October-November 2025 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

October-November 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]

Over the Garden Wall . ★

Content Warnings: N/A

Drizzly Willow is where newly arrived Star Children touch down, touching down gently in the soft moss beside a grand lake, or a babbling brook. The leafy strands of weeping willow trees flow gently in the breeze. All would seem calm, and yet, something prickles the back of Star Children's necks. Goosebumps erupt along skin and a sense of unease settles in the pit of the stomach. Some sort of invisible tension pulsates through Willow, and the closer one comes to the border shared with Exile, the worse it gets. It's almost as if something foul is drifting in from the neighboring marsh lands, affecting Leshy and Talaria in particular. Still, if one were to cross this border and enter Exile proper, all the tension dissipates. If one were to ask Baba Yaga, the iteration of Thirteen who rules over these marshes, she'll smile mysteriously and shake her head before vanishing.

Curious.

Amrita, the one in charge of Willow, has a plan to be rid of these uncomfortable vibes infiltrating her domain. All along the border shared with Exile, within walking distance of both Leshy and Talaria, Amrita has set up communal gardens. Not only are there wide, open spaces of freshly dug soil, there are a few lavish greenhouses. The glass panes are all squeaky clean and any sunlight to pass through almost seems to be filtered, removing any harsh glare and leaving only a pleasant glow. A warmth, almost. Within these greenhouses, that nasty prickle wafting in from Exile cannot be felt at all.

Veteran Star Children, the ones who would normally have no reason to visit Willow, are extended an invitation through their Relic to help tend to the gardens. Not only will it cleanse the area of that curious tension and be a valuable learning experience regarding agriculture, a small reward may be in it for those who participate!

Step right up, dear children! Pick up a spade or a watering can, there are more than enough to go around. More importantly, there are seeds, sprouts and bulbs of all types of plants. Fruits, vegetables, grains, certain spices… And yes, even flowers. Greenhouses and fields are both available, though one may need to do a little research on which option would be best for which plant. Either ask a friend, or consult one of the few books on gardening on loan from Amrita Academy.

Getting these gardens up and running isn't as simple as planting a seed in the correct location and watering it, though. No, instructions from Amrita are quite clear: Once planted, the seed (or sprout or bulb) must be watered with a watering can that's been infused with Lore. Only then will the plant grow at supernatural speeds, poking up through the soil and transforming rapidly into its full potential. A large pumpkin, an apple tree, a colorful rhubarb… Or maybe a banana tree? Or a patch full of potatoes, ready for eating! For those curious about the reward Amrita mentioned, this is it: delicious, fresh, homegrown food. Anything grown here won't go bad for a good long while, either. All fruits of labor will retain their size and hardiness for a whole month, if not longer, so harvesting need not happen any time soon.

The more plants grown in these gardens, the more the strange tension from Exile will decrease, almost as if the air is being purified by the flora.

Watering with Lore-infused tools isn't as easy as it sounds, though. It never is, as veteran Star Children will be able to guess. With these gardens being communal, the focal point to get the watering cans powered up is talking to others about community. What makes a community, or even just a team? What does it take to feel accepted by others? Reminiscing about communities one has been a part of in the past works just as well, of course.

• New Star Children land in Willow. Veteran Star Children are sent an invitation by Amrita (Willow's Thirteen) to come tend to gardens.
• Amrita has set up several communal gardens, fields and greenhouses near Talaria and Leshy with all the necessities to get started.
• Special watering cans powered by Lore can have plants grow to full size immediately. In order to invoke this Lore, Star Children must have conversations about the concept of community.
• Meanwhile, a strange, uncomfortable tension seems to be seeping out from Exile. The plants from the gardens absorb this tension to cleanse it. When entering Exile itself, the tension can no longer be felt.

Attack of the Killer Pumpkins . ★

Content Warnings: Violence

After a few successful days of gardening, the outer rim of Willow is decked out with lush fields and fully-populated greenhouses. The assortment also includes a few patches that play host to huge pumpkins, rutabagas, turnips and other such big roots and gourds, perfect for carving in this fall season. And wouldn't you know it, there's tables nearby with carving kits, all set up and ready to go. From the child-friendly kind to the extra sharp tools for skilled adults, there's a kit for every preference. Star Children who look upon these kits feel a strange inclination to use them, even when they normally wouldn't bother with this.

They take hold of a small saw, a paring knife or even a gutting spoon and get to work on carving a pumpkin, or any other root vegetable that strikes their fancy. The mood becomes intense, like it's a competition. A battle with great stakes. A sour tang is in the air. Chunks of pumpkin begin to fill up the little waste buckets.

But wait! Any pumpkin (or other gourd or root vegetable) that's received a finished face comes to life. It grows until it's larger than the average Star Child, thick roots and vines springing to life along its bottom to serve as limbs. Whatever emotion its expression was originally meant to convey makes no difference; the newly born plant creature is angry. Like Frankenstein, being the creators of these monstrosities does not shield Star Children from hatred and hostility, making them instant targets. Vines attempt to wrap around arms and legs to keep Star Children in place, and don't you regret putting so many sharp angles in their mouths now? If given the chance, these plant monstrosities will attempt to 'eat' whoever they get a hold of. They won't get very far, since they don't have a digestive system, but being forcibly pulled into an enormous, wet pumpkin maw is still not a good time.

