folkooc | July 2022 Test Drive Meme

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*tdm

July 2022 Test Drive Meme

JULY 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full Navigation ]
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.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Paper Rings

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

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.

TIME OF MY LIFE

Content Warnings: Mood altering substances, optional alcohol use, optional suggestive themes.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He doesn't entirely answer the first question, nor react much to the statement. Kaeya is right, of course, and it's only then that the gap he had noticed in his memory begins to fill in. A fox. There was a fox.

He remembers now.

But Dainsleif puts as much weight in the whims of the powers that be in this world as he does in the gods of his own. That is, he doesn't care what they want and has not yet been given a reason to. A Legend? Perhaps, but only time would tell, wouldn't it.]

... Let's. [A man of few words. Perhaps that isn't surprising. The faint comfort he feels on looking into eyes so similar to his own is fleeting and dim, barely noticed and yet... it does ache, somehow, in way he hadn't expected.] You need not introduce yourself but perhaps I should. Unless--

[A pause. He glances Kaeya's way.]

Could it be that you already know very well who I am?

[There is no change in Kaeya’s expression of casual amusement as he sweeps into a bow.] Calvary Captain Kaeya Alberich of Mondstadt, at your service.

I would say I’m familiar with your visits. [Not quite how he knows of him but, it will do for now.]

There are only two from our world here, three now including you.

[A soft, dry, humourless sound pushes its way out of Dainsleif's chest. So, that's how it's to be. That's fine. He entertains the young man's flourishing introduction with his own arms loosely crossed, then a small smile twitches at one corner of his mouth.]

Knight Captain Dainsleif, Twilight Sword of the Royal Guard of Khaenri'ah. [And not quite a bow, but a faint incline of his head to mock the ghost of one. So, his 'visits' had not caused quite the stir he had briefly imagined that they might. It could not be often that a second person with star-shaped pupils and a penchant for concealing part of their face walked into the Angel's Share.]

I wasn't trying to hide my presence in Mondstadt back then. [He looks the young captain up and down.] But I wasn't there for you.

[Not that time, at least. Dainsleif sighs softly.]

And who else has found themselves in this degrading internment?

Master Diluc. [His ears right themselves. Did he escape notice? Has he been worried over nothing?] Be assured, it was quite obvious you weren’t hiding.

[He, however, was trying to avoid him. Kaeya turns slightly and gestures for Dainsleif to follow him.] There’s a tea shop not far from here.

I can tell you what I’ve learned here over tea.

[He has, most assuredly, not escaped notice. Dainsleif did not need that introduction to know precisely who he is dealing with but he recognises the value of being able to spend some more time in Kaeya's presence before something he says inevitably spooks him off. That seems like a ticking time bomb already.

The blond man clasps his hands behind his back and falls into step beside his new companion. A tea shop?]

How quaint. [But not objectionable. He nods for Kaeya to lead the way. For now, there are more pressing things to discuss than their personal connections to a long lost civilisation. That can come later, he thinks.] Good of you to take the time. [As he walks, a keen eye might notice a tension in his steps as if the movement is uncomfortable. Not a limp, but a certain stiffness.] It's been a while since I found myself in entirely unfamiliar territory.

Yes, it's pretty novel. I can't say I fancied waking up with changes to my body, but they have proven useful. [The enhanced hearing and sense of smell have been beneficial. Kaeya leads him down a path that cuts to the right of the woods.

There's a small village that comes into sight ahead. He glances at him before he focuses on the path forward and says,] We could stop by a healer first. They don't ask questions here. We're all here to meet our full potential.

[They had looked like useful changes - at least, Kaeya had been using them to good effect. Dainsleif concentrates on walking through the steadily growing fatigue pushing through every one of his muscles, having barely had any time to rest since fighting against the effects of the Abyss Order's amplification device.

Another of those dry sounds escapes him. Here to meet their full potential, indeed... That's almost insulting to consider. He was busy before he was brought here, and he considers that mission of far more importance than anything else.]

I didn't notice you were injured. [In fact he's almost sure that the other man was not.] But if you need to stop I can wait.

[Sorry, Kaeya. You have another stubborn knight on your hands.]

