August-September 2025 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

August-September 2025 TDM

Introduction

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full 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 One ★ Prompt Two]

Just when you think you've got a hold . ★

Content Warnings: Vampiric creatures, forced emotions, forced memory sharing/experience, potential physical dangers (lost, combat, drowning, etc)

New Star Children—and new Star Children only—arrive in Exile. Usually on solid ground. Usually with a sense of belonging and ease navigating within this region. If there's something particular the Star Child needs—food, clothes, shelter—something opens up and makes way. Anyone with hunting or gathering abilities may fend for themselves, a moss cloak may slough itself off a tree for a cool or cold Star Child, and a shack shudders up from the landscape when they grow weary. It's enough for anyone self-sufficient.

For those who want or need something more, they find a chittering scurry of squirrels around peat fires with tents set up. The squirrels provide nut based meals (bark substitute available), simple waterproof woolen clothes, and the use of the tents (two Star Children to a tent, no more, no less) for a small small price: a small prick of the finger and a few drops of blood. They have sharp teeth that can delicately pierce veins, for they are vampiric squirrels. It's the warmest welcome Exile has given to Star Children, not that new Star Children may know that. At least one wherein Baba Yaga—the iteration, the school, take one's pick—cannot be found.

New arrivals who wish to leave Exile and old Star Children who wish to enter Exile to greet the new arrivals shooting down over Exile face… challenges. The land does not want to let go of these newcomers. Nor does it want the old treading its paths, not even those previously welcomed in Exile. An uncomfortable mist filled with dread and rejection hugs borders. Those feelings manifest in a physical presentation of a difficult time in Star Children's lives. It's a time when Star Children had to make a choice: one that could get them exiled in some fashion.

A Star Child traveling alone will move through that memory exactly and must choose exile to pass. Those who made that choice before may have an easier time choosing it again. Or perhaps not.

Star Children who travel together or who come near each other in the wilderness face recreations that are not exactly the same. Their memories merge into one. In this shared false memory, both Star Children must choose exile to pass.

Star Children who pass find it easier to navigate Exile, whether to enter or to leave. Star Children who fail face further difficulties. Exile becomes confusingly similar in all directions. Star Children may be led to face the cunning creatures within Exile, with only basic weapons sticking from trees or held by skeletons to help them, or may be led to the Swamp of Sorrows, to drown under the weight of what bothers them. Whatever the exact challenge may be, it threatens Star Children's lives, and survival only means that: survival. They must retreat or face their memory again to move forward.

• New Star Children arrive in Exile! All are treated warmly (for Exile).
• Old Star Children are not teleported into Exile. All are treated coldly.
• Vampiric squirrels provide basic needs for those who need it in exchange for a little blood.
• Mist full of dread and rejection encircles Exile, and it must be traveled through to enter or to leave.
• In the mist, face a recreation (pure or mixed with someone else's) of a time Star Children had to make a choice that could result in some form of exile.
• If everyone picks exile, travel easier through Exile.
• If not everyone picks exile, face further dangers: misdirection, fights against clever creatures, the swamp of sorrows, etc

In the valley between intent and deed . ★

Content Warnings: Explosions, Wild Environmental Changes, Small or Large Forced Physical Changes, Potentially Permanent Changes, Forced Proximity

The cracks that wracked Folkmore have been sealed, but the Encantado remains uneasy. The river threw itself farther into Exile to avoid cracks creeping along its banks. It abandoned many gems in the river bed and flows across new ground—both to curious effects. The magic in the gems has nowhere to go. It builds and builds within until cracks begin to show. If left untended, these gems explode in a bout of chaotic magic changing the land around them and perhaps even nearby Star Children. Enjoy the new hair color, the longer hair, the brighter eyes, the galaxies of freckles, and more. They're permanent unless another Star Child can help. The new flowing magic within Exile changes the land around it. The trees grow and grow until they seem a century old or older. Their branches intertwine across the river, and their roots sing. Wood taken from them has magical properties, raw and unrefined.

Magically inclined Star Children, Star Children of great mental reasoning, or any other pertinent skill may observe these effects and determine how to address them. Whether Star Children come up with the solution on their own or get nudged along by a slight dark fox spirit, there are two primary solutions: restore the river to its original path or help it along this new one.

Star Children may work to restore the river by carrying its water from the new river banks and pouring it onto the old river bed. The water can be carried in any vessel, and it's safe so long as the water is not spilled. When water spills, it changes the environment where it hits. A small mound becomes an enormous hill. A small dip becomes a deep ravine. The trees web together. The weather stoops to head level. It's wild magic, and in its wildness: dangerous.