As if sensing the need for them, weapons begin to sprout from the ground nearby, similar to ripe carrots. Swords, pitchforks, spears… Even weapons a Star Child may recognize from home. These are free for the taking, and will be a helpful asset when fighting the overgrown, living gourds.

Squash those squashes!

• Willow's communal gardens soon hold patches with huge pumpkins, other gourds and root vegetables. Tables with carving kits appear near them.
• Star Children who look upon these kits feel a strange inclination to use them
• Any pumpkin (or other gourd or root vegetable) that's received a finished face comes to life and attacks.
• The living plants can't actually digest anyone, but they will try to 'eat' Star Children by stuffing them into their mouths anyway.
• Weapons (local and from home) sprout from the ground to help fight the plants off.

Comments

Questions

[folkie]

Edwin Payne | Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix) | Familiar

[thesameleft]

i. over the garden wall

[ Well, a mysterious smile and a head shake certainly isn't an answer Edwin is willing to accept. It isn't really an answer at all, for a start, and while he's quite in his element with a mystery to grab a hold of, he's finding this one a little more frustrating than satisfying. It could be the fact that he's just arrived here in an entirely unfamiliar place with the distinct air of tension cutting the air like a foul smell, or the fact that he can feel a strange pull toward those boggy, misty marshes where the foreboding feeling is the strongest... but there's something else, something in the way he keeps looking around as if looking for something he's misplaced, the way he opens his mouth as if to speak an idea aloud at times, only to find no-one there to listen.

It's clearly bothering him, if the way he's rubbing together the finger and thumb of his gloved hand is anything to go by, but it won't last for too long, as Edwin shifts his precise focus to the mystery at hand rather than his own concerns, and transitions rather effortlessly into detective mode.

And that's what leads him to corner the nearest wandering stranger, wherever they might have come from and wherever they might be going, to ask them in an almost demanding tone that leaves little room for dismissal, as he nods at the gloom of Exile: ]

Pardon me, but have you ever been in there?

ii. if thou wilt ever dig

[ Research. Edwin's forte. He's sure he feels his energy brighten at the mere prospect of it, or perhaps he's only imagining the sensation of warmth across his spectral skin; ghosts can't typically feel warmth, after all, but this place isn't like what he's used to, and as he raises a gloved hand to the gleaming glass of the greenhouse, he's almost certain he can feel... something.

It might have even caught his attention for a mote longer, were there not a book in his hand helpfully thrust there by a pleased looking stranger as he expressed a clear interest in wanting to lean. Agriculture hadn't been something he was taught in school, such things paling in importance to arithmetic and Latin and natural sciences, it seems, but he'd always had a keen interest in the biological aspect of plant life.

The one thing that almost always held him back was the dirt. Not the type of boy who enjoyed getting mucky, Edwin has found that even over a hundred years into being dead, he has not grown any less particular in that regard. He surveys a nearby plant pot with a slight tightness to his expression - not quite a wrinkled nose, but definitely heading in that direction. He's trying to keep an open mind, he is, but the description of creating a space in the mulch with one's fingers in order to push the little white and black seed in and cover it with dirt is... very unappealing.

When he hears the approach of footsteps, therefore, he spins with an almost elegant kind of accuracy, to catch the approaching stranger in his sights, and holds out a trowel with the gloved hand that isn't holding the library book aloft. ]

Thank Goodness. It's bad form to get dirt on a borrowed book. I'll need your assistance with this.

iii. the poetry of impossibilities

Community?

[ He folds his arms, tucking brown leather gloves into the elbows of his brown woollen coat. He's taking this rather seriously, and staring at the watering can before him as he does, as though assuming there will be some kind of visible magical reaction to translate the effectiveness of his answer. ]

Well, I believe a shared goal creates a sense of community, or at the very least makes for a good team. If there isn't a similar drive in the mind of those at the forefront of the action, then the direction becomes muddled, and the whole affair is likely to fall apart.

iv. peace precedes chaos

In my defence, I have never carved a pumpkin before.

[ He says, as he tries to make the eyes on his rather amateurly cartoonish looking pumpkin a little more symmetrical. He was going for scary, but the face on this one looks a little closer to unfortunately constipated. ]

I don't believe, in fact, that I've ever carved anything. Is this a common tradition for Autumn?

