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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!
no subject
Looks like they might be growing on you.
[ Elena grins slightly at Dee's attempt to comfort the sharks. They wear people down eventually! ]
Huh, really? You might know bigger dickwads than me then. Not even sure if the crazy hybrid I know would kill this little guy.
no subject
She doesn't even consider that the sharks might be growing on her until it's pointed out. She shrugs it off and gives a casual shake of the head. She refuses to admit it, but Elena is correct. Dee's shark returns with cigarettes -- it occurs to her that she forgot to ask for a light, but that's... fine. She carefully reaches out to pat the creature's head, while flashing a baffled look at Elena?]
Hybrid? Like a... half-human, half...? [She doesn't know. Half-merperson? Half-troll? She still needs to get used to this fantasy stuff.]
no subject
No, half vampire, half werewolf. [ He'd be way easier to deal with if he was half human half something else. Alas, he had to be half-werewolf too. And over 1000 years. ] The Original Hybrid too. [ Original's said with an inflection that indicates it's also something important, more so than just someone with an original unique award winning personality. ]
cw: alcoholism
[Dee blinks a couple of times, and then takes a worryingly long sip from her tequila bottle. She might have to ask her shark friend for an extra bottle before she gets out of here. She thinks she's going to need it.]
Original. Original vampire werewolf. Wow. So if he bites someone, do they become both?
[Yes, that is 100% a serious question. Forgive the idiot, Elena.]
cw: alcoholism
Still, she takes a drink of her own bourbon without too much concern. Vampires need a lot more to get drunk, it's a perk . ]
That's complicated, but the short answer is no. He can turn werewolves into hybrids, but not vampires and not humans. A werewolf bite is one of the few things that can kill a vampire.
cw: alcoholism
[It doesn't seem like she's joking about that either. In fact, she sounds like she's almost proud of the 70 beers thing. She probably... shouldn't be, but she is.]
I feel like a werewolf bite might be bad news for literally everyone. So that is... not surprising to hear. [She clicks her fingers and grins, before taking another sip of tequila.]
Okay. Question. Would you rather be a vampire, a werewolf, or a... [She trails off and glances at her shark, who is staring up at her with big, black, adorable eyes. Goddamnit, she wishes he'd stop looking at her like that.]
....ssshark... person? [What the hell is a shark person? Why would anyone want to be a shark person?]
cw: alcoholism
[ Probably concerned. How did someone handle that and not die? Maybe she's joking. Elena is going to sincerely hope she's joking. ]
Even worse for a vampire. There's hallucinations involved and then a slow very gruesome death by what's basically poison. The only cure is drinking the blood of the hybrid. [ Aka having to ask that jerk for help and hoping he's nice that day. ]
Werewolves can only turn on full moons and turning involves every bone in their body breaking. Hybrids can transform at will but that means starting out being sired to Klaus so, no thanks. [ Big No to sired to Klaus from her. She's genuinely contemplating the next one. ] We'd have to figure out what sharkperson does first. Are they limited to the ocean during fullmoons or called to the sea as the moon starts to go towards full? Turning into a shark seems pretty limiting...
[ She shrugs after a second. ] Guess I'd stick with vampire. I'm almost starting to get used to that one.
no subject
Gross.
She's listening, surprisingly intrigued by what Elena's saying, but then Elena says that she'd stick with vampire, and Dee can't help canting her head. She stares at the woman, but says nothing for a long moment, and it's almost like her own brain has BSODed.]
Hang on a second. Are you telling me you're a vampire?
[Can she please wake up now? This place is too weird.]
no subject
Yeah. It's new to me and not something I wanted but it happened. Usually this is the part we'd compel someone to forget about that [ and that awkwardness has now turned into rambling out too much. Great. She shrugs. ] But it doesn't matter if people know here. [ Everyone's weird here in some way. ]
no subject
This place sure does play by its own rules, doesn't it? [Another quick swig of tequila.] Can't blame you guys for compelling people to forget. I mean, people are dicks. They'd probably try exploiting your vampire powers for their personal gain, and then complaining when it all backfires!
no subject
There aren't many vampires that would let themselves be exploited by a human. [ Exploited by other vampires? That's an entirely different ballgame and seems to just be common place in vampire...society? Is it even really it's own society. Oh who knows. ]
The biggest thing is the concern that they'll assume vampire equals evil thing that has to be hunted. Then the entire town starts to come together to figure out ways to kill them and it becomes a huge mess for centuries.