Star Children may work to establish the new path by carrying its gems from the old river bed to the new river stream. The gems may be carried by any means: wrap them in cloth, wear gloves, or move them with telekinesis, or any other mode preventing touch. It is safe so long as gems do not touch skin. When gems touch skin, it changes the Star Children greatly. They may turn into a tree or be made of bark. They may lose the ability to speak and instead yip like a dolphin. They may turn into water and be unable to move themselves. It's a great change, and in its greatness: dangerous.

Both tasks are easier achieved in pairs and small groups. The magic in the water, the magic in the gems, can flow into the Lore generated between Star Children. Traveling together, Star Children may see Lore as motes of light or glowing threads or flowing water. The effects of spill and touch are lessened and split but present a new element: affected Star Children must remain near each other for some hours. The greater the spill or longer and larger the touch, the more hours. Travel farther than a few feet and hit a solid wall. It's impossible to move further without magically dragging the other Star Child along.

Either or both options shall settle the wild magic into its place. Star Children cannot work at cross purposes, only determine how much one way or the other.

One time—and only one time—upon successfully bringing water or a gem to the other side, a gem will split open and reveal an item from home. It may even may even be a weapon or magical item. Oh, and it may be from one's partner's home. The magic is a bit wild.

• The Encantado River needs its magic stabilized either by restoring its path or establishing its new one (both is good).
• Gems in the riverbed explode, affecting people. Environment near the new path changes quickly.
• To restore its path, carry water from new to old without spilling.
• Spilling water causes large environmental changes.
• To establish the new path, carry gems from old to new without touching them.
• Touching gems causes large magical/physical changes to people.
• Effects are lessened when working in a group. However, messing up forces people to stay in close proximity for hours!
• After one (and only one) successful run, receive an item from home or your partner's home. It may be a weapon or magical item.
• Link your threads to impact where the Encantado winds up!

Comments

Questions

[folkie]

Re: Questions

[miniroth]

How far apart is the old river bed from the new? An hour's walk? "Exactly far enough to cause problems"?

Path of the Encantado

[folkie]

Optional way to impact the setting. Link threads where characters transport either water or gems to help the Encantado.

Restoring the old path (carrying water)

[folkie]

Reply to this comment with links to threads where characters transport water to restore the old path of the Encantado.

Establishing the new path (carrying gems)

[folkie]

Reply to this comment with links to threads where characters transport gems to establish the new path of the Encantado.

Takopi | Takopi's Original Sin

[planethappy]

Just when you think you've got a hold:

[One of the first of the new visitors to Exile is... a little pink octopus, about the size of a cantaloupe.

He seems intrigued by his new surroundings, to say the least, and thrilled to have so many fun new friends (the squirrels) to talk to and play with. And it seems even more excited to see another Star Child approaching.]

Hi!

[It slides over on its little pink legs, smoother than one night expect an octopus to move on this terrain.]

Are you visiting too, pi?


In the valley between intent and deed:

[Takopi doesn't really understand what's happening or why people are trying to move the buckets of water this way. But if people want to do it, then Takopi wants to help!]

I'll help too, pi!

[Be careful. Theres a little cartoon octopus carrying a very full bucket of water on its head. Sloshing every which way as it goes, just tall enough to trip over.]

Bucket

[miniroth]

[Sephiroth has been outright avoiding most other Star Children, and if he thought that Takopi was one, he'd be avoided too.

But frankly the little alien looks awfully like a particularly cephalopodish spirit, so that's what he assumes he is. That's.. a little safer, and he pauses to watch for a moment as the bucket ominously sloshes, only taking a second or two to be certain his illusion of mostly normal human is firmly in place before following Takopi with intent to try.. try to keep the bucket steady.]

Be careful. Weird things happen if any water spills.

1

[unbalances]

[ Agatha doesn't know what to think of this weird pink thing, is it someone's familiar? For one to have speech the person who created them must have some skill. ]

You can say that.

1

[steepwithdead]

[Oh! That sure is a little guy. Caduceus smiles, crouching down and lifting a hand in greeting.]

Hi. Visiting's a good word for it... I hear there's folks showing up that might need help.

casey jones junior | rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles | familiar, current, ota

[apuckalypse]

( i: when you think you've got a hold )

[Casey has never been a fan of Exile, and avoids it as much as he can, usually. But hearing that new arrivals are appearing there worries him enough to push aside that fear, so he enters the region both reluctant and hopeful to find more familiar faces. You never know.