He's asking whoever he's closest to, not quite registering that competitive feeling just yet, as Edwin isn't a competitive person by nature, but does have a rather large sense of pride that is easily burned by not being good at something. This much is evident in the way that he's going to great pains to ensure this thing looks exactly how he envisaged it in his head, even if it means he'll be here for an hour or so until each feature is fine-tuned to his satisfaction. ]

v. the monster mash

[ Believe it or not, this is not the first time Edwin has had tentacle-like vines wrap around his body and try to swallow him whole. The only difference is that this time it's a sentient gourd rather than a mushroom with rows and rows of hundreds of sharp teeth being controlled by a witch. All that to say that, even though this is still very much a surprise, Edwin is a little more prepared to be on the offensive once he feels the encroach of a leafy grip snaking around his ankle. ]

Oh, Hell-

[ That doesn't mean, however, that he's prepared to be yanked forward, tugged closer to the large, fleshy tear of a mouth in the enlarged vegetable by that vice-hold on his leg. He goes prone, body falling to the ground in a plume of foliage and pumpkin guts as he's forcibly tugged closer to the thing, arms flailing for any kind of foothold to slow his trajectory--

His arm finds something, alright, but it just so happens to be the leg of an innocent bystander. It seems to surprise the gourd-monster almost as much as it surprises Edwin, because it pauses in its assault for just long enough for Edwin to look aside and snatch up the nearest weapon pushing its way from the dirt. It doesn't matter what it is at this point, nor does it matter that he more than likely won't know how to use it -- despite Charles' repeated attempts to get him to learn to defend himself, the instinct never quite set into place with him, as he always assumed he would have Charles at his side to fight his battles with him...

It's a book. Which, at first impression, seems like a ridiculous weapon to fight off a sentient plant, but Edwin's green eyes almost glitter with excitement as he seems to recognise the book. The vines around his ankle seem to sense that delight as they tighten, giving him just enough time to look into the face of the person he's accosted and urge them: ]

If you can subdue it, I know how to kill it.

[ Before he's yanked away again. ]

ooc

( hello! i'm miro and i'm super excited to try and snag an invite to get edwin to rock up here. if none of my prompts take your fancy but you're interested in a thread with edwin, please feel free to PM/plurk me with your TL and i will totally tag you, or we can come up with something else. whatever's good, i'm just excited to play here c:
edwin's permissions are here if you'd like to get to know his deal, but anything else just ask!)

ii

[hellandbackpack]

[It's been hours now. Charles was trying to keep his chin up about things. Edwin would come. They were always together, they'd always be together, that's how things worked with the pair.

But that absence was keen, and it had agitation scratching around in his ribs, had him having to work that much harder at keeping a lid on his patience, on keeping calm. Losing his head wouldn't fix this, and he could all but hear the exasperated tone his partner would take if he did, extolling the virtues of restraint. Honestly, he'd welcome that sort of lecture even, because it would mean he was there.

He tried to channel the nervous energy into something practical, into investigating- he was curious about this new place, that went without saying, and he also knew that when (not if, it had to be when-) Edwin arrived, he'd be pleasantly surprised by Charles' head start. Not that his notes would be the best- but that was hardly a surprise. He'd never quite gotten the hang of notes that would be useful, let alone to anyone else.

He had his bag at least- empty of anything, but it was better than nothing, and for now he had stowed his Relic and spoon inside. He wasn't sure how durable the device was in the face of ghostly presence, but he'd rather minimize the risk for now, until he had a better handle on things.

Like Edwin, Charles hadn't had much experience with planting, a city boy through and through. Still... it did make him think of spring days spent passing his mum her trowel when he was little, tugging up the plants she pointed out to him with eager abandon as they worked to tidy the little patch of flowers she kept in the small garden. So it had him slowing slightly as he came to the gardens, curiosity drawing him into the greenhouse.

The shift in the feel of the air was immediate, something in him easing slightly at it, but it was the sight of a familiar form he spotted down the row that had him brightening, especially hearing that request. Relief flooding him as he quickened his pace, coming to reclaim his place with his friend with a beaming smile that he turned towards the stranger Edwin had almost pressganged into service. It only took a soft assurance that he'd help to move them on before he was taking the trowel with one hand, the other reaching to clap onto Edwin's shoulder.]

There you are! I was wonderin' where you got to!

Leonardo Hamato | ROTTMNT Canon AU | Current Character

[grabaslice]

Over And Through Garden Walls

[Leonardo isn't exactly a gardener. The nearly 7ft turtle is a lot more equipped for fighting than anything else. The whole ninja thing was more his speed. Gardening and greenhouses were more Donnie's thing by far. Leo wonders if he'll actually see his brother here at some point.

The turtle isn't wearing his prosthetic for once, leaving him down a hand to offer help. He has a watering can in hand, but sees another star child working on some planting going on.]

Well, it looks like you're planting that right. [As far as he can tell.] Do you need me to hand you anything?

Get Pumpkin'd, Idiot

[Leo loves, loves, loves a good competition. Even if he's working at a disadvantage, he will not say no to some form of competition. Even with the compulsion to join, he doesn't need much of a push to get a face onto his pumpkin.

He manages to get a fairly decent-ish face onto his pumpkin. He slaps his carving tools down to point at his success.

Aha! Beat you by a mile- [His victory is cut decidedly short when the pumpkin springs up from the table, vine legs taking shape. Leonardo stares, surprised, followed by irritated.]

...Can I just not have a win here?

