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Entry tags:
July 2022 Test Drive Meme
JULY 2022 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. You can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Each TDM will provide a scenario for how characters arrive in-game that particular month.
Playing 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 allowed to have in-game characters react to TDMs via the Network or make a log with the prompts. Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Content Warnings: Unwanted romantic/sexual attention from a monster, optional sexual themes, optional monster fights, giant insects in 'accidents' prompt.
YOU'RE THE ONE I WANT
I HATE ACCIDENTS, EXCEPT...
YOU'RE THE ONE I WANT
Folkmore has many lakes and streams. You wake up suddenly beside one, the world coming into sharp focus the moment you do. It's sunny, and the sounds and sights are warmly nostalgic for the very idea of summer.
You can sit and relax a while. Maybe lounge in the shade. Let your mind drift, and relax. There's a few people around, some still sleeping and some awakening the same as you, but it's far from crowded here.
Suddenly a shadow falls over you. You turn and are greeted by a monster: it looks sort of like an avocado covered in kelp, with oversized hands and a huge mouth. It also looks like it's entirely made of rubber - even its eyes appear to be only painted on.
This monster waves its arms threateningly. “Gaaaaah!” it says. Its voice is muffled. “Gaahhhhhhhhh!”
Somehow this creature is a lot faster than it looks, and the next thing you know it has enfolded you in its embrace.
“You will be Greg’s bride!” the monster shouts, regardless of your gender identification. It looks at whoever happens to be in your general vicinity. “Who this?”
Struggling, you realise that Greg is stronger than any creature you’ve ever encountered before. You can’t seem to get it to let go of you, and it's rocking against you in such a way that it makes a sound like the soles of sneakers on a gym floor. On the plus side, it doesn’t have any genitals that you can see, so at least it’s not as bad as it could be? Still, desperate times call for desperate measures! “That’s my partner!” you claim before you can think about how stupid an idea that is.
“You bride? PROVE IT!"
Oh shit. Now you’re stuck - you and whatever innocent bystander you've dragged into this have to convince Greg that you're a couple! You could admit to something true about love or intimacy under the guise of it being about the other; Greg’s lie detecting abilities are good enough to call you out on untruths, but not good enough to know who you’re talking about.
Or you could just start making out, I guess. Whatever works.
If you're a terrible actor, Greg will abduct you and pull you beneath the water. You better hope your fake partner will try to rescue you!
If you manage to convince him that you're a couple, he will shed a tear from his unblinking eyes before either slinking away or flying into a murderous rage.
If you choose to fight Greg, either in the water or on land, you will find that he's pretty tough for a rubber monster. Any blows to his back or sides will land harmlessly, and the kelp on his body may grab whatever you hit him with. And that big goofy mouth of his hides rows of deathly sharp fangs!
However you get rid of Greg, once he's gone you will find a trunk shaped like a koi fish. Open it and you will find some canon items from home. Clothes or weapons, maybe. Lucky you!
I HATE ACCIDENTS, EXCEPT...
You don't necessarily have to complete the One I Want prompt to find these koi trunks! They seem to be dotted around Folkmore and you might find them just by virtue of exploration! The trunks seem to mysteriously know who is opening them so you won't find someone else's stuff by accident. There are also some unenchanted weapons sticking out of the ground in random places: basic swords, guns, shields, etc. They have no magic, but they're usable!
But be warned: the second you take one of these weapons, you'll have to use it.
As soon as you have pulled a weapon from the ground, a high whining buzz sounds, swelling in volume as somethings come barreling out of the sky at you. They are short humanoid creatures about three feet tall with the heads and wings of cicadas. They are also wearing human clothes - what sort depends on what part of Folkmore you're in. If you're in Wintermute they might be wearing cute sweaters, but if you're in Cruel Summer they might be dressed like your suburban dad on summer vacation. How cute! Except they have very sharp talons and the sound they make can incapacitate you. Better take them down fast!
Or run even faster.
Content Warnings: Mood altering substances, optional alcohol use, optional suggestive themes.
