folkooc | August 2022 Test Drive Meme

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*tdm

August 2022 Test Drive Meme

AUGUST 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]

Summer Is Over

Content Warnings: snakes, cultists, optional violence.

FALLING DOWN LIKE PIECES INTO PLACE

A breeze with the crisp smell of dying leaves caresses you awake. You sit up to find yourself in the middle of an apple orchard, rows spreading out in all directions. Mouth watering apples hang from the branches, and nobody will stop you from taking one. You can wander the orchard as long as you like, but eventually you will find yourself emerging into the front yard of a little farm. There’s a red barn with perfect white trim set far back, and to one side of the yard is a kiosk modeled to match the barn. This is staffed by a woman who sure looks a lot like the fox that brought you here.

On the side of the kiosk are advertised a few different items: pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, cold alcoholic apple cider, and hot chocolate. The cider, you will be informed, is made on site. (But you have to be of legal age to be given that hard cider!)

There are two other things advertised: APPLE PICKING and a SCAVENGER HUNT.

“You need a buddy for those, though,” the woman running the kiosk will tell you. “Lucky for you there’s plenty of people you can pair up with.”

If you elect to try the scavenger hunt, you and your partner will be handed a piece of paper. On it reads the following:

TAKE A PICTURE OF THE FOLLOWING ON YOUR RELIC! :)

- YOU HOLDING HANDS WHILE YOU GO DOWN A PATH
- FEET WITH AUTUMN LEAVES
- SOMETHING YOU THINK IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL
- A GENUINE SMILE

“When you’re done, bring it back here and show me,” the woman instructs you. “You’ll get a prize if you do.”

It’s an easy enough list, right? Although you have to follow the instructions - you really DO have to find something you genuinely think is beautiful, and that smile can’t be forced! Those might require opening up to your partner a little bit!

If you succeed in the scavenger hunt, you will be gifted with an item from home.

Now, what if you decided to go apple picking?

You will be given a bucket. “Be careful to only pick apples from the trees in the rows,” the kiosk woman tells you with a secret smile. “You don’t want to bother the old trees off the path.”

Yeah. That sure sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it?

If you do stick to the orchard proper, you will be able to pick your fill of apples. All of them are crisp and sweet and delicious. But at some point you will see the other trees.

They’re both huge and old, standing on two sloping hills just past the orchard rows. One of them has apples red as blood, and the other apples gold as the sun. In the shade of these trees are weapons sticking half out of the earth, as if they were carelessly buried many years ago.

If you pick one of the red apples, you will find that you are suddenly besieged with huge snakes. They are as big as anacondas and an inky black that absorbs the light, with eyes the same red as the apples. They aren’t poisonous, but they bite and they crush, so you’ll have to fight them off at least long enough to run like hell!

If you pick the golden apples, a crowd of people will silently begin appearing from the orchard. They are all wearing animal masks… and they are all holding hand scythes. Uh oh. You’ll have to fight them off in order to escape! If you don’t manage that, well, in some places it’s traditional to have a big ol’ sacrificial bonfire…

All the weapons below the trees are non-enchanted items, but you may keep them.

Plaid Shirt Days and Nights

Content Warnings: Optional themes of identity and school trauma.

IMAKEOVER MAKEOVER

Thirteen believes passionately in education. There are, after all, five academies in Folkmore all catering to different types of learning. While these academies are open year round, it becomes apparent if you walk through any of the districts housing shops that back to school is definitely a thing.

A new school year represents a chance to learn more about the world, and about yourself.

Also? It’s a great time for a makeover!

Yes, step into any of the shops selling clothing and accessories anywhere in Folkmore and you will find yourself passionately invested in helping another person discover who it is they want to look like! Do they want to look cool and aloof? Warm and approachable? Are they an e-boy or a cottagcore witch? Punk or prep? You two can figure it out together!

As you shop together you will find it easier and easier to open up to one another, sharing who it is you want to be.

You’ll also be able to score a sweet outfit. Nice.

SAVED BY THE BELL

Wander into any school in Folkmore and you will find a handmade poster instructing all new students and faculty to report to the auditorium. Normal enough, one supposes… but the moment you enter the room you will find reality swims all around you and all of a sudden you’re stuck in a school nightmare!