[thesameleft]

[ The poor soul he's roped into helping him seems caught off guard to the point where they barely put up any complaint in being ordered around - and something about this compliance, even though it's more out of surprise than any genuine desire to be obedient, has some knot of tension in Edwin's chest loosening a little. It's easier when he can do familiar things, even if he isn't doing them with familiar people. The last time he was alone without any clear way to get back to Charles should he wish it he'd been in Hell, and though he feels similarly untethered here without his best friend to keep the scales balanced, he can at least be thankful that there are, as of yet, no creatures trying to pull his limbs off to eat them.

That relief only seems to grow as he looks back at the book in his hands, and he naturally attributes that to the joy of focusing on a mystery... but when he hears a familiar voice, his head snaps up, and his chest gives an answering pulse of feeling. He's so taken by the sensation, by categorising it, that he barely has enough awareness to realise that he isn't really surprised, but more relieved; the pulse of his phantom heart responding to the sight of Charles as if saying 'Ah, there you are. I've been waiting for you...'

And then Charles echoes that sentiment like he could hear it for himself, and Edwin smiles without thinking about it, a useless breath of a laugh escaping from him. ]

Charles...

[ There's an overwhelming instinct in him to surge forwards and catch Charles up in a hug, but he forces himself into restraint - it's only been a handful of hours at most, he needs to maintain some semblance of control, of normalcy - but he does allow himself to raise a hand to the sleeve of Charles coat, fingers against the fabric, just to convince himself that the vision he sees before him is real, that it isn't some trickery of this strange place coming to taunt him. He's reminded of Hell again, but this time of their reunion, and the determination he'd seen on Charles face, the reminder that there's no version of them in the world where they aren't together - even if, it seems, the world they're in isn't the one they're accustomed to. ]

I had thought that surely we would be summoned here together, but I must say I am glad to see you. Did you get lost somewhere? The geography of this place is hard to follow. I don't quite yet have my bearings.

[hellandbackpack]

[If Charles had thought about it, he might've been a bit more cautious about approaching like nothing was wrong. But he'd... not yet gotten used to the idea of the new traits he had, honestly had forgotten about them, first in the agitation of being alone, then in the relieved delight of realizing that he wasn't.

And the light filtering in through the greenhouse windows helped obscure things at first- his free hand lifted to shield his eyes, the slight squint from the bright sunlight and the grin on his face (Had his canines always been that sharp?) both making the strange reflective blackness of his gaze harder to note. And until he stepped out of the sunbeams to retake his rightful spot at Edwin's side, the strange fog wreathing his head, trailing down his back were similarly obscured. It was much easier to see the insubstantial horns once closer, and the happily whipping tail behind him, even if that was partially obscured by his coat.]

Got dropped in... whatsit, Exile? Been hours, I was about to lose the plot if I didn't find you here. [He laughed, a short little thing, relieved as the sight of his best friend, as expected, had that gnawing agitation vanishing like it had never existed in the first place. Without hesitation, he just tipped to bump shoulders, at the same time peering down at the open book in Edwin's hand.] Doin' a bit of gardenin' then?

[thesameleft]

[ In the brightness of the greenhouse, the mist from the application of water and the slight steam as it slowly evaporates to create the humid interior necessary for optimal plant growth serves to reasonably explain why Charles looks almost celestial as he approaches Edwin, wreathed in fog and gleaming in the bright sunlight. It catches on his earring, on his smile, in his eyes, leaving Edwin momentarily caught by his handsomeness and just about to berate every experience he's had thus far that has made him notice things like that before being able to focus entirely on the matter at hand.... until Charles steps into the shade cast by Edwin standing with his back to the sunlight, until Charles raises a hand to his eyes, until that grin comes closer and Edwin feels an unmistakable chill permeate the warm air around them.

He takes a step back, quick and sharp, book snapping shut and body retracting completely from Charles' touch as he stares. Once in the sunlight again the fog surrounding Charles' head is lighter, harder to make out, but Edwin is certain he saw horns for a second there-- and even if he's mistaken, there's no mistaking the dark depth of Charles' eyes. He can remember, with perfect clarity, the last time he saw eyes that looked like that. He sets his jaw. ]

Who are you?

[ He demands, opting for talking because if this thing had plans to harm him, surely it would have done so by now. The name of that place, too, puts him on edge; staring at it earlier, it had felt foreboding, but intriguing to him in a way he didn't like to think about... like there was some sense of belonging between the pale trees and boggy marshes.

He continues, in a cold and authorative tone that makes him seem somehow much taller and more imposing than he actually is. ]

I have had quite enough of being taunted by shapeshifters stealing Charles' face, so I would prefer to speak plainly, if it's all the same.

[hellandbackpack]

[That? That has him faltering. Smile freezing as Edwin closes off so suddenly, any hurt that would bleed through hidden by the strange liquid reflection of his eyes. And in that uneasy moment, unbeknownst to Charles, the fog thickens a bit, the horns become a bit more visible, the whip of his tail slowing to a halt, the curl of it almost like an uncertain cat's.