I LIKE SHINY THINGS
IN DIRTY DREAMS
I LIKE SHINY THINGS
Summer isn't all about getting bitten by mosquitoes out at the lake, or sweating your way up a mountain in uncomfortable hiking boots. For the less outdoorsy types, there's still plenty of fun to be had... and all within walking distance of an air conditioner when the weather gets too humid. Close to Epiphany, there appears a gem of a spa, nestled comfortably by a beautiful waterfall. The lobby is spacious and cool, with a distinctly mid-century modern sensibility. The gentleman working the front desk wears a crisp suit of burnt orange with a small golden fox pin on his lapel. He is more than happy to direct you to any of the spa amenities.
There are massage tables, hot tubs, and steam rooms. You can get yourself a manicure, pedicure, or facial. There's a full salon for anything you might want to do to your hair - maybe it's time for a kicky summer 'do? Any kind of pampering you're after, you can find it here! If you need to lie down, there are even some hotel rooms on the upper levels that you can rest in.
There is also a tea room - all soft pinks and sage greens, with plush chairs in sets of two or more around small round tables. You will be seated with someone else, as the tea room is designed to encourage conversation. The waiters in this delightful space are all flamingos - they move around the room with a sort of gangly grace, carrying trays on their backs or with their beaks. Unconventional, but they seem to have no problem understanding people's orders. Speaking of, what's on the menu? Seems every kind of tea has a different effect...
Black tea hypes you UP! Who wants to stay sitting around with a bunch of birds?! Let's go party!
Green tea brings a sense of great peace and mental clarity. You will find it easy to talk about emotional subjects without being overcome with feelings.
Oolong tea calms you and relaxes you deeply. You might even find yourself nodding off!
Milk tea inspires feelings of affection - whoever you're sitting with now seems like they could be your new best friend. (Or more?)
Spending time in the tea room really does encourage you to open up to other people one way or another, and all the other spa activities tend to put people in the mood to open up a little bit.
IN DIRTY DREAMS
If you tire of such relaxing pursuits but you still don't fancy wandering off into the woods, you could always poke around behind the spa, where there is a smaller separate building. If you listen you can hear loud music playing, carried faintly on the summer wind. Some kind of party? Why not check it out? Okay, so there's a big old 'STAFF ONLY' sign on the side of the building, but you could just wander in and come up with an excuse if someone spots you. Or sneak in through the bathroom window or something if you're that worried.
Once inside it becomes apparent that this building functions as a private club for the spa staff. The interior is dark and wood paneled, lit only by some old hanging lights with warm bulbs. At the far end is a bar, and beyond that the glow of a small kitchen. A few tables are scattered along the walls, but the bulk of the long room is taken up by a dancefloor.
And boy oh boy are people getting down.
The music is so loud that you don't have to be able to hear to feel the beat - it pounds through the floorboards like a pulse. It's a compelling rhythm that urges you to join the throng. Even if you lack any and all natural grace, the urge to dance is strong enough that you can cast off your reluctance. You can even find yourself a dance partner, although you might want to keep it a little more G-rated than some of the couples around.
If you tire, you can hit the bar. The bartender isn't checking any IDs, considering they think everyone present is a staff member. Just don't blow your cover!
conan (the big bad wolf) | original character | myth
You're the One I Want
( The scent of worry and distress is noticeable in the air. Conan follows it from where he'd been walking nearby and finds himself back at the lake. What he's greeted by is the sight of that strange... monster holding onto someone.
The monster's shouts are loud and the growing distress from their captive is making the air bitter with their fear. Conan has no stakes here with either the monster or his captive, but the disruption to what should have been quiet and undisturbed exploring has hit a nerve.
He bears his teeth in warning at the monster, and the sound that builds in the thick chest is a vicious snarl that rips through the air. It's the only warning he offers as his hands flex at his sides. )
I Hate Accidents - Wolf
( Conan hasn't disturbed any of the chests or weapons scattered around. But it seems someone else has.
