folkmeme | February-March 2024 Test Drive Meme

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*tdm

February-March 2024 Test Drive Meme

February-March 2024 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 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.

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.

[ Soon You'll Get Better ★ Netfox & Chill]

Soon You'll Get Better . ★

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

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 their ~~prey~~ new 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.

Netfox & Chill . ★

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

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Pfft, yeah, Draxum sees right through that. He's not sure why she's lying, though. Having seen that display at the stalls and now what she did with the plants, he thinks that what she lacks for in experience she makes up for in creativity.]

So had you gone about it more carefully, something different would have happened?

[Draxum crosses one leg over the other. It probably looks weird, because you know. Goat legs.]

[She is fourteen and wants a cool magic guy to think she's cool. So simple, Drax. Now teach her everything, plz and thank you.

Though her embarrassment is short lived. One because wow he is a goat guy! Two because She's Thinking now.]

Yeah, probably. If I had maybe tried for steam instead? A hot steam would melt the ice without making it a flood. Just- making a basic glyph is way faster than a glyph combo. I need more paper to make a glyph combo for the ice pillar I made. That takes time.

[She pulls out her notepad properly, flipping it open and drawing out a larger circle, adding glyphs therein. She's now thoroughly distracted.]

Maybe a modification of my mist, with another fire glyph?

[She rips the page off, before making a secondary version with an extra ice glyph.]

[One of the nice things about being so tall is he doesn't have to crane his head too much to see what she's doing. He can just glance down and count all the different glyphs she's drawing.]

Hearing you work through your theories reminds me of the way alchemists approached the craft. The early days were filled with much trial and error.

[It's quite nostalgic.]

[Luz smiles back at him, taking it as praise to some degree.] I'm not super surprised- I can bet there was even more trial and error since alchemy is way more complicated.

With glyphs there are only four main ones, and you build from there.

[She slides off the bench, immediately needing to test her theory. Luz is polite enough to make sure Draxum isn't in the potential direct blast zone.

She tests out the one with two ice glyphs first. She activates the paper and a plume of cold mist rolls through the air. Luz waves a hand trying to swat off the cold mist as she walks away from it.]

Okay, a little too cold! But it has an actual temperature to it.

Trial and error, and rampant mercury poisoning. That part wasn't fun.

[Hopefully Luz doesn't stumble on any combos that end like that!]

Based on your demonstration earlier, fire and ice would be two of the basic glyphs. [Given she did them so quickly, they'd have to be based off that explanation. Which is interesting. Ice, but not water?] What are the other two?

So far, no mercury poisoning for me. [Luz pauses for a second.] That I know of.

The other two are plant and light. [Luz offers back as she watches the mist slowly drift off. She would demonstrate, but she wants to finish her experiment with the steam first.] I'll show you in a second- lemme just try this.

[Once enough of the cooler mist is gone, Luz activates the next glyph. A much warmer steam billows outwards. Luz laughs a little from within it. She spins around in a circle amongst the mist as it spreads.]

Okay, this would have worked. Kinda sauna-y in here.

[What a unique set of base elements, so far as magic systems go. He's quite pleased plant is among them, though. For living on the surface, humans always seemed to take that one for granted, funneling it into earth.

Draxum nods, and watches Luz complete her experiment. She gave him enough space that he can't feel the steam, but he can see the difference for himself from the way the steam rises this time. The earlier mist—being both cooler and made up of more water droplets—hadn't done that.]

So you started by combining a fire and ice glyph, then added a third. An extra ice glyph for cold mist, and another fire for the steam?

[Luz emerges from the mist, shaking herself out since the hotter mist has clung to her hair and skin, leaving a wet sheen behind.]

Yeah, that's what I did!

It's about a balance when it comes to glyph combos. Also making sure you don't over do it.

You know, around this time of year you could make a killing with that steam one, depending on how long it lasts. I've been told Folkmore has many hot springs, but one must venture all the way out into the tundra to find them.

[Luz hums a little at that, waving off the rest of the steam. It dissipates easily enough. Though Luz is turning possibilities over in her mind.]

I'll have to keep that in mind. I'm mostly thinking about how I can use it for later in a pinch. If I get stuck somewhere icy or need to heat up something really quick. Or if I need to steam something smaller... I'd need to make the glyph smaller. If I wanted to make it last longer, I'd have to make a bigger glyph.

[So that's what she meant about needing more paper. There's a correlation between the strengths of the glyphs and their size.]

Keep it in mind, then, should you go to Wintermute. That's the biome I just mentioned; it's a land of little but snow and ice, which is why I've hesitated to explore it.

The real question is, would Wintermute be cold enough the mist would lose its heat super quickly?

And does it seriously just snow there all the time? Why would anyone want to go there even with hot springs?

Right? It's beyond me. [This is someone who hasn't had to deal with much snow in his life.] You should ask Hunter. We met at the train station in that land—I assume he was coming from the school.

...Why would they have a school out in a winter landscape? That doesn't seem conducive to learning. [Luz adds after a moment.] Unless they're listening to the land or something?

It's a school of technology, as I understand it. That location was likely chosen to keep their equipment from overheating.

[Draxum may be inept with modern human technology, but he knows enough about mechanical engineering to make that guess.]

Oookay, that checks out. My computer back home would get super hot sometimes. [Close your tabs, Luz.]

At any rate, you were going to explain the other two glyphs.

[Plant and Light!]

Right! [Thank you Mr. Alchemist for being on task. Luz has too many tabs open in her mind as well.]

Light is well, light. [Luz easily flips through her notepad. She finds the light glyph easily enough. It's not a surprise she has one on hand. She activates the drawing of the glyph on her notepad.

A small glowing orb takes shape and bobbles up into the air. Luz reaches out to gently catch it in her hand.] It's a basis for a lot of glyph combos.

[Seems straightforward enough.]

And that red grass you made earlier, to soak up the excess water. I take it that used a plant glyph—or was that also utilizing a combo?

That was just the plant glyph itself, I thought about what would drink up enough water and grass came to mind. Plants from the glyph usually can be almost anything.

[Luz gently snuffs the orb of light. She finds the next glyph, a plant one. With a flourish she activates the glyph. A vine emerges from the ground scooping her up easily as she sits a bit above Draxum's level.]

Vines are super useful, depending on what you need anyway.

[Ha! It's rare to see someone use his own trick, even if by a different method.]

I agree.

[In response, he throws his hand in the air, creating a mystic vine large enough to lift the bench off the ground and up to Luz's level.]

Heck yeah! Vine buds! [Naturally Luz is enthused. Unlike Draxum, Luz's vine is just gingerly place for the moment. Unlike Willow, she can't command them in the same way.]

Is this more alchemy based or magic based for you?

Mostly the latter. My mystic ability gives me power over plants, but this particular species of vine did not exist until I created it with alchemy.

[Hence why they're purple.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

February-March 2024 Test Drive Meme

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