You know the kind. You’re late for class, no matter how fast you run. You’re in gym class, trying to climb that goddamn rope. You’re getting your books dumped. You’re naked and giving a book report.

These could be memories, but it’s just as likely that they aren’t - you and another person are just trapped in this cliche together. Whichever one of you is in the audience role could maybe help the other one out? Get them some pants or something? Yeah.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One of my... what? No, no. Never wound up nude in lit class. What kind of life do you think I lived? Also do I look sixteen?

[He did not get held back, thank you. Sam is definitely not heading the the principal's office either, nope. What he is doing however is spotting a sad little cardboard box tucked by the door to what looks like the gymnasium. Lost and found. He trots over there to see what he can fish out. Sadly it's a pair of gym shorts that are way too short and a t-shirt that was definitely made for a seventeen year old and not a full grown man. ...so he will keep Steve's shirt and toss the tiny tee to him.]

Here. For you. Matches your eyes.

[Steve. He has missed you.]

Thanks.

[ He gives the t-shirt a cautionary sniff before putting it on, and it looks really tight but hey, none of Steve's shirts have ever fit anyway. ]

Sometimes in the memories, you look like you, now, instead of you when you had the memory. There've been a lot of those lately. But this is something else.

[ Sorry Sam, welcome to the madness of Folkmore. ]

I'm not really sure what yet, or how to get us out. Probably just a messed-up spell again.

[ Yes Sam, he's aware he's not making any sense, but he opens the door to the school so they can leave it and walk around town, maybe get Sam some better-fitting pants. ]

The fox that brought us here is this powerful being that creates planets and dimensions. Best way I can summarize it.

The good news is, once we go home we won't remember any of this, and our life just resumes where we left off.

The bad news is, sometimes you wind up naked in a high school.

[To his credit, Sam listens to all this and takes Steve's word for all of it, even if it sounds so far beyond crazy there isn't vocabulary for what it is. If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it is that Sam trusts Steve Rogers completely. So okay sure, foxes and spells and new planets and dimensions.]

So the fox thing wasn't some screwed up dream. Noted.

[He follows Steve straight out the door, laughing as he does.] Skipping school though. Now this could be one of my memories.

[Usually dressed better, but that's fine is what it is.] So random magical fieldtrip. Any reason why?

Yeah. She says it's to reach our full potential, whatever that means.

[ He's starting to believe it less and less, just because nobody's gone home. Well, Tony has, and he's come right back, and he's further away from his original goal, Steve thinks. ]

But now we're stuck here. Not specifically here, this isn't our last destination.

[ He pauses. ]

That one has animals that act like humans, but don't talk. Mostly.

[ Sam, are you still with him? Good. ]

--This might be somebody else's memory. If so, we've gotta find that person.

I'd ask if you hit your head, but I'm pretty sure there's not a lot around that could hit hard enough to really make a dent.

[Sam's head though? Is swimming a little. But he'll keep up. Is talking animal people really all that different from invading aliens or magic wizards who open portals? No, no it's not. It's just new.]

Okay. So how do we do that exactly? There some trail we can pick up?

Not exactly. We just gotta look for someone as confused as us.

[ Yeah, not really the best tactic, but they don't have another choice. ]

Might also help if we held hands.

[ A beat. ]

That's not a joke, that usually works better.

Great. Sure, okay. I'll keep my eyes open.

[His thoroughly confused eyes.

He looks over at Steve like maybe he's gone off the deep end.]

I don't know, Steve. This is all so sudden. Shouldn't you have at least brought me flowers? [Okay, defensive joking aside he's also holding a hand out to Steve. Steve says it helps, so Sam will go with it.]

Any reason why this is going to help?

Let's just say I owe you a bouquet.

Interactions generate lore. That's the stuff that gets collected in the spoon in your pocket. The stronger the interaction, the faster it works. And generally making a lot of it leads to stuff like finding the person whose memory this is. Or breaking out of it.

[ He takes Sam's hand as they walk, and he's very glad they're both fully dressed for this, or that might make things real awkward real fast. ]

So what's the last thing you remember from home?

I like daisies.

[He nods in something approaching understanding at the explanation. Sure, that makes as much sense as anything else.]

Okay. We're rewarded for interacting. That's different. Is that part of the achieving our potential thing?