He'd never spoken to Charles in that sort of tone, never looked at him like that-]

Who? mate, wha- [At least Edwin continued on, Charles unable to help but feel a bit of relief that it was something he could fix.] C'mon Edwin, if I were some bloody shapeshifter, I’d have better hair.

[It would probably be easier if he'd remembered about the Myth traits, but... when his absolute Best Friend in the entire world was looking at him like a dangerous stranger, that took up screaming priority in his attention span.]

[thesameleft]

I'd say it's a rather perfect iteration for trying to trick me, though you'd really do better to work on your self-control. I can see your true form leaking from the cracks in this facade.

[ He snaps, voice acidic, patience for being toyed with like this completely gone as he watches the horns solidify between Charles' curls. He doesn't want to think about some creature from the darkness manifesting itself into a familiar form with the intention to lure him back into that darkness with it - it's too close to so many things he'd like to forget and none of which he wants to attribute to Charles' face. It's easier instead to let himself feel the anger and the disappointment at being, once more, entirely alone in this unfamiliar place.

Remembering what Crystal told him about self defense when pushed toward desperation, Edwin raises a hand to remove his glove in one swift movement. He doesn't see the mottled skin and beginning nubs of pinfeathers creeping down the back of his hand and peeking out of his sleeve cuff, too focused on keeping attention on the creature before him. ]

Lux ignis.

[ He summons a small flame with a click of his fingers. Not much, but as Crystal had said, sometimes the threat is enough to show you mean business without you needing to do all that much to pull through on your word. He isn't sure what fire will do if this is, as he suspects, a demon... so all he can do is hope she's right. ]

Now, tell me who you are. I am no idiot boy you can fool with baseless reassurances, and Charles would not be so blind to think I wouldn't see through this attempt.

[hellandbackpack]

My- Hold on a tick there- [Unbeknownst to Charles, as this situation continued the horns were indeed getting a bit more solid, a bit more like ice, along with the tail that was more tucked against a leg now, uncertainty in the motion. And where there would normally be hurt in wide eyes despite his attempts to keep his expression neutral, there was only the ripple of reflective darkness like the surface of deep water.

But, the mention of true form leaking through did remind him of the strange differences, a quiet 'oh!' mouthed, but before he can really try and smooth things over with that detail, Edwin is lifting a hand, and while the dark gaze is hard to track visually, he can likely at least somewhat feel it's direction, as attention zeroes in on the details of those strange marks on his hand.

A startled flinch back at the little flicker of flame- not so much from fear of the fire itself, but just... the implications of Edwin raising a hand against him. Smile nervous, taut against he hurt of that implication, he just raised his own hands easily, in the universal 'I'm unarmed!' gesture.]

Right. Right okay, it's me, Charles. I realize now how it looks- the... horns and all that, yeah? Proper spooked me when I first saw 'em too. But you remember the Fox that brought us here? How she was talkin' all that tosh about Legends, Familiars, and Myths? Apparently these are my Myth traits. [A faint, one-shouldered shrug, that even without a shift of expression, or the normal brown eyes would display his uncertainty with the idea plain enough, as a hand tilted just enough to gesture towards Edwin's raised hand.] Like whatever's goin' on with your hand there, likely.

[A shaky little huff of breath, a slight tilt of his head as that little bit of something concrete in this situation helped get him back on track, back thinking straight.] What's the password?

[thesameleft]

[ The flinch has Edwin feeling momentarily satisfied, certain that he's at least shown his hand to this creature trying to slot itself into Charles' place well enough that it may not result in any kind of physical confrontation, merely a battle of wills as he hoped-- but then he sees the tightness in that smile, the pain in a face he knows so well even if he can't see any depth reflected in Charles' brown eyes, only inky black mirrors... and strangely, he almost wishes he could be proved wrong, because it gives him such a powerful sense of missing Charles that he almost feels sick with it. But that would be ridiculous, of course; ghosts can't get sick.

But then the Charles shaped thing talks again, mentions a shared experience, and Edwin does indeed recall the litany of questions he'd had for the Fox — only some of which had been answered — when she'd spoken about how he'd been determined to fall into a certain category, that he might see changes to his body, feel different in and of himself... He looks to the back of his hand, where the Charles shaped thing had indicated, gasping and extinguishing the flame between his fingers as he turns his hand over, and then holds it to his chest as though protecting it from sight despite the fact that they have clearly both already seen the growing feathers there. Charles would notice a thing like that, some distinct change in him, always keeping such a close and careful eye on the people he cares for, always the first to know when something isn't right. That part of Charles is surely something no demon could easily replicate. ]

Surely I should be asking you that, as you are the one whose identity is under question. [ He rubs his fingers together, over and over, in a comforting little back and forth for a few moments before speaking. Years ago, he and Charles arranged protocols for various mishaps that might befall them while dealing with supernatural creatures — often inspired by whatever film or comic book either of them had recently read, or simply plucked out of the air by someone's vivid imagination — and one of which just so happened to be the Doppelgänger Protocol. Edwin has a page dedicated to it in one of the journals tucked away on the bookshelf back in their office.