The buzzing is maddening to his senses, and the way the sky is swarm by creatures that appear have his attention immediately. Whether you need help or not, there's a massive black wolf that sprints past, tearing one of those creatures from the sky with a violent growl as he slams into into the ground with its powerful jaw.
In this form, he's tall enough that he's eye level with the average adult, and his jaw and paws are massive. He isn't a threat to you, but that might not be immediately obvious from the way his head snaps up, flashing bloodied teeth at the creatures overhead before he's moving again. )
I Hate Accidents - Human
( The weapons on the ground draw his attention. A glimmer of light against metal that brings him over. What he pulls out of the ground appears to be a sword of some sort, but it's quickly discarded with a clank. He has no need for such human tools.
But no sooner than the blade leaves his hand, he's looking up at the sky. If you're nearby and see him looking up, you might not realize something is coming for a few seconds. ) You should go.
( And then the swarm is descending. There's nothing in his posture to say he's worried, but the set of his shoulders and the slant of his brow says he's not happy. Something that's shown as the first creature comes within reach, a hand closing around its throat and squeezing tight. The growl that builds in his throat is loud even among the buzzing, and then he's slamming the struggling creature against the nearest tree with a sickening crack. )
I Like Shiny Things
( The spa isn't somewhere he'd bother to go normally, but in his curious wandering, it's where he ends up. He's since dismissed any attempts to be bathed or touched, the different scents sticking to his tongue in an unpleasant and lingering taste.
But the tea room seems less offensive in its scents, and he sits quietly at one of the tables. If you happen to sit at the table with him, you'll see that he's not actually drinking the tea. He's busy, instead, smelling it. And every time one of those flamingos wanders by, he's watching it with sharp blue eyes. And if you pay enough attention, might might even catch him licking his lips slowly. A predator watching his prey as the flamingos continue moving about. )
Wild Card
( Prompt him! )
I hate accidents
Well... when in Rome?
Henry lunges for the nearest cicada-person, snapping his jaws around its torso and biting it in half. ]
no subject
He pauses only briefly once the other wolf comes into view, and the glowing blue eyes watch him for a few seconds. There's a sharp rumble from him, not a thanks or a warning. Simply an acknowledge of his presence before he's rearing back onto his hind legs, snatching another creature out of the air with that powerful jaw.
He'll deal with him later. )
no subject
(The Doodler ended up being released anyway, so fat lot of good that did, but... he doesn't want to think about that right now.)
Rather than thinking, he just bites and swipes at as many of the little things as he can catch, hoping he's at least in some way helping. ]
no subject
He's used to working alone, has never had a pack or 'allies' to fight alongside him, but the other's efforts aren't unwelcome.
When they've snatched the last of those creatures from the air and the buzzing gives way to blissful silence, Conan lets out a sharp huff of air as he scans the area around them. Nothing is moving, and the way he lifts his head a bit is a way of saying he's pleased with the outcome. When he turns back to the other wolf, it's to give him a long, curious look, but there's nothing threatening in his posture. There's a flick of a dark ear before he turns away and makes his way towards what appear to be the remains of human clothes. )
no subject
you're the one i want
Prove it? All right, well... well! [ An idea forms. ] What you fail to realize is that we're soulmates! [ She says about the man whose name she doesn't know. ] That's right. You can't see it, but we have a red string attached to each of our pinkies that always leads us to the other. That's how he knew where to find me.
[ She cranes her head to try and look into the monster's odd eyes with her purple ones. ]
You wouldn't separate soulmates, would you?
[ She looks back at the stranger, giving him a meaningful look. ]
no subject
But he manages, finally with a twitch of his pinky: )
She's mine. ( The words are a thick growl, and there's no lie there for the moment. There's no real interest in her as of yet but it's staking a claim for the time being that he'll follow with violence if needed.
And for all that he vaguely understands that word - soulmate - he parrots it with a snarl. )
My soulmate. ( What were once blunt human nails at the end of those fingers are now thick, canine claws as his gaze meets hers. )
no subject
You lie! Not soulmates!