The familiar thing he hadn't wanted to see, though, is when the mist sweeps over him and whoever is unfortunate enough to be stuck with him, revealing the top of a tower, covered in a spiderweb of pink slime, with a grim, enormous dimensional portal high in the sky above it. In the center of the spiderweb, materializing in front of Casey, is a strange, glowing artifact, covered in runes. He freezes at the sight.]

...no... I don't want this...

[Voices sound out from his mask: angry shouts, pained cries. A gentle encouragement. "Future me would be real proud of you, I'm proud of you." A violent threat in a hateful voice. "No! Let go of me!" Desperate pleas. "Casey, please-"

He's frozen. He can't move. He can't do this again.]


( ii: valley between intent and deed )

[Once inside Exile proper, Casey heads for the river, hoping to assist with gem collecting. The way things keep going wrong in Folkmore lately, maybe a new path would be for the best. He's in the middle of gathering a bundle into his side pouch when a gemstone he's mid-reaching for suddenly explodes. Whuh-oh! When the dust settles, Casey finds himself unfortunately affected:

a) his hair's been turned a fun blend of blue and purple. (This one is definitely sensei's fault.)

b) he can only talk in turtle-chirps. (Thankfully the relics still work?)

c) his hair is feathers now. Yep. Feather hair. (How's he supposed to brush this!?)

Hope you weren't caught in the crossfire. Or maybe you were. Enjoy your own effects, suffer together.]


( iii: wildcard )

[Toss a prompt at him with your own exile choice or gem effects <3 or hmu w/ DM or fontech to plot!]

Re: casey jones junior | rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles | familiar, current, ota

[pyrighteous]

[ There's a sudden hand on his shoulder, familiar and arm, if also a LITTLE bit panicked? Whhhhat the hell is this, he hates this actually. But Casey needs help, and he's frankly lost himself, and -

And this kind of apocalypse is sort of twigging him out too, if he's being honest. ]

-- Casey? Casey! Snap out of it!

ii

[unbalances]

[ Agatha had thankfully put up a small shield with her magic when the sound of the explosion hit her ears. No damage to herself but, she was looking right at Casey's new set of hair. ]

So creative, could have at least given you wings to really sell the bird idea.

Leonardo Hamato | ROTTMNT Canon AU | Legend | OTA

[grabaslice]

Intent
[He was warned off Exile by more than a few star children in passing. Leonardo knew it wasn't particularly safe. It is all more the reason to help as new arrivals seem to be landing amidst the swampy landscape. The place is still hostile. Hostile enough that he has his katana holstered on him.

The sight of gems laid bare in a dry river bed does draw the turtle to a stop. His eye ridges pinch together uncertainly.

Leonardo crouches down, reaching out to try and pick up a gem with a bare hand.

Predictably, as turtle luck is wont to do, something terrible happens. The gem bursts, blasting him with enough magic it makes Leonardo jolts up onto his feet and backwards. He sputters loudly, coughing.]

Okay, don't- don't touch those.

[He isn't sure what happened. He pats himself over, trying to see if anything happened. He feels fine. So it should be fine, right-?

No, it is not. He's developed a nice case of fold and fungus on his shell. Layers of moss and flowers have taken root. His katana has been grown over as well, a part of his shell. Babes, that's shell rot. Get it fixed.]

Deed

[Carefully, he gathers gems to the best of his ability, wary of having another accident. A loose bucket proves handy and keeping him from directly touching any of them.

If the river moved itself, he won't force it back. Some things are meant to be changed. A river taking a new course feels right enough.Isn't this place meant to represent change? Potentials to be met? He wants to believe the river is just living up to that.

Leonardo catches sight of another star child mid-journey as well. He stalls for a second, before he has to speak.]

Think this will help any? Or is it just busy work? [There is a fear there, a fear he won't achieve much, that this means nothing in the end.]

intent

[steepwithdead]

[That sure was unexpected. Caduceus takes a few steps back initially, because his armor is good but it doesn't protect well against explosives, something he has personal experience with, actually. But once the mini-bomb seems proven harm...less...? He relaxes a little.]

That's a weird one. You alright? [He looks Leonardo up and down. What's that over his shoulder...?]

Sharon da Silva | Silent Hill | Myth

[fogsong]

▌ ▌ ▌ I. IN THE VALLEY
1.

[ Sharon decides to haul water. Everything is fine until she sloshes a little, just enough to create a slick mound of mud. She trips right over it, sending the rest of her haul flying. The ground surges upward, trees sliding aside as if making way for this change, and in seconds she's tumbling down the side of an impressive hill of mud and dirt, half-buried in the mess.