Slowly, he exhales to steady himself, trying not to be swayed by hope, but simply too hopeful to resist it. ]

....Pettifog. [ That word had come up in the very discussion of a potential doppelgänger case, where Charles reasoned that the best point of action would be to simply divulge something only the other would know about his best friend, to which Edwin had countered that there was always the possibility that a doppelgänger might have access to surface thoughts and memories enough to at least hazard a guess, and had said that particular word when he'd grown tired of their back and forth, to which Charles had laughed in that bemused, charmed sort of way he did when Edwin said something particularly archaic, and the argument quickly devolved into laughter instead. A fond memory, and Edwin can agree it is a rather ridiculous word, all things considered. ] Do you remember what it means?

[hellandbackpack]

[That at least shifted things. A bit more uncertainty in Edwin's assumption, the flame extinguished. Not that Charles worried about a burn, but he knew that once things had calmed, once this had been sorted, that his partner would be so upset if he'd inadvertently harmed him.

The space between them though felt so very vast in the moment. It ached, all the worse than being properly apart, because at least then he wasn't so close things weren't so very near normal.

Another shrug offered, brows lifting slightly as Edwin considered things.]

Maybe, but someone's gotta start us off, yeah? [And Charles knew that even if Edwin was the one answering, his own response would tell him all he needed to know. That he knew to ask for a password was a good sign, but that was hardly a strange thing to plan for with how their investigations sometimes went. And the memory that flickered up at the word offered, the ridiculous bit of companionable squabbling that had happened over deciding their tactic, the password options bandied just had something in his smile releasing from that taut unease of the moment before as he shook his head.]

Honestly, I didn't even remember the password. [Entirely unrepentant in his admission, tone all wry amusement.] Coulda sworn it was spaghetti.

[thesameleft]

[ Edwin tuts and rolls his eyes before he really thinks about it, the fingers worrying at the little waxy casing mottling his skin momentarily dropping so that he can appropriately demonstrate his exasperation with Charles' lack of study. ]

Really, Charles- It was your idea to come up with the system in the first place. The very least you can do is try to remember which code is which.

[ Oh. Oh. Well, that just seals it, doesn't it?

Which is to say, that even though Edwin can't quite read those deep, dark eyes the same way he's slowly come to read Charles' brown ones, he can read his best friend's body language almost as well as Charles can read his own. There's something in the way he stands there, brimming with all the unspent energy Charles always seems to inhabit, that speaks of a simple desire to be close again, for the distance put between them to no longer be a moat to cross and instead be a bridge, to allow them this moment to revel in the joy of finding one another in such an unlikely place, together, as they should be. Perhaps some of that is Edwin's own desire bleeding through, but as he looks closely at Charles' face once more, he senses the unspoken understanding coming to a head between them; the shared decision to throw all inhibitions aside.

He opens his arms the same time as Charles does, taking one long stride forward to hold Charles' body against his own in a tight, brief, but staggeringly grounding hug. Once they part, he looks back at Charles' face, eyes searching his dark ones, unable to decide whether he should apologise or explain. Apparently deciding on doing neither, at least for now, he basically blurts: ]

Spaghetti was the password you picked for unanimous retreat. I believe you found the idea of shouting it while running from a monster particularly amusing.

[hellandbackpack]

[Charles, once he'd seen that unspoken shift, once he'd seen the change from suspicion to acceptance? Was absolutely ready to swoop right in for a hug. Edwin would surely complain, would fuss, but he'd accept it, tolerant of his friend's clear relief-

Except as he was opening his arms and moving in with a relieved little laugh, Edwin was meeting him halfway, ready for, returning the embrace. Charles couldn't help the soft little gasp that slipped from him at the idea, as he returned the hug eagerly, arms tight around him, even the new tail swinging around to curl tight against a leg. Something tense in him shaking loose once again, the world righting itself as he gave Edwin a beaming smile once they drew back, his own hands sliding up to rest against his partner's shoulders. The horns seemed to be fading again, back to hazy, half-formed fog, and while the little fangs were still there in his grin, agitation didn't have that same grin seeming too wide or too sharp now.

And if he wanted to dodge talking about that tense moment? Charles wasn't going to argue it. He already understood where it came from, forgave the hurt feelings easily. Better to focus on other things, like the system.]

Ah. Yeah, that's a way better use of it. [He can't help but snicker lightly at the mental image it painted, especially if Edwin were the one to call the retreat.] Memorable though, yeah?

iv

[apuckalypse]

[Casey peers over at the comment, brows lifted. He hasn't gotten terribly far with his own pumpkin, and its design is... decidedly basic. So he's in good company at least.]

Uh... I think it looks fine? [Does it??] I've never done this before, either. [Yeah, it shows.] I've heard of people doing this for Halloween, so I think it's common in, uhhh, America, at least.

[thesameleft]

[ He smiles, and makes a sound that is almost a laugh. ]

Memorable, yes. Considerably more so than any other password, it seems. [ Because he has no intention of letting Charles get away with forgetting so easily, but he also can't quite bring himself to chastise as forcefully as he might usually, because it was Charles' reckless nature in the very action of forgetting that made Edwin certain of his identity, after all. Only Charles can disarm him quite so effortlessly; only Charles can make him smile with his antics without even trying. ] Perhaps we need to reassess our deciding strategy one of these days. Yours is clearly on to something, even if it's something ridiculous.