[ Gemmaline jumps a little at the shout and struggles to figure out a backup plan. Her eyes are drawn to the man's hands as he shifts his form and she figures she's running out of time before he just attacks the thing. Is that the only option? It may be, but she wants to give this creature a chance. It's stubborn, no doubt, but also seems very simple. ]
W-Wait! It's love; truly. Just— just let me say that, uh, he's—
[ Okay, what does she do here? She's had certain feelings for people before, but they've never panned out for various reasons. For some reason a certain face enters her mind. He doesn't look so different from the man before her now. Like him, this man she pictures has blue eyes and light skin with dark hair. Darien. Her heart twists. They never even got the chance to go out for those drinks he'd always promised her before fate had other ideas for him. Or rather, a Daedric prince did. But he means something to her. Something real. ]
He's my rock. Always backing me up, always putting himself in danger to protect me or others. He's fun and kind and always does what's right, no matter the cost. No matter the— the sacrifice.
[ And that's the truth. It's just not about the man in front of her. She feels her nose burning with unshed tears and a lump forming in her throat. Let this be enough, because thinking about him hurts. ]
i hate accidents
it hadn't been a bad plan, either, until the other man's warning rings out through the silence, and fig is snapping his head up to the sound of at least a dozen pairs of wings beating in the chilled air. he's quick on his feet — he has to be to survive as long as he has, abilities muted as they are — and presses himself flush against the larger male who seems entirely comfortable taking care of one of their new company. ]
This is definitely your fault. [ now, fig can't be 100% sure, but he can do simple math and things had been quite calm up until this big lug decided to get handsy with a sword. ] Take care of them all, will you?
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Bright eyes flick to the other man before lifting back to another of the creatures. His hand abandons the one unmoving against the tree, lifeless in a mess of splinters. He doesn't give a verbal response to those words, but he does reach up to pull his beanie off. The way he shoves it towards the other is a demand for him to hold it as he takes a few steps forward.
He's ruthless in the way he lashes out at the others. Grabbing and tearing with strong hands and claws, pinning and snapping limbs, violent and unyielding scratches and hits that leave the creatures in a gruesome scene around them.
When he's done, he's glancing back with an arched brow. Hands covered in blood, clothes and face decorated with smaller arcs and splatters.
He took care of it. )
no subject
when the man delivers him that arched brow, surrounded by such carnage, it should have been off-putting. but fig simply smiles, cheerily lifting that beanie in his hand. ]
I kept your little hat safe. Guess we both did well, didn't we?
no subject
Moving closer, Fig might notice a couple of tears in his shirt from the assault he'd endured, but nothing remains on the skin underneath. And the slashes are short and haphazard, a product of being too close in combat. But for his part, Conan isn't concerned considering any wounds have already healed.
He holds out his hand expectantly for his hat once he's close enough. )
Yeah. ( Is all he says. Fig hadn't really done anything, but he had kept his hat clean and safe. He supposes that's something. )
no subject
he looks at that expectant hand, large and certainly capable of ripping his own flesh in strips should it feel so inclined. and yet fig's smile only widens, his grip still secure around the knitted cap. ]
What's your name?
[ he clearly doesn't mean for the interaction to be over just yet. ]
shiny things!
The flamingos come and go and people at their tables sit and chatter and Stephen watches as he waits for somebody to arrive and fill the empty seat at his table, attention drifting from one pair to the next, trailing the busy birds as they make their rounds— and catching eventually on someone unusual. The sniffing is something. Another sweep of the room finds the man watching the birds - sure, fine, he's doing the same if a little less intently. But the third pass...
Teacup on the table. Then Stephen drops into the vacant chair opposite the stranger and, without so much as a self-introduction: ]
I'd make other lunch plans. I don't think they'll appreciate a sudden shortage of waitstaff.