She spits grit from her mouth and tries wiping her face clean, only to smear the muck in deeper, lashes heavy with it. By the time she gives up and storms off from the realm’s brand-new landmark, irritation is written all over her. Spotting another Star Child along the way, she shakes her head. ] Don’t spill the fucking river.

2.

[ Still caked in mud, Sharon makes her way to the gems, intent on nudging them telekinetically toward the start of the new river. But the moment she gets close, one of them detonates in a burst of blinding white. Everything caught in the radius drains of color, including Sharon herself.

She glances around, then down at her monochrome self, before tipping her head back and letting out a long, dramatic groan. The sound of a woman who has, undeniably, Not Had a Good Day. ]

3.

[ After her first two less-than-stellar attempts at helping the river, Sharon decides to call it quits until she’s in a better mood, and preferably not covered in mud. When she does return, she’s much calmer, casually scooping up gems with her telekinesis and dropping them into the stream with little effort.

Sometimes she entertains herself by tossing the gems high, letting them plummet before catching them again with her mind. Other times, she flings one at a fellow Star Child, only to stop it a breath away from impact or yank it back at the last second. ]

Made you flinch. [ she teases, grinning wide enough for her fangs to show. ]

▌ ▌ ▌ II. CLOSED

1. MAYERLING

Life at the burrow has been... steady—at least as steady as it can be while she wrestles with her grief and fury, fighting every day to keep corruption from swallowing her whole. The losses pile up, each one heavier than the last, but Mayerling’s quiet, unwavering presence has kept her from collapsing entirely.

She isn’t alone. She won’t be alone.

It’s mid-morning, after breakfast and coffee, while she’s setting up a fresh canvas, when it hits her: the sudden slamming of a door in her mind. Something gone. The hollow ache of absence. She can’t place it at first, not until she reaches for Mayerling through their bond and finds nothing but silence.

Fear cuts in sharp, so sharp it rattles the paintbrush from her hands to the floor. Then comes the grief, hard and raw, threatening to pull her under, at least until she notices her fingertips, stained black. Myth. The recognition steadies her, barely, enough to keep her from unraveling completely. Still, her chest heaves, heart racing, tears stinging hot at the corners of her eyes.

"Shit," she gasps, ignoring the spatters of gesso on the floor. "Can’t I get one fucking break?"

2. JEDAO

Before June, it wasn’t unusual for Sharon to drop in on Jedao without warning, especially after their talk following the lakes. But June derailed everything, shattered whatever plans she thought she had. July, she barely wanted to exist. By August, though, she starts clawing her way back, pushing herself to do a little more, and leaving the burrow for reasons beyond Exile or Cruel Summer.

Midway through the month, she falls (though she hates that term for it) and after a few days, it becomes clear this time it’s probably permanent. Once the sting dulls and she can breathe without wincing, she gathers Chinese takeaway, a six-pack, and makes her way to Jedao’s.

Her knuckles rap against the door in a rhythm he’ll know instantly before she leans against the frame, waiting. Uncle check-in time. And maybe... maybe there’s something else she needs to bring up.

2- hands u a teetle

[grabaslice]

[Leonardo had been slowly working on gathering gems for a good while. After Cad had to leave, the turtle kept to it. Intending to keep at it until he had to sit down.

He stalls when he hears the groan. He sets the gem he had clasped in his metal hand back down before walking in the direction of the sound. The forty year old turtle comes to a stop, frowning at Sharon.]

I'd ask if you're alright, but, doesn't look like it. Want some help?

CW: reference to familicide including children

[untitledshuos]

When everything fell apart for Sharon, Jedao trusted her husband to be there for her, and he spent more time around Lapine, usually as a fox hiding in the brush. When Sharon went to Exile or Cruel Summer when he was there, he followed at a distance, near the limit of what his mothsense allowed. Sometimes he misjudged and lost her temporarily or for the day. When he could, he was there should she need his help. Other people might judge seeking out monsters (or creatures, per another name) to destroy to deal with emotional anguish. Jedao's concern was Sharon. If she was physically fine, that was enough. Destruction was part of who she was, and she was kindly not destroying other Star Children or attacking Thirteen on her own. He would have hated trying to implement one of his plans to take down Thirteen half-cocked to have her back. Or at least a bad backup plan, so as not to squander the better ideas. It's not like Sharon would be at her best for taking out their host these months.

