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Entry tags:
September 2022 Test Drive Meme
SEPTEMBER 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: mood-altering substances.
What a Wonderful Harvest
"TRICK."
"TREAT."
What a Wonderful Harvest
It's harvest season in Folkmore. Apples, squash, potatoes, onions, peaches, sweet corn... all manner of crops are ready to be gathered, and golden fields fall willingly before the scythe. The air has a chill to it that you can mostly ignore in the sun but runs deep when you stand in the shadows.
After arrival you will find yourself out in said fields, maybe a little disoriented but not in any danger. It's peaceful.
In the farmlands you might be able to hear music floating on the wind. Follow it, or just wander by accident, and you'll find yourself coming upon what looks like some kind of costume party: people dressed up in cloth and vegetables - mostly gourds as masks - are singing and dancing around an enormous pole surmounted by the biggest Jack-O-Lantern you've ever seen.
The pumpkin people seem shy, but they won't turn you away if you wish to join their celebration - there are other Star Children like yourself here, and you might feel a little more comfortable with them. At least you can see their real faces. You can drink some apple cider and carve some pumpkins yourself if you like, or help out by husking some corn.
At some point, you will become aware of the fact that the dancers have stopped, and the object they've been dancing around has moved. The Jack-O-Lantern is looking at you.
The pumpkin king leans down, eternally smiling.
"Trick or treat?" he asks you in a deep voice. You'll have to pick one!
"TRICK."
The partygoers all watch you carefully. The lord of the harvest appears to think for a moment, then nods his massive head. One of the veggie dancers approaches you with a tray upon which are five cups of cider.
"Pick your poison," you're told, and you can only hope it's not literal!
Four of the cups of cider will have no effect whatsoever. But the fifth?
That fifth cup of cider makes you feel more social. Less reserved. Downright friendly, even. You want to talk and joke with people even if that isn't normally something you'd do. You might even join the vegetable dancers for a spin, and drag someone else along with you! Your judgment isn't quite impaired, but your inhibitions are definitely lowered. Might be a quick way to make some new friends, though!
"TREAT."
You are offered a large basket, held so that you cannot see inside. After some fumbling, you pull something out. What is it? It's an envelope. Or a cassette tape. Or a photograph. It might be the mixed tape you created for your high school crush, the poem you wrote about your broken heart, the letter you never mailed to your estranged father. It's something personal that is connected to someone from home somehow. As you hold it in your hands, you will feel an irresistible urge to explain it to the person next to you no matter how embarrassing or painful it might be. You can only hope that they aren't a colossal dick about it.
Content Warnings: aggressive dogs, decapitated spectres, potential violence.
GET AHEAD
GET AHEAD
The sun sets earlier and earlier every day, but that doesn't mean there's suddenly nothing to do! The warm lights of homes all over Folkmore welcome people inside for parties. Of course, the Spirit People of Folkmore are rarely humanoid, so you may find yourself at a dance for frogs or a cocktail party for round fuzzy critters with giant eyes. Regardless of what kind of creatures you wind up partying with, they are excellent hosts!
When food has been had and drinks are flowing, someone suggests a time honoured tradition: the telling of ghost stories.
The guests take turns, spinning tales both familiar and not. One such tale is that of the Horseman and his Hounds.
This, the storyteller insists, is a true tale, and is as follows:
Folkmore is home to many Spirit People, and many other creatures besides. While most of these wish only to live their lives, there are certain powers that Thirteen leaves to their own devices, no doubt for reasons all her own. When the autumn harvests come and the leaves burn with colour and fall to the ground, the dominant spirit of lonely places is the apparition of a figure on horseback, without a head. Some versions of the story claim the horseman's head is carried before him on the pommel of his saddle, while others say instead the spirit carries a lit Jack-O-Lantern in place of it... and wishes to find a more suitable replacement. No matter the variation, the rest of the legend is the same: in autumn, on lonely roads, unlucky travelers will hear the baying of hounds. Moments later they will see the Horseman upon his stallion, and then the unholy troop will pursue the hapless travelers across hill and valley.
