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February-March 2024 Test Drive Meme
February-March 2024 TDM
Introduction
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 canon items from homes 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.
🦊 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.
Content Warnings: Power Nullification, Potential Kidnapping, Potential Animal Spirit Harm
The island of Never Fade can no longer be seen in the sky from elsewhere in Folkmore, enclosed within a large purple tinted cloud. Within that cloud, the island is under water—a dreamy purple underwater that all Star Children can breath in if they breath and function in if they function on electricity, so on and so forth. It causes no more difficulties than reduced visibility and greater effort to walk. It's even possible to swim underneath the island, so long as Star Children make sure to make landfall before they get too exhausted and… well… fall.
Friendnapped
Spread the Love
The island of Never Fade can no longer be seen in the sky from elsewhere in Folkmore, enclosed within a large purple tinted cloud. Within that cloud, the island is under water—a dreamy purple underwater that all Star Children can breath in if they breath and function in if they function on electricity, so on and so forth. It causes no more difficulties than reduced visibility and greater effort to walk. It's even possible to swim underneath the island, so long as Star Children make sure to make landfall before they get too exhausted and… well… fall.
Friendnapped
The purple water has streaks of silver shot throughout it. Beware, these silver streaks neutralize powers, canon and role abilities alike, for at least an hour. A neutralized Legend won't be able to sense others in danger. A neutralized Myth won't sense danger coming. A neutralized Familiar won't be able to shapeshift to help others. That may set of a danger alarm but not any spidey-sense. These silver streaks are harbingers of spirits recently returned to Folkmore thanks to donations at the Shattered Spoon Shrine: lonely sharks.
The source of the silver streaks in the water, these silver gray sharks swim up and gently bite people. These bites make people go instantly limp but otherwise don't do any damage. They won't even break the skin. Once limp, the lonely sharks take theirpreynew best friends down to a cave or grotto off the underside of Never Fade. These caves are full of silver water, saturated by the magic of lonely sharks, and the entrances are covered by a thin silver barrier that prevents Star Children from leaving. That means should a Star Child track down where someone is being kept, should they enter its home, they too will be trapped there.
Being held by the lonely sharks isn't the worst experience. These spirits will try to please their new friends, giving them their favorite foods and perhaps even an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item. Mind, the magic of these items will be neutralized in the shark's cave. It is possible to fight a lonely shark, even to kill one, but that will only be a temporary measure. Star Children will remain trapped and have to wait for the lonely shark to revive—with even more golden cracks than before. In the end, the only way to escape are hugs, cuddles, and other measures of friendship. Once all the golden cracks have thinned and disappeared, Star Children can leave.
Spread the Love
By the time mid-March comes around, most of the lonely sharks have been fully healed and no longer kidnap Star Children. Instead they swim the None of the Above tunnels below the island's surface, where they provide guidance to Star Children who ask them how to get somewhere. If Star Children have nowhere particular in mind, the lonely sharks encourage Star Children to make their way toward the Shattered Spoon Shrine.
The lonely sharks still create silver streaks in the water that neutralize powers, but they will accompany Star Children and warn them of some of the dangers. When voices call their names, the sharks will snuggle up against Star Children to provide comfort. They're devoted to helping Star Children reach the shrine. Once there, they will encourage the Star Children to donate Lore to one of the broken spoons there, each spoon representing spirits who have left, spirits who became shells of themselves from lack of lore, or ghosts.
Star Children who donate Lore will find their companion lonely shark presenting them with an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item. Mind, the magic will be neutralized until the Star Child has spent at least an hour away from the silvery water lonely sharks create. Lonely sharks will happily spend as much time with Star Children as they're willing but will show the way back to the surface either via LIM (Lavender Institute of the Mind) or the None of the Above tunnels.
- Never Fade is underwater within a cloud.
- Silver streaks in the water neutralize powers, both canon and Role based.
- Lonely sharks kidnap Star Children and take them to caves on the underside of Never Fade.
- Star Children who find those caves are trapped too.
- Escape by hugs, cuddles, and being friends.
- By the second month, most lonely sharks are healed and found in the tunnels.
- Lonely sharks guide Star Children to the Shattered Spoon Shrine to donate Lore to help others.
- Either when captive or once donating Lore, lonely sharks will give Star Children an item from home.
Content Warnings: Forced Relocation, Potential Secret Revelation, Potential Coerced Physical Intimacy
With the wide range of Star Children from many different worlds, sharing similarities, it's no surprise when moments of deja vu happen. That sense of the familiar with the new, the sense of something that happened before without quite being able to place it… or perhaps it being impossible. Regardless, when that connective moment happens, the Star Children involved are transported to a windmill home from the Cloud Colonies. They land together on a couch before a large television with all the makings of a movie night. There could be wine and cheese. There could be soda and popcorn. There could be tea or other hot beverages. There's a cozy blanket (only one). The movie has already been selected, and it starts playing.