Needless to say, it didn't involve conversation or interaction, but he couldn't leave her entirely alone. In truth, it was good for him as well as her. He didn't take the lack of interaction personally. He'd been through loss too many times for that. Jedao remembered when he learned about what Rodao did upon hearing the news of his actions. Not only suicide but his family. Because his girls, Jedao's nieces, could turn out like that. Like him, and Rodao couldn't take the risk. He hadn't been able to destroy anything, having no influence on the physical world at the time, and he would have enjoyed doing what Sharon did. Well, not enjoyed. But preferred.

He backed off as she got more active and considered sending a care package. He's not sure what Sharon would do with a large quantity of goose fat, but the confusion might do her good.

It's a pleasant surprise to hear her knock against the door, one they devised and no one else uses. Jedao confirms the shape and density of her mass feels right (she's clearly brought something with her) before he comes to the door and opens it to let her up. Jedao smiles at her. "You're not dead. That's good news."

2

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul looks down at his skin, suddenly sapped of his vibrant red color, and just sighs. Really, nothing fazes him much anymore, not even something as weird as this.]

It appears to just be one of those days, doesn't it?

Yuta Okkotsu | JJK

[spoken_for]

Just when you think you've got a hold

CW: Murder, flat up murder.

Yuta is standing in front of a door at the end of a long, long hall. Longer than he remembers it, even though it did normally have an expanse. He and a few others are looking on at the ghost of a long lost mentor. One who he understands even more after his demise. He's looking on as the man looks back at them, looks back at the small group that he knows is going to follow him and so making a scene would deter from the goal. They're all as grown up as anyone else around them from all the trials and tribulations they've been through.

"I'm dreaming." He says out loud, as if he expects someone to answer, and usually someone does when he dreams and dreams things he doesn't like. When the voice he expects doesn't answer, he looks around, looking confused at the face that he sees standing in this dream with him. "Rika?" Why would she take the form of someone else? Just help him fix the dream.

In the valley between intent and deed

Yuta has a decision to make. A second decision to make. This one has to do with the future of something very concerning which is a whole land of which he doesn't even begin to know the history or topology of. What he does know is that sometimes foraging ahead into something new, something not trodden is a little more rewarding than winding down the same path.

So, with the information he has, Yuta is comfortable in gathering up gems after finding a sturdy pair of gloves and a small cloth to bundle them in for transport to the other banks. Maybe he's making the wrong decision, but it seems to be something he has to make the decision on.

With or without help, it's a decision made.

Wildcard

Hello! I'm fine for anything on here I just picked some random dramatic ones. If you want to wildcard it can be whatever fits in this TDM, I have no problem with that. Manga spoilers for the end of the series. Any questions, concerns or need to plan please PM this journal.

[cursedwords]

This is not Toge's first rodeo, even if it might be Yuta's. Being in Folkmore one moment and then in another space the next is kind of commonplace this last little while.

He knows this hallway, it's been a long time since he walked it, and he's not especially thrilled to be there. The fact he knows it, there's no need to wonder who's at the end of the hall. Someone from home, certainly.

Coming up behind Yuta, he lets out a little huff at the question. Yuta, please. "Fish flakes."

Toge hasn't physically changed very much, although unlike at home he's got a prosthetic arm. Visually it looks very similar to his other arm, but for someone who can read cursed energy, as it runs through someone, it's absent there.

In The Valley

[huntedtyphoon]

He'd already gotten the memo that touching the gems with his skin is a bad idea, and so, Vash doesn't. He's also been on his own and that's made moving the gems difficult. Sometimes he carries it all the way to the new river and it pops right back where he got it. Kind of annoying.

When he sees Yuta, he goes over, smiling at him. "Hey, want to work on this together?"

It could be helpful for the both of them, right?

He could've chosen to redirect the river, but why do that when it doesn't want to go that way?

Gabimaru | Hell's Paradise | Myth | Current Player/New Character

[weighsonme]

★ Think You've Got A Hold:

"Nah, s'okay. I'll wait 'til that fox comes back. Had a nice chat while we walked, hoping they'll see their mistake and send me back home... I ain't got no potential... Must've been somekinda mistake." Gabimaru said with a dismissive wave of his hand, turning down the squirrel's offers with a soft sigh and heavy heart.

And yet, the longer Gabimaru sat there in waiting, the more he noticed what was going on around him. The mist that grew thick around those who tried to leave, the sounds of critters in the woods and those fighting them. "It's not my place to get involved." He muttered to himself. I'm Gabimaru the Hollow, he told himself, I don't care what's going on out there... I just have to get back to my wife.

