaten each other if their father didn't stop them. "Isn't that just being brothers?"

The fact that his alternate is, or was, the leader because he's the oldest makes him buh a bit. "Huh. We're all the same age. Sensei just picked Leo because he asked first from what know."

[semilethal]

Maybe he thinks not for real killed...wisely keeps to himself the time he and Leo were six and legitimately actually tried to drown each other before finding out that they could both hold their breath a very long time.

"Yeah that does not sound like my Leo," Donnie says once they've relayed their orders to the server. "Or us, either; Raph's the oldest, then me and Leo the same age, then Mikey's of course the baby. ...though honestly who can tell anymore with the alterations to our individual timelines. Leo and I are probably older than Raph now. Don't mention that if you see him, it breaks his heart. And his brain."

[saisdoesmatter]

This boy has no idea how feral this alternate family is - but that's probably a good thing to not lead with you know, actual plotting of death.

He listens, curious enough to pay attention to the differences between the quartet of brothers, but the fact that all of them have different ages is surprising enough. "So you're all brothers but from different timelines and whatnot? Like... you're older than your Raph and have been through other stuff than he has?"

[semilethal]

"Kind of." It's complicated, but it's probably something this Raphael is now going to run into, even if any of his family does show up here. Especially if they do. It would be better to explain clearly, so he has this knowledge beforehand.

Donnie clears the bread basket from the center of the table and starts laying out napkins and silverware to use as visual aids. "We're all from the same timeline, the same point of origin. Here." He puts down a salt shaker. "But rather than us splitting off within the same timeline or creating branches, I believe we were removed from our home timelines. Leo and I were in another dimension before this one for about six months, and then we've been here two years. My Raph has also been here about two years. Mikey's only been here a few months." Silverware helps represent the different 'lines' of time passing; two forks are the furthest, a butterknife close behind, and a spoon trailing far last. "But this representation isn't accurate. Even if we experience time linearly, it doesn't reflect in our physical bodies as accurately. Leo, Raph, and I should've grown much larger if we were truly affected by linear time. So I don't think it's like this, but more like," and then Donnie picks up a fork and the knife and instead positions them as if they've been shot out of the salt shaker, the spoon significantly closer to it, "this. Additional axes to account from the 'distance' from the point of origin, that is, the time where we were all experiencing time at the same pace. We're not just experiencing time differently, but the three dimensions of space and perhaps even other scales as of yet undiscovered."

Glances up at Raph, brows raised. "You'll likely experience the same thing. You might have even more complications; my brothers and I are all from roughly the same point of origin time-wise, but some people have arrived here with points of origin years apart."

[saisdoesmatter]

Considering that Donnie is already moving things around, Raph sits back up, already used to this sort of demonstration. He knows better than to disregard whatever a Donatello says after actually asking a question - his Donnie certainly didn't like it when he'd ask for clarification and then get a bunch of gobbletygook, so it's best to try and follow along.

He watches Donatello put things out in a way to explain the timeline, or at least what he assumes is one, though it seems way more complicated than he originally expected. Especially when Donatello moves the fork and knife that's supposed to represent the twins around.

"So...rather than being at the original point," he says, tapping the salt shaker with a finger, "there's like potential spokes, like a bicycle tire, that actually represents the timelines that you all might have gone through? Despite the fact that three of you have been here for years and your Mikey has only been here for a few months."

He motions toward the spoon representing Mikey. "So by rights - you've aged in the same way as time passing, but haven't say, grown like you should have - and that said, Mikey's the same age from what you guys expect here?" Salt tapping.

That's...kind of complicated but he thinks he gets it.

"So...from what we know, me being here might be an origin point for myself, but if like, my bros were to show up, they might not be from that same point - rather a differing spoke?"

[semilethal]

Donnie grimaces at the 'spokes' theory, but unfortunately there isn't much other conclusion to reach with the limited materials he has to explain. "More or less," he acquiesces. "If I could overlap the molecules of the silverware I could better explain the simultaneous existences we're experiencing, but alas. I cannot do that. Yet." It's hard to explain space, time, and additional dimensions when you only have the functions of space and some time with which to do it.

Donatello clears the silverware, lining his own back up neatly atop his napkin. "Do you remember the 'dream' you had before waking up here? About walking away from your body?" There's an assumption there, of course; Raphael hasn't mentioned it, but everybody has it, so Donatello knows he has, too.

[saisdoesmatter]

He's probably not being scientific enough for this Donatello, but it's the best that he can do, given the fact that the other turtle is talking about planes of time and space and you can't exactly visualize that well enough. The "yet" makes him make a disbelieving face at the soft shell, but he doesn't argue it. He knows better than to get into it with a dude who could literally pull a gun out of thin air.

"I remember a dream, but not walking away from myself. I do remember fallin' though. Like outta the sky."

[semilethal]

"That's after the dream. Interesting." So he doesn't remember, or he didn't have one. One of those options is significantly more interesting than the other.

The server brings over their meals and Donnie contemplates as he flaps out his napkin and then folds it in his preferred orientation. "Most people have a dream. Thirteen leads them away from their body, like she's taking a piece of them somewhere else. She's also occasionally made mention of those of us here being the sum of our 'potential,' but not actually the exact person." Separates the food on his plate so it's no longer touching. "Who knows if that's real or mass hallucination, though."