[Potential through human interaction... actually Sam can see the logic in that. Hell knows he felt like he was contributing most when he was helping other people.

He hesitates at that question, looking over at Steve. Sam's a bright enough guy to start putting this together. This Steve has to be from the past, right? Given he's significantly younger than when Sam saw him last. The beard reminds him of their time as fugitives.] The term 'Flag Smashers' mean anything to you?

Uh, no. Guess that's who you were dealing with?

What are they, anti-patriotic?

[ Flag smashers is such a weird name for a group. ]

And yeah, I guess interacting is part of achieving our potential. If you don't get enough of it, they say you waste away, and I think they mean that literally.

[ A pause. ]

Bucky mentioned something about moving down to Delacroix. Glad you two worked out your differences. But I'm gonna need your help dragging him outta his room sometimes.

Not exactly. It's a hell of a long story.

[Such a long story if he's right about when Steve is from. And frankly there's a good five year part of that story that Sam is very much not able to account for given that he didn't exist at the time.]

What's the last thing you remember?

[That'll help sort the pieces into order.

The idea of actually wasting away without enough human contact is kind of disturbing. At the mention of Bucky he visibly perks up before shaking his head.] Is he playing hermit again? Figures. But yeah, I've got you. We'll work on him. [Sam can be intensely annoying when he wants to be, and if it means keeping Bucky from getting his stupid ass faded away for being so bad at being social? He's ready to be absolutely infuriating. Sam does not plan on letting Bucky go quite so easily.]

But yeah, worked out our differences. That's one way of putting it. He's a good friend. I owe him one. Hell, maybe I owe him a few.

Kinda just what happens with guys like us, huh?

[ But he's proud. Bucky and Sam are some of the best men he knows, he's glad they're good together now. ]

We were on the run, last thing I remember. Bucky was still in Wakanda. We'd just come off of [ description of a mission that they presumably did before Infinity War ].

It was 2018. Not going bad so far.

Bucky was in 2024. If that helps. So's the doc. You know him? Doctor Strange?

[A small sigh of relief that Sam does not entirely succeed at disguising.] 2024, yeah that's right for me.

[So Bucky and he at least will be on a similar page. He'll hold onto that.] Yeah, I've met him. Dude with the portals.

[He was at Tony's funeral is definitely the wrong thing to say, so Sam will leave it at that level of vagueness.]

So you're from the past. Or I'm from the future. We're not going to create some giant universe-ripping paradox, right? [Because look, Sam knows there was some time travel shenanigans before everyone got blipped back, and that sounded way too complicated for him to wrap his brain around -- even before Steve went back in time and took the long way home.]

No. Tony got sent home for a month his time, and he didn't remember anything about this place.

[ But maybe telling him when he's going to die would be pretty bad. Yeah. ]

But I wanna know how you're doing now.

[ He says this as he somehow manages to get them to the football pitch. Wasn't he walking the other way? How did this happen? ]

When we get outta here. I'll buy you a drink.

[Yeah paradoxes are one thing, and if they don't have to worry about that, that's great. But Sam is not into inflicting emotional damage on people he cares about, so yeah. No news of deaths or the genuinely fucked up terrible things waiting in the future.]

Hey, there's some good news. I prefer my universes not ripped apart.

[He glances over at Steve with a smile. See, he's not going to try to pretend to himself that he hasn't missed the hell out of Steve.]

I'm good, man. Things have been a rollercoaster, you know? But I think I've got them figured out. [A laugh and he nods.] Yeah you will. Maybe two.

[Also why the hell are they on the athletic fields?] ...this wasn't the way we were going. It's gotta be a dream.

You think so?

[ That would make a lot of sense. And it was Steve's first theory, but then, how do they get out? ]

Right. Okay, we didn't get a manual for this one, so we're just gonna have to wing it.

This is high school, right? Maybe we've gotta get the dream to go to graduation.

[ He is glad to see Sam though, so that smile's mirrored right back, before he surveys the whole field, and a football team starts to run in. ]

Guess if there's anyone I gotta be stuck in high school with again, it could be a lot worse.

[ A coach comes to yell at them for not being dressed for practice, except it's a dream, so all the sounds are warbled. ]

All right. Winging it it is. I'd say that's my specialty, but I'm currently a little bit grounded.