Some tales are told of Star Children fighting off the spectral hounds and challenging the Horseman to a fight, with varying levels of success. All are in agreement, however, that the sure method of survival is to escape over running water. Easy enough in some parts of Folkmore... less so if you happen to be caught out in the desert of Cruel Summer.
All parties must end, and this one does too, which means you now have to make your way home. Not that you're scared or anything, but maybe it's wise to walk with someone else tonight...
Not that it matters. Ultimately you and your companion will find yourself on a lonely stretch of road somewhere, and just as you've managed to convince yourselves that nothing out of the ordinary is going to happen you hear it.
The Hounds.
Turn and you'll see them, dark and sleek, and beyond them their infernal master. Atop a gleaming black stallion, the Horseman is gigantic in height and muffled in a cloak.
Whether you run or stand and fight is entirely up to you. As if to make it more of a fair fight, there are weapons hidden off the road - stumble into a ditch and you might find a rifle or a sword. The Hounds have very sharp teeth but they themselves cannot be injured - if struck they simply turn to black smoke and vanish. The Horseman cannot be killed - he has no head! - but if you fight him to a standstill he will reward you with the gift of something from your homeworld. This can be a weapon or magical item.
If you manage to cross a stream or a river, the spectres will vanish with howling and laughter.
ODDS BODKINS
You're likely to be shaken up after your encounter, so it's relief when you see that there's a bonfire lit not far past the water you've crossed. Perched all around it are a bunch of different owls, many wearing hats. They all swivel their heads to look at you before they hoot and gesture for you to come near. There, set up to one side of the bonfire, is a long low table laden with drinks in many different colours and little cakes and cookies. You always thought owls ate mice, but whooo's to say? Hoo? Get it? On another low table are supplies for patching people up in case your fight with the Horseman got a little intense! The owls don't have hands, but maybe there's a kind stranger nearby who'd be willing to help you? Or maybe you just want to talk to someone who has their head on right!
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[But, you know, he's not going to back down from his bad ideas and bad things that he started. They might just need to be slightly buzzed for this.] I'm Sylvain.
[One of the gourds is offering him some (cursed) cider, which he'll take, just not drink yet because it's not- this is probably going to be a vodka conversation. This is starting to feel like a vodka conversation. This doesn't feel like a (cursed) cider conversation.]
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( Corrin doesn't really understand why drinking is necessary for this, but ... sure, why not. after all - everything here is still so novelty to him! and he has most certainly never had apple cider before now. food sources weren't the best in Nohr, really, and Corrin could never pass up on the opportunity for an indulgence that he's never tasted.
copying Sylvain, he also accepts a cup of cider, which he takes a sip of and immediately smacks his lips together with a pleased hum. )
Mmm, wow! This is great. I've never had this before! ( he'll probably reach that fifth cup in no time... )
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But on the other hand, he hesitated, about to drink his own cider-]
You haven't?
[...something felt...off about that. Call it a hunch.]
Not from the sort of place that grows fruit, or...?
[...the nice thing about this is that unless they start talking about peaches or bananas again they're safe, for now.]
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Nothing grew back in Nohr, the kingdom where I am from. ( "from" is a bit of an understatement, "stolen and held there against his will" is a bit more accurate, but he'll try keep the conversation from sinking into too much depressing territory. )
The lands were dry and dead ... starvation was the norm. We certainly didn't have any luxurious drinks like this, or this sort of food bounty. ( Hoshido certainly would but, whew, that's also a huge can of worms! and one he will resist unpacking for now! )
I was held in a tower where I was never allowed outside ... for my entire life. At least until I came here. The outside world never stops being a source of amazement. The sights, the smells, the tastes ... it's all so brand new and incredible. ( aaaand that's probably why he doesn't know what a fetish is. )
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What?
[This wasn't said in an overly surprised tone, per se. He was well aware that nobles can be dicks - look at his life - and a consequence of that was them making bad decisions. Discovering someone had been locked up in a tower his whole life? Awful, unusual, but not implausible. It was unfortunately quite plausible. (And that wasn't even getting into the possibility that the guy had been jailed for other reasons - criminal, but...that didn't feel right, unless it was one of those laws that defied logic and reason that no one sane could be expected to obey. He said he hadn't been allowed outside his whole life, he didn't know what a fetish was, and he was too earnest, like how Dimitri once was.)