[ The hands on his shoulders feel unbelievably good; familiar in a way nothing about this place has been thus far. It must be the effect of the sunlight, or else of the humidity of this little greenhouse, but he almost feels warm beneath Charles' touch, as if he were a flower previously in shade finally brought out to turn and face the sun. He's relieved, too, that the contact seems to have settled Charles in a similar way, as he glances up to see the horns have faded back to something more like mist, rather than shards of ice. ]

I'm sure you can understand my apprehension. It was quite a shock to see you so... changed. I haven't seen your form shift since you first started fiddling with disguises and almost got your face stuck upside down.

[ He won't apologise, because he doesn't think he has anything to apologise for, considering he was simply being cautious; but he at least thinks Charles deserves an explanation to reassure him. ]

[hellandbackpack]

Nah, s'fine. Lookin' like I do right now, not surprisin' it sent you through a loop, [The traits were... close enough to reading demonic that it would've been shocking had Edwin not been at least a little startled by them.] Me forgettin' about 'em in the mix didn't help either, yeah?

[It made it look super shady compared to if Charles had been prepared to head off startled responses from his companion at the pass. And he's unwilling to loosen his grasp on Edwin's shoulders just yet, a comforting bit of contact for the both of them, letting them ground themselves in the moment now that they were together again.

Edwin's teasing about the disguise mishap earned a short little inelegant snort of amusement and a roll of his eyes. Granted the motion was a bit difficult to see, but Edwin knew him well enough to know exactly what Charles was doing.]

So what did she say you were here? Like the role or whatever? [He wasn't sure what the little markings were here- he thought he'd seen the start of feathers, but it was hard to say from a quick glimpse. And what that would be associated with was hard to say.]

[thesameleft]

[ Edwin makes an agreeable sound, but the truth of the matter is that it's quite easy to understand why Charles had forgotten, for the same reason that Edwin didn't realise his form had shifted either - it isn't like the two of them are accustomed to looking at their own appearances beyond shifting into a disguise or changing items of their clothing, since they typically can't see their own reflections... but not only that, it would take some time to get used to such a stark change, wouldn't it? And Charles had said he'd only been here a handful of hours. Edwin reasons that he could have very well looked completely different himself, and he'd have had no idea until he was told. Hence why seeing those marks on his hand was such a surprise.

He looks down at them now, raising his ungloved hand between them for closer inspection. Were this anyone else, he might have hidden his flesh once more and saved the moment of analysis for privacy, but he trusts Charles with everything, and this change is no different. He even wonders if Charles might make him feel better about it. ]

Familiar. I thought perhaps the change was slow to take, or that it would have been all encompassing. This is a surprise.

[ His other hand gently traces one of the little waxy casings surrounding the new feathers sprouting from his wrist bone, absent of blood but still strangely sensitive in a way that makes his eyes twitch, a flinch barely restrained. ]

They look like pin feathers. [ And then, on the off chance that Charles didn't spend a few months at the age of eight or nine pouring over an encyclopedia of avian life, he elaborate, with a wave of his other hand: ] Newly developed feathers covered in a coating to keep them protected until they're fully grown in. Typically they are filled with blood and can be quite painful if damaged, but I assume since I have no blood to speak of, these are free of that particular quality.

[thesameleft]

Ah, America, of course.

[ He sounds more than a little disdainful at the mention, but it's unclear for now as to whether or not that's down to the idea of pumpkin carving being popularised in general, or the place itself. Being painfully British, it more than likely seems like the latter, and he doesn't appear interested in elaborating. ]

At least one aspect of tradition has remained with the season, though I'm not sure a celebration of harvest typically comes with this much waste.

[ A brief glance at the surfaces around them, the pumpkin guts strewn across the floor. ]

And it's awfully messy.

[hellandbackpack]

[Charles' attention lowered in tandem with Edwin's to his hand, releasing his shoulders to run curious fingers along those casings. Light, cautiously making sure the touch went with rather than against.]

Met a bloke in Exile that said the traits weren't always... visible? Like... some folk have a lot, or real obvious ones, some don't.

[He couldn't help but perk slightly, tail flicking behind him in a trail of fog.]

Oh! And I took notes! Not sure how useful they'll be but-

[He couldn't help but grin as he dug around in his coat pocket for the ratty little notebook he kept in there for whenever he got the gumption to try and keep some sort of checklist for himself. It was mostly full of random little doodles at this point, but he flipped it open, paging past all of that to where he'd jotted what information he could as he was exploring Exile, and offered it Edwin's way.