It didn't take long, however, before he got bored with waiting and decided to find a way out himself. Walking through the mist for a little while before noticing he wasn't alone in the thick fog. Pulling his mask up over the nose and mouth as he dashed aside, his back to a tree and facing the direction he could sense the other person coming from, oblivious of what they were both about to face in a moment or so due to the thickening mist. "Didn't anyone tell you, it's a bad idea sneaking up on a Shinobi."

[ ooc: cw: for Gabimaru's moment of exile in the mist, as it will involve him murdering a lot of murderers lol... Happy to have him being mist'ed into your character's moment too! ]

★ Intent & Deed:

When someone is nice to you, Gabimaru, you be nice back to them. And always thank someone for helping you. ... His wife's words rattled around in his head as he sat there on a fell tree, sipping water from a canteen someone else had given him. "Ugh..." Rubbing his face in dull frustration as he watched someone struggling with a bucket of that unstable water, watching still as they amost stepped onto one of those explosive rocks. Yea, he's sat around long enough to notice what was going on, he just didn't see a need to help.

Untill he did.

"Hold on. You're gonna regret it if that spills. You need to balance it out evenly or you'll throw your gaite off. Here, like this, lemme..." Springing to action, Gabimaru inserted himself between the person he was watching and the bucket of water they were carrying juuust as a drop spilled and splashed his leg. His golden yellow eyes grew large as he glanced down, noticing how his leg, the one now wet from the spillage, was sprouting flowers and vines.

"--What the!? No... No, it can't be!" Hadn't he gotten out of that place? Had he just dreamed up the Fox and this new world? Was it a trick of the Tensen? Dropping the bucket and skidding off to the side, pulling and ripping at the flowers that were sprouting from his leg with a wild panic in his eyes. "This can't be happening... No..."


★ Wildcard:

[ ooc: Feel free to hit me up with a starter of your own! Even a relic network interaction if you'd prefer a text thread! ]

Think You've Got A Hold

[aquilasshadow]

Altair was still fuming at how Exile had suddenly rejected him when it had welcomed him before. Even the world was judging him now? The black feathery spikes on his arms bristled and his glowing purple eyes cut through the mist as the sense of rejection fueled his anger. He wasn't trying to be stealthy, but he had always been quiet. It was useful skill when you had to hide in the shadows. His glowing eyes burned brighter with a violent spark as his wary gaze cut to the direction of Gabimaru's voice.

"I could say the same thing about a mage." Altair countered with a challenging glare, his fangs materializing as the threat made him lean more into his myth nature.

[ooc: Altair's moment of exile also involves murdering! So I think it will mesh well with Gabimaru's memory.]

Murderbot | The Murderbot Diaries | Legend

[ugh_emotions]

i. arrival
The first thing the SecUnit did, after landing in a fucking swamp after streaking across the fucking sky, was run every single diagnostic it had on itself. Because at this point, it was half convinced that something had gone very, very wrong with its inputs. That weird talking Fauna must have infected it with malware (as well as somehow giving it a pair of mechanical wings, what the fuck?).

(Said diagnostics were, somehow, all completely normal. This did not help its anxiety at all.)

The second thing it did was sit on ground, and hug its knees to its chest, and panic.

(There were a lot of things to panic about. The fact that it was now trapped, alone, on a planet. That it didn't have any drones to scout with. That the Weird Talking Fauna had gone and given it two entirely new appendenages (it now had two mechanical wings coming out of its back, what the fuck?! What the fuck?), and gone on about legends and lore and blah blah blah.)

The panicking was probably going to go on for a while.

ii. choosing exile
It had to watch old familiar episodes of Sanctuary Moon for 2.34 hours before it could properly calm down. But by that point it was ready to actually investigate its situation, and not just feel sorry for itself.

(It still felt sorry for itself, of course. But now it was going to feel sorry for itself and do other things.)

Checking the planet's feed was the first thing it did. Which was weirdly difficult, because the feed here was strange and bizarrely archaic. But it managed to find a map, and determine that its current location was in a place apparently called 'Exile'. That sounded like a great place to not be, so it headed towards the border.

But as it got close, that mist appeared. And then the mist shifted, and became...a hotel suite.

...It knew this hotel suite. This was FreeCommerce. Where its humans had stayed, after buying its contract. Where it had left them.

It stared at the room, utterly still as it tries to process what is happening.

iii. exploding rocks
Because things weren't terrible enough already, the SecUnit discovers that it's Risk Assessment module is even more shit than usual, when it utterly failed to give any warning about the fucking exploding rocks at the bottom of the dry riverbed.