So, was Sylvain surprised? Sure, but not overly so. And besides, being overly surprised would probably make the guy feel uncomfortable, so, moving on.]
So...
[He's being offered a cookie plate, take a cookie, have a cookie.]
What's one thing you wanna try to do now that you're out in the world?
[It was at this point that Sylvain was aware that despite having ruled out the criminal angle this conversation was kind of sounding like the sort of thing from a bad novel in which the protagonist was unjustly jailed for a decade and was now free, and his friend was asking him what he was going to do now that he had his freedom.]
Unless you don't know yet, which I can see, because- well. Hard to know what to try if you don't know your options, yeah?
[Nohr's food condition also sounded very relatable, hm. Unsure what to think.]
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It's funny, really ... I spent probably my entire life thinking about everything I wanted to do once I got out. But being put on the spot for a question like this somehow feels challenging to answer, hehe ... there are so many things I've considered over the years.
( he takes a generous sip of his cider. )
I think most of my dreams were simple ones, really. I wanted to go on a picnic. Or go and sit in a field to watch the stars. Experience the changes of the seasons ... swim in the sea. Feel the grass beneath my feet. ( despite the sad nature of the subject, he smiles - mostly because he's glad he has freedom now. ) Of course I would've preferred not to have been kidnapped to begin with ... but being able to experience life for the very first time is magical. ( at least, that's how he tries to see it. )
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They were so wholesome. A picnic and stars-]
Too bad you didn't end up at my home. Sure, it doesn't have a lot going for it. [For one thing, a war. For another thing, a mad king. And an emperor who was as mad in her own way. And commonalities like shit agriculture and nobles. But keeping this conversation light and cheerful, or at least as light and as cheerful as possible.] But I've yet to see a clearer sky anywhere else. And you'd definitely get along with a ton of my friends- heck, I don't even know your name but I can tell you already that Annette would love you.
[He'd still be kidnapped, and there's a war, and an emperor, and a mad king (who vowed to do better but words weren't enough to fix things on their own, it takes time and effort) and also terrible agriculture, but hey, the food problems might be relatable. Anyway.]
Sylvain. [Hi. He's got titles but since Corrin has absolutely no idea what Faerghus is it's not like he needs to exactly rattle them off, now does he. Besides. Sylvain needs two things before he's up for formalities: sleep and a shower.]
no subject
( this redhead man's kindness is really doing a number on him - he can't stop smiling! )
Sylvain ... it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Prince Corrin of Nohr and Hoshido. ( here's some titles, which he doesn't like to use, really.
god he hasn't even mentioned that he's technically royalty of three kingdoms.) But just "Corrin" is fine.no subject
[Here, he's gesturing to the situation. The gourds. The music. Saying without saying -what is the point?]
Anyway, I doubt you've ever heard of it. [And/or until he's certain that Edelgard isn't waiting around the corner to behead him with an axe he's going to keep the finer details quiet.] It's cold. There's a lot of snow, so if you like the heat you'll be miserable. And not much grows there.
Where I'm from, my domain, we've got...let's see... [He's going to make a show of counting on his fingers as Corrin seems to appreciate all of this, so why not add a bit of theatrics to his explanation?] Goats. [...] Cows. And we got horses. Ever rode a horse?
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Hehe! Ah ... ( phew, he's fine. ) Horses? We have those. I can't ride though. All my siblings can apart from me since I was confined to living in a tower. I really wish I could ... maybe one day.
Some of our horses have wings, those are called pegasus. We also have dragons called wyverns that people ride, too. My big sister Camilla rides one.
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[He's nodding along, just taking all of this in stride, taking it for granted that everyone happens to have wyverns and pegasus along with horses, pretty ordinary thing, nothing to be seen here. And the sky is up and the ground is down and if you cast Thoron it's very shocking, things that most places have in common.
Except then-]
The fact you felt like you had to explain what a pegasus was...does that mean some people don't know what they are?