Headliner
Remake
With the wide range of Star Children from many different worlds, sharing similarities, it's no surprise when moments of deja vu happen. That sense of the familiar with the new, the sense of something that happened before without quite being able to place it… or perhaps it being impossible. Regardless, when that connective moment happens, the Star Children involved are transported to a windmill home from the Cloud Colonies. They land together on a couch before a large television with all the makings of a movie night. There could be wine and cheese. There could be soda and popcorn. There could be tea or other hot beverages. There's a cozy blanket (only one). The movie has already been selected, and it starts playing.
Headliner
The movie is roughly based off one of the Star Children's lives, specifically for the Star Child that experience deja vu and triggered this experience. Regardless of the moment of deja vu, the plot of the movie is based off of some real or potential relationship—romantic or queer platonic—in their life. That Star Child can recognize some similarities immediately. If they had any doubts, they get a text message on their relic as the movie starts:
You need to get closer with your companion(s). You can either talk about what happened (or didn't) or not talk wink wink about it with them. The choice is yours (and theirs)! Have fun!
It's possible to ignore the message, at least for a while. The longer the movie plays, the more apparent it becomes that it's based off that Star Child. The starring character's clothes will change to resemble theirs. The cadence of their voice will shift to imitate theirs. Their facial features will shift. These changes will become more and more heavy handed as the movie goes on until even the most clueless companion will have real trouble not picking up on it. It may get harder and harder to distract them from talking about it! There's no pause button, and the only way to mute the movie is to *ahem* distract themselves from it until it becomes an indistinct background murmur.
Remake
If any Star Children thought this experience might have been a Valentine's Day prank, they'll be poorly mistaken come mid-March when it continues with a twist. The movie less closely resembles any one Star Child's life (whew?)… because it blends the lives of all those present together into a new story. One character is based off each Star Child, and it fits the other Star Child into the role of someone who was or could have been emotionally and/or physically intimate with them. If they had any doubts, each Star child gets a text message on their relic as the movie starts:
You need to get closer with your companion(s). You can either talk about what happened (or didn't) or not talk wink wink about it with them. The choice is yours (and theirs)! Have fun!
Not only does each Star Child have to decide what approach they want to take, but the other Star Child may pick up on what they're putting down! One Star Child may want to talk it out, but the other one desperately doesn't. Oh noes, how shall it be resolved? Well, the longer it takes, the more clearly the film demonstrates one way they could resolve it—a fictionalized ending, happy or sad or bittersweet or anything else, between the characters as they more closely resemble those watching them on the sofa. No one's free until they have a heart to heart or a something to something else. Any physical intimacy can do.
- Experience a moment of deja vu and get transported to a cozy living room in a Cloud Colony windmill.
- For the first month, the 'host' Star Child gets a text letting them know to get intimate—emotionally or physically.
- For the second month, all Star Children get that text.
- For the first month, the movie is based on the 'host' Star Child's experiences, what did or could have happened. As the movie progresses, it becomes more and more obvious that's the case.
- For the second month, the movie is a story blending Star Children's experiences together. That too will become more obvious over time.
- Some form of intimacy is the only way out!
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Makie had the catbus described to her in such a way that she envisages it as riding inside an actual cat. Which is the case, but her mental image of it is far more... hmm, visceral than the reality.
It is less trust and more a mark of not particularly being concerned at the potential outcome, but at the offer she glances back to him curiously, and then nods. "With your... blood skill?"
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"My gravity ability," Chuuya says, "I manipulated the gravity in the blood, and I can manipulate gravity to get us off the island." That's all falling is: the power of gravity.
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"I would appreciate it, sir." And she doesn't know his name. Well, if they're going to be travelling down to the mainland together, she should introduce herself. It's polite, regardless. She bows.
"Otono-Tachibana Makie."
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"I'll need to touch you for this to work, but I don't need to hold you in my arms or anything," he explains and holds out a gloved hand. He'll kick them up a bit of rock to stand on once he has her firmly in hand. He won't let her go and fall off or anything. It'd be a poor showing on him and what he's capable of to hurt someone unintentionally. She's going through enough.
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"Are you from Japan?" The name certainly sounds Japanese and his features have that familiar cast to them, but she's never met a fellow countrymen with such vivid red hair before. Given the varying natures of everyone in this place, she shouldn't assume.