[Kaeya studies his face, then sighs, ears tilting back in displeasure. Of course.] This is just a suggestion to the tea shop.

[They reach the village edge, and he nods to a raven-headed man at the gates. People of various sorts go about their business. He makes his way to a tea shop on the right side, a little hole-in-the-wall business run by a cat. He greets them with a waggle of his fingers and leads Dainsleif to a table near a window.]

So, what do you know right now? What have people told you.

[Depending on how his condition progresses, perhaps he'll consider changing his mind... but Dainsleif rarely turns to anyone for help and thinks it likely that a healer would not be able to do much for him regardless given the source of his discomfort. Besides, he's accustomed to being in pain.

He glances to the people that Kaeya greets then joins him at the table, sitting down neatly. Everything about him screams of someone still very much on high alert for anyone who knows what they are looking for, and any practiced soldier would be able to see the signs.]

Frustratingly little. You're the first I've had occasion to have a full conversation with. [Yes, he could have made this a lot easier for himself by not being an enigmatic loner... but here we are.] There was...

[And here is where he tries to piece his memories of things together. It's unsettling to have a very keen sense of how much he managed to forget already.]

There was a fox. I remember now. She told me a little about this place as we were walking. It was strange. I felt--... [He felt safe, with her. He shakes his head and doesn't finish that thought.] She told me she wished to see how I might move forward when fully removed from my mission. If I could find another purpose without it.

[His eyes narrow slightly.]

How impudent.

[He could lie like a rug. He has done that so often but when faced with all that he doesn't know how to deal with. Kaeya, for once, chooses honesty.] I was told I might actually make a choice if I'm not caught between them. My full potential was being held back by 'avoiding' what was in front of me. I suppose it's not wrong.

[Personally, he'd rather stay as he is with nothing changed. He gestures to himself with a sigh.] Legends seem to embody all the good. Protective, selfless, generous. ...kindness. Diluc is a legend.

Familiars are neutral. From observing I would say we are more flexible than legends. We do not seem to have a rigid code. We adapt to the situations. Hence why our bodies adapt. But it seems I can only ever take the shape of a wolf. I once tried to shape myself as a man and wolf at the same time. It had...mixed results. I can show you if you'd like. I am as mercurial as water but solid as ice. Fitting I suppose.

[From where he sits, Dainsleif is observing the young man closely. Alberich is a name he knows well, though sitting across from someone bearing it is not a thing he expected that he would be doing any time soon. What Kaeya says makes sense in the boundaries of what Dainsleif has learned so far and though he could have taken insult at the idea of being inflexible, well...]

Hmph. Five hundred years of pursuing the same goals does not make adaptation easy.

[If Kaeya is going to be honest with him he can afford a little openness. After all, how long has it been since he last spoke with a living person who had eyes just like his own?]

But don't feel you need to put yourself out on my account. [No burning desire to see what kind of shape Kaeya might force himself into by trying to do that.] I suppose no one leaves of their own volition.

[The waiter comes over with menus and leaves them as Kaeya processes what he's been told. Five hundred years.] Yes, that amount of time does set things in stone, doesn't it?

[There's a pause as he considers what else to say. He has no idea how to handle this. His 'father' recorded nothing. He only has pieces that he snatched from the flames. Kaeya decides to leave it alone.] But no, we don't. Everything here has been focused on bonds with others and facing things within ourselves.

Housing is free, and I can tell there's no formal structure of protection against the monsters that roam these lands.

[His first reaction is to think that that prospect sounds terrible. He is forced, under secondary evaluation, to admit even only to himself that the idea of bonding with others in such a way in fact makes him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Dainsleif rubs two fingers to his temple, his jaw tensing briefly.]

So I am to be reduced to charity and monster hunting. [There's no particular bitterness in his voice. Perhaps something more like... disappointment? It's a large adjustment, not so much in a way of life but the meaning behind it. He picks up a menu and fiddles with it.]

I'm certain it's already apparent to you that... socialising is not one of my strengths. [It wasn't always so. There was a time when he would smile, when he was charming and easy to talk to, but those days are long behind him and he barely recalls them now.]

And I... am not making this encounter easy for you, am I. It would not be fair of me to act as if I don't hold an advantage.