The explosion sends it tumbling through the air, where its wings Stupid Useless Appendages completely get in the way as it tries to break its fall, because it hasn't updated its movement modules to account for the stupid things. (On the plus side side though, the Stupid Useless Appendages are also what takes the brunt of the damage when it skids across the ground.)

(Meanwhile, the ground around where the explosion happened has transformed into a dark smooth glass; looking within will reveal an array of stars and contellations, like a glimpse into the night sky.)


[ooc: if anyone wants to chat or organise a different prompt, feel free to add me at blueflowers!]

arrival

[bigscarybotpilot]

Approximately .29 hours into its panic, the SecUnit will be pinged by a very familiar interface, with coordinates (however that works) to a nearby location.

Come here now.

Is ART also having a bad time? Did it try to retaliate against the fox with the weapon systems it apparently no longer has? Is it now going to concentrate all of these anxieties on keeping Murderbot safe and controlling the very few things it still can? The answer to all of these questions is 'yes.'

Bucky Barnes | Marvel Cinematic Universe

[buckybbarnes]

A - Arrival

[He hadn't completely known what was happening. One minute, he had been standing on the banks of the Potomoc, and the next, he was standing on another bank. Definitely a much smaller one, without the amount of rushing water. Without any water at all, actually. Or the number of crashing battle ships littering fire and disaster all around.

Anyone wandering along would find a man in a dirty black kevlar suit, brown hair soaked and tangled around his face, with one arm tucked against his side as though injured...and the other being made of a shiny silver with a red star emblazoned on the shoulder, as though some sort of brand. He didn't seem to even be aware of anyone that might be near him, just staring at the water in front of him as though its very existence bewildered him.]

B - Stone?

[It took him a while to process all of this, clearly lost and confused, before wandering closer to the dry bed, searching about for something. He didn't even seem to notice the odd glowing stones, fixated on whatever it was he was actually searching for.

Until he actually stepped on one of the cracked stones, which popped in a rather dramatic fashion, sending him stumbling backwards and toppling onto his back, gasping and wide-eyed at the explosion, apparently unhurt.

A wide streak of snow-white hair having appeared along the front and side of his head went unnoticed for the moment, as the man seemed more focused on staring at the other glowing stones near the first one, clearly taking in the idea that perhaps he shouldn't go back near those again.]

C - Wildcard
[Instruct this lost asset, help him figure out moving the stones, or anything you can think of!]

lets get stoned

[grabaslice]

[Leonardo knew he was testing his luck by lingering in this area. After helping Caduceus and Sharon, he probably should head home. There was no telling what could happen next if he kept messing with these gems.

He did his trail deed, he was set.

Well, so he thought. Then he caught sight of Bucky Barnes flailing around.

Seeing someone flailing from the stones does draw him up short. The seven-foot turtle can't help but frown. Clearly, this had to be a new person. It wouldn't hurt to offer him some help.]

Do you need some help with these?

Charles Rowland | Dead Boy Detectives | Myth

[hellandbackpack]

I. Arrival

[Charles liked to think he was being reasonable about things. Still not entirely sure why he'd followed the Fox, especially without Edwin coming with. And if anything was going to have him losing his cool? It was that. It didn't matter that he somehow was still with the other boy, somehow here and there at the same time, that he hadn't left him alone...

But for some reason he had chosen to leave.

But then, he reasoned, as he scowled at his surroundings, as he discovered himself without his bag or bat, shoving hands into coat pockets as if in defiance of the unease that came with being unarmed, maybe it was just temporary. The Fox was surely going back to get his partner, they always did better as a pair. And if not... Edwin would figure it out somehow. He was clever like that.

The idea soothed him, at least enough to decide that ranging out and alone wasn't quite the best idea here. If he wanted to find his partner, or be easy to find himself? Better to find others. Better to not think about the cold fog that clung to him like a cloak, wisping out in the shapes of horns, of a tail, in and out of shape in a way that he wasn't certain of the cause of. All he knew was unlike other sources of cold? He felt this one, and it just made him nervous. (If he had a way to see the way his eyes had changed, dark and reflective like a lake in the dark evening, he'd be even more alarmed, but thankfully that wasn't a thing he'd yet discovered.)

It was thankfully easy, the teen a bit surprised at how quickly he came across what looked like a group camp- he didn't need shelter, or food, or anything to shield him from cold he couldn't feel, but apparently a need for company counted enough in this place.

And if that was what had him squabbling lightly with the squirrels, as he plunked on an overturned log near the fire, well it was hardly his fault!]