[ On that note, he's signalling to the nearest flamingo. Time for fresh tea. ]
sorry about his manners, stephen
That thought is snapped away at the sound of the man's voice, and his gaze darts from one of the flamingos to the other man. One brow goes up slowly at the words, and if he were more talkative, he'd explain that there wouldn't be staff left by the time he was done. But he doesn't and instead looks down at the tea cup in front of him. Watches the gesture of the man's hand. Breathes in the new scents that come with him. The scent of magic is strong, something that puts his guard up, but beyond a bit of tension in his shoulders and the way he keeps watching the other, it doesn't show. )
Tea doesn't make good lunch.
( Even so, he's lifting his cup once more to take another sniff. And then he drinks it. All of it. In a couple of shameless gulps. )
he will simply never be forgiven
Distaste a pinch of his brow, Stephen waits the very short span of time it takes for tea to be there and then gone before speaking. There's no use in wasting any words of a good rebuttal on somebody who's busy swallowing much-sniffed tea. ]
Then go to a lunch room.
[ Wow. Critical hit. The flamingo arrives with its myriad options and Stephen opts for a green, casting a sideways glance over at present company, raised brows silently asking if he's going to make the most of what the tea room he's actively visited has to offer and go in for a second cup. ]
:c okay
It's unclear if he's going to say anything further, attention drawn to that flamingo. He watches it before he grabs another cup to set it on the table in front of him. And only as the flamingo starts to walk away does his gaze return to Stephen. )
Later.
( Is all he says as one of those large hands curve around the cup, enjoying the warmth it gives off. Much more comfortable than the heat outside. He draws the cup closer, though he doesn't lift it to drink (or sniff) it just yet. )
It's quiet here. ( Much quieter than the chaos outside with that annoying monster by the lake, the buzzing humanoid creatures, the general bustle of energy outside. It's a lot. Bordering on too much for his keen senses. It's a sentiment he doesn't expect a human to understand. But, he muses, there's something else about this man. )
What are you?
( He smells human enough, but there's something else there. Something mystical. )
jk stephen's are Worse
[ Myth, Legend, Familiar? Human, Alien, Other? Teacher, lawyer, cashier? What are you could touch on any one of those things. But as he watches the man across the table, puts together the sniffing and the hunger for fresh flamingo and the implied aversion to noise, options begin to blank themselves out. What as in species seems an easy thing to scent. What as in designation is a little early for a newbie - assuming he is a newbie, but by now Stephen's got names or at least faces for a lot of the people around here and before ten minutes ago hadn't had either for this one - to be bothering themselves with.
So he takes a shot in the not very dark and answers: ]
Master of the Mystic Arts. Doctor Stephen Strange, at your service.
[ A little irony inherent in the last part. If he were really at this guy's service he'd have taken the hint of his entire demeanour and left him well enough alone. And yet here he sits, making unyielding eye contact as he sweeps upward with two fingers and twists them in the air, motion setting a teaspoon to stirring, untouched, in his cup.
That ought to be a sufficient answer. ]
And yourself?
[ He's not giving human, for all his appearance implies. ]
I Hate Accidents - Wolf
She isn't given time to inspect the blades as a soft steady buzzing cuts through the forest air. Her ears prick up and her head turns to see the large humorously dressed creature coming toward her. Fashion choices aside, Anne-Marie focuses on the sharp claws and swallows uncomfortably. Her blades are for close-range combat...
This won't end well.
She rolls out of the way of the first attack, her dress tearing from thigh to ankle as she barely avoids being sliced open. With her thin lethal frame crouched on the ground, she readies her blades to defend.
It's then that a wolf bolts in front of her and tears the creature from the sky in a swift motion, closing its jaws with a powerful bite. Anne-Marie exhales slowly but doesn't relax her stance, uncertain if this new addition is friend or foe.]
Thank you. [She hopes that this is like the werewolves back home and magically here to assist her.]
no subject
no subject
She's at a disadvantage on the ground but is quick to slice out whenever there is an opening that wouldn't injure her in the process. It takes time but slowly, Anne-Marie leaves a small trail of the creatures in her wake.
She can only hope that they get rid of them all before she runs out of room to move away.]
i like shiny things
Still, he has to comment on it, of course:] I think they're be upset if you eat the wait staff.