[He leans back in his chair and places his order with a waiter that passes by. It gives him time to compose his answer. It's settled into his mind that the thing he has never wanted to happen is happening. But this isn't Mondstadt. His 'Father' would see it as an opportunity, wouldn't he?

The tea is placed in front of him and he picks it up.] I would say if you feel like making things equal, I won't stop you. It would be easier if I knew what you know about me.

[And how successful the Alberich Clan was in their careful machinations. Nothing was recorded other than what he stole from the flames.] However, Monster hunting might not be the only thing here. There is a spirit that likes to possess people. I was taken by it briefly. But well, you can't be darkness and take one of us. Can you?

Mmn. Not as far as I'm aware.

[Is that a pale attempt at humour? Perhaps. Dainsleif gives the menu he's been idly fussing with a cursory glance then gets the attention of a passing server, ordering something in a soft and polite tone.

Then he looks back to Kaeya, because something else he had said feels more pertinent to a conversation between them.]

As for what I know about you... possibly not as much as you think I do. Kaeya Alberich, last scion of clan Alberich. The acting regents of Khaenri'ah, for what there is left to preside over. [He has complicated feelings about that, as it stands.] I long believed that the regents and I shared similar goals, though our paths towards them were disparate enough that it has been a long time since I spoke to one of the family. [His expression seems to soften, just for a moment.]

If you were hoping I could tell you more about your ancestry, I'm afraid I can't. My memory isn't what it was. But... I can tell you all I can recall, if you have questions for me.

[So, Clan Alberich was quite successful indeed. Something inside him eases as he settles more in his chair.] …in the future, I may ask you what you remember. For now I would rather get to know you.

It’s been years since I met anyone like me. [There is something comforting about that. More than he ever expected it to be. He has complicated feelings and they show on his face for a moment. He is far younger than Dainsleif and he feels that difference as he picks up his tea.]

And what is more important at present, is letting you know about the dangers and strangeness of this place. If the magic finds you, so far the only way to deal with it is to heed it.

Someone had to remove the mask the spirit had me put on before I stopped fighting them.

Danger is hardly strange to me. [As much as he's aware that Kaeya is only trying to be helpful to him, Dainsleif is still entirely ruffled by being trapped here and the potential difficulties such a gilded cage might hold for him in the approaching days and weeks.

The tea he ordered arrives and he picks the cup up in both hands, lifting it delicately and taking a moment to examine the scent. He does look, for a moment, like someone who has not had the opportunity to simply sit and enjoy a drink in a long time. He takes a small sip.]

But--... I appreciate the warning. I'll be vigilant. [And perhaps he will try to be open-minded.] I can't claim to be an open book, but was there anything specific that you wanted to know about me?

No. Having conversations with you is enough for me. If you feel like sharing anything, that’s fine. Everyone has their secrets and I’m not one to force them out.

[The tension is draining out of him. He doesn’t have to do more than just be his usual self. It’s a relief that he feels in an almost physical way. But he does have to wonder what will happen next. Kaeya takes a sip of his tea. It’s as good as last time. Then he laughs, despite himself it sounds a little tired.

The weight of years is off his shoulders.] And I wouldn’t know where to start asking.

No?

[That's surprising, in a way. Two people of Khaenri'ah, albeit with a gulf of five hundred years between them, and no burning questions to be asked. Dainsleif lowers his eyes to his drink and watches the way the faint reflections of light cross its surface. It smells good. Sweet and faintly floral.]

Another Khaenri'ahn sits here before you, and here I thought you would be full of questions. [Normally, Dainsleif is not so forthcoming. He keeps most things close to his chest both out of necessity and because to speak of the past is often too painful. Ah, but perhaps the young man's curiosity ventures to the more personal. His gaze slants away for a moment.]

But likewise, it would be difficult to know where to begin in talking about myself. You may call me Dainsleif with no other need for formality. I was the Captain of the Royal Guard when Celestia brought its wrath down upon Khaenri'ah, but the title means very little now.

[Kaeya sips his tea again, letting the spice of it burn a little before he says,] I have tried not to think about this coming to pass for so long, that now it has come…

[He shrugs his shoulders. Khaeri’ah is part of the reason he is caught between his loyalty and duty to two places. Why he becomes a wolf now. His ears briefly fold back then right themselves before he says softly,] I’m still in shock. Once I process that, I promise you. I’ll ask you many things.