Look, I'm not even asking for anything- I just want to see if a friend shows up, yeah? [He's not entirely sure how to react here, caught between wonder and amusement at the weird whimsy of vampire squirrels, but also the agitation scratching around his ribs at the idea of being without Edwin. It had his fog-wisp tail twitching behind him in a nervous reflex.] I couldn't even give you blood if I wanted to- I don't have any!


II. Exile (cw: bullying, racism)

[No sign of Edwin. Charles was a little more settled now that he'd had a minute to stop, to take stock of himself, of the spoon he'd just tucked away in a pocket for the moment, the device that had given him a bit more information, and best of all, a map. He wasn't excited to be on his own here, it was sort of like waking up with an arm missing, he kept being confused every time something interesting came into view and there wasn't some comment or theory being posited from an ever-present companion. And his own habit to turn, grin to them, to open his mouth to comment instead just jolted him every time he didn't spot his friend. It didn't help his mood, but he did his best to shake it off. At least enough that he could think through his options here.

Staying in Exile was out. There were cities marked on the map though, and any of them might be a better point to see what he could make of the place. But that all meant he needed to get out of here first. Fine. Easy. What was a little hike for a ghost? Without his bag, without his cricket bat, fidgety hands just caught the edges of his overcoat, hanging on idly as he walked. Not liking the look of the mist, or the familiar oppressive emotions roiling out of it, but... the way out was this way. So he just huffed a sigh he didn't need and braced himself, ducking in with shoulders slightly raised, like he was going to dart through a rainstorm.

In a weird magic fox-run fairyland, it wasn't too surprising that the fog would seemingly dump him in a place entirely different from the dark, rough and tumble landscape he'd been in. It even somewhat tracked that rather than dim near-evening light, the sun was high, and the sky was a bright robin's egg blue, framing the green grass, the cricket pitch, the stone edifice of the school all but lurking behind it all-

That the school, that the field were familiar? that was a surprise, that had the ghost stopping dead in his tracks, coat swinging around his thighs as he shook his head, brows furrowing.]

Oh you're joking-


III. Intent

[For once, it wasn't even his fault that something went wrong. Charles had been minding his own business when he spotted the oddities of the landscape. So far everything had fit into a similar sort of visual, everything matching the idea of an overgrown swampland. The soft music drifting from trees that looked older than any of the others he'd seen drew his attention, had the ghost teen picking his way through the underbrush closer until he was able to see the expanse of... it looked like a dried up riverbed. It was the sparkles of something in the light that drew him to come closer. Gems?]

Proper weird, innit... [Mumbled as he looked from the blue gem he'd paused near to inspect, back towards the oddly-grown trees and their strange roots. Unaware of the cracks spidering across the glossy surface in the moment.] Are these makin' the trees grow like that?

[He didn't even have time to wish he had Edwin and his encyclopedic knowledge of all things weird around- his gaze turned back to the gem just in time to see the cracks split it open completely, eyes widening as a sudden explosion of magic hit him, knocking him clear off his feet with a startled shout.]


IV. Deed

[Right. The gems were dangerous. Charles should leave them well enough alone. Surely someone who knew better would come along to take care of this clear risk to public safety.

Charles did not leave well enough alone.

He didn't go touching them blindly now, but observed carefully. Watched how they seemed to be exploding whether or not someone came near, and seemed to be altering the landscape around them more with each expulsion of whatever magic they held. That couldn't be good. He couldn't just... leave them out like this. Someone would get hurt, and who knew what it would eventually do with the land once enough magic was in the air. The riverbed was clearly only recently dried- there were still pockets of mud, rather than the hardpan that would eventually develop. Maybe the water had kept the gems calm, and without it, things were going haywire.

Anyone investigating would find the teen gingerly picking through the muck, having discovered that gloves were enough to render the gems safe to touch, as illustrated by the small pile of them he'd already cleared and set on the edge of the riverbed. Hearing someone approach, he straightened, bouncing a green gem in his palm before snatching it out of the air with a brilliant smile.]

Oi! Mate, you wouldn't know where there's a river around here would you?


V. Wildcard

[Want something else? Drop a starter or hit me up to plan something else! You can either PM me on this journal or on discord and plurk as atomic_kiwi ]

iii

[apuckalypse]

[Casey's on his way to get another set of gems (he's smart enough to bring a backpack with him this time) when he spots someone else already at work. Before he can even answer the question, the gem bursts and sends the poor guy flying. Oh boy, here we go again.]

Whoa, are you okay!? You gotta be careful with those!

[He drops down to crouch at the young man's side, peering over him to check on his condition. Casey himself has already had a run-in with the exploding gems... instead of hair, he currently has a head full of black feathers.]