-Vampire squirrels running a camp for newcomers, in exchange for blood.
-fog border not normal?
-weird half-dried river bed with a bunch of gems bu----

A jagged run of ink marred the page on that, the next line a bit rough and shaky

-GEMS BLOW UP? WEIRD MAGIC EFFECTS?
-Casey: cool bloke, has a chainstick (chainsaw on a hockeystick WICKED COOL, has a flying staff- seems nice, is sweet on his boyfriend, knows stuff going on around here
-maul: Red, lots of horns, tattoos looks cool NOT A DEMON is an alien? Mentioned a sister, has been pulled to other worlds like this before
-everyone so far can see me- fox's magic the cause? Maybe Fae?
-moved some of the gems with casey- the river moved itself? Water keeps the gems from blowing up?
-one of them had the bag but it's EMPTY
-if Fox has whole universe (multiverse?) to pick from why so many from earth?
-fog barrier is BOLLOCKS >:( (st hils reliving a memory?)]

[thesameleft]

[ Edwin's eyebrows raise at the sheer idea of Charles taking notes, but the look on his face is expectant and eager. It doesn't quite occur to him yet that perhaps Charles had been feeling the loss of Edwin at his side keenly enough to have resorted to such a thing, instead assuming that Charles had finally decided to lean into other aspects of being a detective, rather than complaining that writing things down often made him lose his train of thought faster than talking about it did.

He takes the notepad in hand, eyes quickly scanning the words, able to easily read them in the exact tonation of Charles' voice as if he were speaking them out loud.

Unfortunately, they create more questions than they answer, but Edwin has a feeling that this fantastical place has a habit for being somewhat unknowable, so he reserves any further questions for now. His mouth tightens at the mention of vampires and exploding gems, and a soft hum of frustration leaves him as he reads that Charles' backpack turned up empty... and then, he reads the name of their old school, and his eyes lift to Charles' face. Reliving a memory... He doesn't have to think too hard to assume what kind of memory Charles might have experienced relating to that place. It could have very well been a pleasant one, but Edwin has never considered good luck to be something either of them have in abundance; both of them having spent a considerable amount of fortune the moment they met each other..... ]

Did you touch something that exploded?

[ He asks, one eyebrow quirking higher than the other. The look on his face would be the perfect facsimile of a parent about to scold an unruly child if not for the amused curl of his lip. ]

[hellandbackpack]

[Charles hates taking notes- because like he does complain, it's hard to keep hold of the thread of thought to get it on paper rather than talking about it. It helped when he tried to think about it if he wrote it as if he was telling things to Edwin, given his utter faith that the other would show up and be given the notes anyways.

And it was easy to follow Edwin's reading from the expressions playing over his face- like if they'd been having the conversation rather than just passing notes. The furrow of brows, the twitch of his mouth. The low noise of displeasure not unlike what Charles had felt when he'd reached in and come up empty with his bag. At least they had it though.

Watchful as he was, Charles knew exactly when Edwin got to the bit about the school and the memory, meeting his gaze with a faint wry sort of smile, a faint shrug of a shoulder as if to say it could've gone worse. The lash of the tail behind him definitely hinted at the idea that it hadn't been a pleasant memory, along with the way the horns once again ever so subtly solidified.]

I- no! [He couldn't help but huff, crossing his arms. Not offended, but playing at it- he knew exactly why Edwin asked that particular question.] I didn't touch 'em until after. Safely with gloves to move 'em to where the river's gone off to. They just... long enough out of the water, they'd crack and explode, too much magic or somethin' like that.

[thesameleft]

Mmm-hmm.

[ This is his believing you voice. He looks down primly at the notes again, wishing he had his hand lens so he could really lean into the pantomime of scrutinising Charles' story. ]

I suppose this Casey character has been a good influence on you, despite wielding such a- 'wicked cool' weapon, if his company was enough to have you exercising caution before touching something.

[ Edwin quotes Charles verbatim, simply because this could easily be misconstrued as jealousy given Edwin's confession still lingering in the air between them, so he opted to diffuse the tension by using Charles' exact words, because somehow those modern phrases in Edwin's formal voice always seem to make Charles laugh.

He isn't jealous, not really; he's glad that Charles had someone to keep him company, since he's never quite been as good at being on his own as Edwin is.... Or, was. It's been a while since he's actually been solitary, after all, so he's not entirely sure if he still has the same stomach for it. ]

Get Pumpkin'd, Idiot

[ugh_emotions]

It's not a surprise that Leo beats the SecUnit. It didn't actually know how to carve faces, because that would be a stupid thing to have an education module for. What it had been doing was less 'carving' and more 'indiscriminate stabbing'.

But then Leo's flora comes to live, and it abandons its carving in favour of running towards Leo. It shoves the growing Hostile Flora off of the table, and takes up a protective position between Leo and Hostile Flora.

And then the flora the SecUnit had been carving starts moving.

"...Shit."

[grabaslice]

The pumpkin goes down from the shove on SecUnit's part. Some of it cracks on impact, losing some pieces, which makes its vine legs thrash. The turtle blinks at the save, not expecting it from SecUnit at least. The protective stance isn't something someone has done for him in... decades.

"Good save, kid. Might have to book it regardless." He offers back on his feet fairly quickly. The weapons slowly emerging from the ground at least show that Thirteen is aware this is an issue. The turtle plucks a spade from the ground.