[ So easier to just compel people to forget and move on! ]
no subject
[She has nothing positive to say about people. In her opinion, they're mostly jerks, or stupid, or both.]
And the alcohol doesn't make you feel sick?
no subject
She shakes her head. ]
Nope, not at all. Alcohol actually helps take the edge of hunger off. [ Wait that sounds bad, she widens her eyes and tries to stammer out recovery from that: ] Not that it's super bad right now. [ not exactly true ] so, don't worry.
cw: implied drug use
[Or something.]
Oh! [She laughs. It's high-pitched and a little uncertain.]
Well, you wouldn't want any of mine anyway. It's probably got... drug residue in it. And not a lot of iron. I'm supposed to be fixing that.
[She shrugs, cringing a little. Would vampires even give a shit about iron? Goddamnit, Dee.]
cw: implied drug use
She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. ]
I'm not going to eat from you, don't worry. [ There was a distinct lack of confidence in that statement that Elena realized only a little too late after. Look she was a newborn vampire, she didn't really know if she could control herself forever. ] Drug residue huh?
cw: drug discussion
[She says that last part cautiously, with an upward inflection that makes her sound less than confident.]
Huh!
[She's picked up on that lack of confidence and it... doesn't really sit well with her. Then the question comes and that makes her laugh awkwardly.] Yeahhh, I might have... some weed in there. [She says, holding up her wrist and turning it.] We threw a dead guy off a mountain. I needed it.
[She says with a dismissive flick of her hand, as though throwing a dead guy off a mountain is very normal and only mildly inconvenient.]
cw: drug discussion
[ Way more than anyone wants to hear! Moving on.
She takes a drink from the bottle her shark buddy brought and raises both eyebrows. ] You threw a dead guy...off a mountain? [ Okay, well, that's...an interesting statement. ] Did you find him dead or uh...?
cw: death discussion
The mountain thing does sound odd, and perhaps even a little suspicious, but it isn't something Dee minds talking about. It wasn't like she hurt the guy. She'd never met him!]
Well, he was my friend's dirtbag dad. [She waves her hand. There's a story there, but she doesn't feel like going into it.] The guy got sick, and he died suddenly. And his dying wish was to be thrown off a mountain sooo...
[She raises her bottle in the air like she's giving a toast, but there's something sarcastic about the gesture.]
We did it. We did the thing, and now I'm here!
cw: death discussion
She blinked at the description of that and vaguely tried to hide her curiosity at that. ] That sounds really crazy to have happen. Nice of you to give him his dying wish even though he was a douchebag though.
[ If she hadn't picked up on the mildly sarcastic look to the gesture she'd have raised her own bottle. Instead she just sheepishly took a drink. ]
It sounds like here might be mildly better than that!
no subject
[Dee says with a shrug, and smiles before taking another swig. She abandoned him at one point, but that was because the guys kept calling her a banshee and a witch -- and neither of those things were real right up until... now.
Well, she doesn't know if banshees exist. But if witches exist, then they probably do too.]
It was not how I thought my trip to Ireland would go. But! Now I get to have a new vacation. ...Sort of?
[The Trials trouble her, but she does love the idea of not needing to work!]
Do you like it here?
no subject
[ That was actually the impressive part. That she'd just gone with the flow like that. Elena respected it.
She chuckled. ]
Well, at least you got a good story about it? There's a small positive!
[ The smallest of small ones.... ]
Honestly? I've only been here around a month and I haven't completely decided. The trails haven't seemed as bad as some people have said.
no subject
Right? And everyone loves a good story. Especially me.
[She says with a little grin. She... mostly enjoys talking about herself, but she'll pay attention to others if the story is strange and compelling enough.]
I've heard about them, and they sound kind of terrible to me. I don't want to... be forced to share my feelings or hug a stranger. Gross.
no subject
Maybe we'll get lucky and not have to do any of that? Or maybe they really aren't as bad as people have said.