[There's a soft flicker of... something on Dainsleif's face then. Surprise, maybe? With a hint of confusion.]

I may be missing something. [The blond man settles back in his chair, regarding the other thoughtfully but not unkindly. Truthfully he had kept away from Kaeya while he was in Mondstadt precisely because he did not want to bring distress to him - the Alberich scion was not the person he was there for, and that much had been the truth.]

What is it that you think has come to pass, here? What do you think that I want from you?

[He jerks his head up, tail tucked around his leg. He opens his mouth and shuts it in a rare moment of being speechless. He wraps his hands around his cup. The warmth of it grounds him. Finally, he says quietly.]

‘Father’ left me in Mondstadt with the words ‘you are our last hope.’ I didn’t know what would happen when I met other Khaeri’ahns again.

[It’s terrible to tell a child such a thing. It’s a heavy weigh no matter how one means it.] I know our clan’s mission. And he meant for me to get information too but,

[He grips his cup a little tighter. He stares into it with ears lowered. This isn’t something he can act causal about. But he looks up at Dainsleif as he speaks,] It was an unknown. And I didn’t like to think about it. I’ve lived in Mondstadt and they never once treated me unkindly.

[It was a worry and a nightmare to wonder when Khaeri’ah would call for him. He knows it can’t be restored to what it was. And there is…nothing but tragedy left. His imagination ran wild as a boy. And he kept running even as an adult who saw himself cut from his past ties and living in the now.] This is…not what I thought. That’s a relief. I just don’t know what to do now.

Edited (Autocorrect ) 2022-08-03 17:47 (UTC)

[Ah... heavy words to place on a child no matter what they might have meant. Dainsleif frowns slightly and shakes his head in response to his own thoughts.]

I don't know anything about a 'mission', as you call it. Nor for what purpose you might have been expected to gather information in Mondstadt.

[Everything about Kaeya speaks of discomfort right now, but Dainsleif knows more than most that there is nothing of Khaenri'ah to restore. Even if there was - enough people, enough power, enough time - he doesn't doubt for even a moment that Celestia would soon turn its attention on them once again.

But that has never been Dainsleif's own mission.]

I have spent five centuries standing in opposition to the Abyss Order and the threat they pose. My own mission has always been clear. Protect the people of Khaenri'ah at any cost. That includes you, as well, if you would wish it. But know this, Kaeya... there is nothing left to restore, and only further tragedy and suffering can be achieved in trying.

[He stares at him. That’s how it felt when the clan had grieved around him. There was nothing they could have done to put things right. Or even give Khaeri’ah a glimmer of its former majesty. They had been handed a broken sword without the blade that made it what it was.

He closes his eyes and lets out a slow breath. He struggles with putting his thoughts in order. It passes across his face. Relief, sorrow, and at least a weariness of the soul. This has weighed on his heart in the background of his life and created so many complications.

He nods once and sips his tea. His ears and tail slowly right themselves and settle.] That is what I thought. But, I didn’t know for sure. I remember they grieved in every little thing they taught me. Our language. How to write it. Even song. I heard their sorrow.

Then I was left for the Ragnvindrs to find. [They tried and failed, and it broke the clan’s heart that they couldn’t save their beloved home.] You can protect me too if you want to. So long as you let me do the same for you.

[It isn't an easy thing to say. That there's nothing left, there's no hope to be placed in even trying to bring Khaenri'ah back. It isn't easy, but it remains undeniably true.

A faint smile touches his lips. A soft almost-laugh huffs out of him.]

I don't require anyone's protection. [But...] ... But. Recent events have... shown me the value of cooperation in certain ventures. So if you would offer your sword beside mine in times of need then I will accept your aid.

[And hopefully that would be enough.]

The Alberich clan's sorrow would be understandable. They inherited a kingdom already on the brink of destruction only to watch it fall. I have carried the curse placed upon our people since the day I failed to protect the king, and cannot help but feel I bear some responsibility for their grief.

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he's so extra I'm sorry

I’m laughing, it’s good.

lmao GOOD

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