[Which is also pissing him off. But hey showing up naked in class means he is wingless, so he's dealing with that too.]

Back at you, Cap. [Sam fully appreciates the vague irony of calling Steve 'Cap' but it's who he is, and it's natural enough.]

So, time to speed run high school. Sounds awful. Let's do it.

[And then they're being yelled at again for dress code.] Yeah sure, okay. We're working on that.

It's okay coach, we're transfer students.

Hey Wilson, go long.

[ Steve runs down the field at a ridiculous speed because it's Steve, and the coach looks rather bewildered as he tosses a ball over to Sam. Apparently this skips the dream forward in time, because it's all Sam needs to win them the game.

Looks like they'll be stuck in this dream for awhile if it's still Football season. ]

[Sam watches Steve "on your left" Rogers take off downfield and grumbles as he's tossed the ball. This guy. But he's grinning when very suddenly, they're right in the middle of the big game, and he's throwing a ridiculous hail mary right down the route that Steve is running.]

You better catch this, Rogers!

[It's a good throw, okay? Now it's on Steve. And maybe it'll get them out of football season.]

[ And it's... a touchdown! Maybe? Sort of? Steve isn't sure how that happened, but suddenly there's a rush of people from the bleachers lifting Sam and him up, and handing Sam a trophy of some sort that's way oversized. This is a weird dream. ]

This must be based off your high school years!

[ He shouts this as they get human-waved back towards the school building. ]

'Cause I don't remember High School being like this at all!

[ He tries to get down from here, but every time he makes an attempt, he's too polite to actually hurt anyone. ]

[Sam holds onto the giant trophy with a quizzical look. Definitely a dream, and rolling with it like it's a dream seems to be the best idea they've had. At least things are still happening.]

Ha. In my dreams maybe.

[...which, yeah. Okay, fair.] I was a tight end, not the quarter back for one thing.

[Sam watches Steve struggle for a moment before he works on getting himself down, right around the time they hit doors to the building which open to the gymnasium. His feet hit the floor right in time for the scene to change. The gym is draped in streamers and lights. Boyz II Men is playing. Couples are swaying across the gym floor.] Looks like we made it to prom.

Right, 'cause you think I was a quarterback?

You ever see what I looked like in high school?

[ Steve looks up and-- Yeah, Boyz II Men? That's definitely Sam's prom. Otherwise, they might be playing some Fred Astaire instead.

Also, this is a very inappropriate song to play for teenagers, if Steve's gonna be honest, considering he did those PSAs for high schools. Parents are opting their kids out of health class now? Anyway. ]

Great, that means we've almost graduated. Hope you have a date, Sam. Or this prom's gonna start looking a whole lot like mine did back in '36.

Yeah, I've been to the Smithsonian.

[Steve could've been the football back then. But no, yeah. He'll cop to it. This must be his dream, because this is screaming 90s. The dresses alone. Wow. Sure was a time.

But hey at least they've both picked up the appropriate attire. Sure the tux he's wearing is a little dated, but it's much better than his other wardrobe options in this nightmare.]

Oh shit yeah. Katie... she was pretty pissed at me on prom night though. Maybe we try to stay out of sight if she's going to turn up.

[ Good thing Sam's no longer in those short shorts, that might've been scandalous. ]

What? Why?

You forgot to get her a corsage or something?

[ Steve goes to touch his beard, and a corsage kind of appears there even though it hadn't been before, probably because he's so used to pulling flowers out of it that his subconscious tells him it's okay. ]

You could give her this one.

--Are the only songs you remember from this band?

[ Actually, now All-4-One is playing, but Steve should probably be forgiven for not realizing it's a different band, since "I Swear" really could be a B2M track. ]

She is under the mistaken impression that I was flirting with her best friend.

[He was in fact just being himself. But high school anything can cause drama. The usual. But he's pausing to watch Steve pull a corsage out of his beard.]

How did you just do that?

[Is this a new trick, Steve? It's a weird trick.

Sam holds up a hand.] The same..? Are you serious. Okay, we are adding a few lines to your book. And no, I know plenty of--

[Oh. Oh no. It's the final dance of the night. It's 1996, and that means Celine Dion Because You Loved Me and Sam sighs.] See? Totally different. [At least it's not the Titanic song. That won't be out for another year.]

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