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"I am," Chuuya confirms. "Yokohama." It might not be where he was born, but it's where his memories start, where he's lived his entire life he remembers. It matters more to him than any other place in the world.
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"The fishing village...?" But no, considering his looks and clothing, she imagines he's from much further in time than she could imagine. Likely it has changed drastically. Or it's a different Yokohama. "South of Edo?"
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"Yokohama isn't a fishing village anymore. It's grown far far beyond that. It's a port city now."
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"I would imagine none of the Japan you are from would be very familiar to me anymore. Does Edo still exist?"
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"It's called Tokyo now. One of the largest cities in the world. We still have small fishing villages. Japan is still Japan. You'd recognize something. The countryside if nothing else."
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"The country has always been beautiful," she murmurs, eyes on the land far below. "I am glad that has not changed, if nothing else. Does the Shogunate still exist?"
She kind of hopes it doesn't.
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"Ha," Chuuya snorts. "No, that's a big fat no. It hasn't existed for like a hundred and fifty years. Politics is still a bunch of corrupt shit, but it's a different kind. Power shifts around more."
No wonder she doesn't know what cars are. They hadn't been invented yet.
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"I will have to pay a visit to the library," she murmurs. "Otherwise I fear I will burden you with far too many questions, and I wouldn't know where to start. But thank you. That is... good to know."
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He pauses a moment. Considers. "Do people in your world have abilities like mine?" She's seeing what he can do right now. It's normal to him, but if her world doesn't, her world history will veer off differently at some point. Probably not with the shogunate still existing, but world history.
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"In our time... no. But I have met an immortal swordsman whose body kept knitting back together through mystical means, and he was one of two. I don't know that it would be the same thing. Everyone else is very... average."
no subject
The world would be a much simpler and boring place if it were. He also probably wouldn't get any rest from governments trying to get their hands on him. It'd be a nightmare. No thank you. Chuuya is far happier with the wide variety of company he gets from ability users out there in the world. Their abilities just as varied. "Even the Armed Detective Agency has well more than that, and they're one small organization."
no subject
But it's more likely that Chuuya hales from a... different Japan, of a sort. She's heard they exist.
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"What happened to them?" Chuuya asks. Demands. "What did those doctors do?"
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"One immortal was taken by the Shogunate and experimented on in an attempt to learn the secrets to his immortality. The immortal later escaped and Edo castle was severely damaged." By Rin, she does not say. She heard that secondhand and has no idea how much truth there is to it.
"The experiments were deemed immoral soon afterward and the man responsible ordered to commit seppuku."
Except they gave him a time limit of one year to get his affairs in order, which meant he chose to make Kagehisa's life a living hell as his last deed. Makie had little love for the Shogunate before these events, and she certainly had none now.
no subject
"The man responsible. Like it's all the work of one man to do that. Like the people he reported to didn't know about and approve, at least tacitly, of what he was doing. One man. That's a sacrificial lamb to ward off further vengeance."
If they had any way to continue the work, who knows what happens in secret. If they didn't, well, that's why they could afford to sacrifice the man. He brings them closer to the ground, parallel to the train tracks. They may as well reach a train station. He doesn't know where he's going.
no subject
Much as she has enjoyed the flight, she relaxes more when she sees the train tracks stretch out below them.
"I would say I am disappointed that your more modern government makes the same kind of mistake, but it is as you say. Those in power always want more of it."
She wonders if it is an improvement at all, and she hesitates before asking. But she is curious. "How... are women treated? In your time."
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"Indeed. It's one of the reasons people are stronger in an organization than without. It takes power to stand up to power."
Even the strongest are stronger with an organization behind them and what all it can provide, whether they are trying to end the world, make a profit, or protect a city. It all comes back to power.
How women are treated sounds like a political question at first, except Makie really doesn't know. She has no idea. Chuuya has never once thought about describing how women are treated, which makes it awkward to try to describe it. "Equal in law, though how much that holds up can vary. There's far more men in positions of power, but women still go to school, work, date or marry who they want, and so on. Not perfect, but like we said, people in power don't want to give it away."
no subject
So she knows these things because Kagehisa had ranted about them often enough. But the role of women in society... that is far closer to home for her. For perhaps obvious reasons.
"It will never be perfect, I suppose," she murmurs. Men are unlikely to have changed much, still perceiving them as inferior. "But that seems... better."
no subject
"It is better, and so long as the world keeps turning, I'm sure women will keep making it better for themselves." He's in the mafia. That's not his job.
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And solid ground. Her legs are a little shaky as they land, but she adjusts easily enough. And relievingly enough, no water in the air, look at that. "Thank you, Chuuya-san. You have made this day much easier."
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