[Weird if true.]
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Wait, you know them too? Whoa ... that's incredible!
( oops! er - he's getting a little sidetracked here. )
What I mean to say is - yes. There are some people who don't know what they are. I've been in this place for a couple of months now, and the only other person I've met from a land even remotely close to mine is someone called Dimitri ... but everyone else seems to be from all kinds of places. It's really interesting!
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But if it was that Dimitri, it wasn't as if he'd want to talk to anyone. Definitely not him, not anyone else.
(Even if Dimitri not mentioning him or Annette - he could've die and Dimitri would absolutely have ordered his body left behind, he had no doubt of this - but talking about wyverns and pegasus absolutely did fit the Dimitri-he-knew.)
...it was a common name.]
Yeah, funny that. You'd think you'd find more than just one guy who knows what a wyvern is...thinking about it, it's pretty lonely. Just you and this Dimitri guy for moons on end, huh?
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( as it turns out, he does notice Sylvain's eyes widening! Corrin may be one stick short of a popsicle about most things in life, but socialising is one of his stronger suits. )
Hey, are you okay? You looked really surprised when I said the name "Dimitri." ( he's onto you, Sylvain! )
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[It's fine, everything's fine. He can shrug off his surprise, play it off.]
Pretty sure it's not the same guy for a whole lot of reasons- well, maybe it is? [He sounds doubtful. Because-] It doesn't sound like him, but it's not like I really talked to the Dimitri I knew for...years, so I can't really say I know him all that well at this point. We're not that close. But it's the sort of thing that catches you by surprise. Here I am, I followed a magical fox, I ended up...
[Does he have to gesture to the party, no, Corrin already knows what he's talking about, he knows, but there's a meaningful pause indicating everything around us.]
...here, and the one guy besides you and I who knows what a wyvern is and is used to riding a pegasus apparently shares the name of some guy I know. [You know?] But it's a common name.
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( he casts a kind look up at Sylvain - nothing but compassion in his bright red eyes. )
Not that I would want to get your hopes up or anything if I'm wrong, but ... even if you aren't all that close to him, it might be nice for you to have someone from home here. I've felt so lost and alone without my friends and siblings in this place, and what I wouldn't give to have at least one face I recognise here with me.
The Dimitri I know is kindhearted, understanding ... he has golden blonde hair and an eyepatch. Black armour with a blue cross on his chest. ( time to see if Sylvain is the one to read body language this time, and if notices the tiny blush and smile that tugs at Corrin's lips. ) It might be him, or it might not be.
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-he doesn't have enough information. (And what information he does have isn't bad, at least in the case of Corrin - he's only known Corrin for a few minutes, and already likes him - but the rest doesn't make sense. It sounds like him, but also not like him. Too many questions, and he wasn't going to get the answers from Corrin, because if Corrin's Dimitri is kind and Corrin's Dimitri is understanding, like hell was he going to bring up anything else.)]
Probably not the same guy, but hey, the next time you see him tell him he ran into some guy named Sylvain and see what he says. Anyway-
[And he sighed, taking in the party and the gourds.]
-you're making me realize I probably need to get to figuring out where I'm going to sleep if I'm here for the long haul.
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( he's absolutely the type to dive into this sort of thing without fear, don't worry about it Sylvain. )
It could mean you'll get to meet this place's "Dimitri", though. But that might not be a bad thing!
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Goddess, that is such a bad idea. [Saint fucking Seiros, there was no words for how bad that idea was. He's shaking his head at how bad that idea was. Is this what it felt like when people were faced by his bad choices? Sylvain had the feeling he owed a few people an apology.]
But, hey, I appreciate the offer. [Hell, he appreciates the offer enough he could even walk over and give Corrin a sort of...brotherly squeeze of the shoulder, something to soften the blow, because his gut was telling him that there was a decent chance it was a blow on some level. Call it the instinct one developed when followed around by three kids smaller than he was.] But once I figure out what I'm doing I'll come find you, and your "Dimitri", yeah?
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That's okay. But please know my door is open for you, should you ever want company.
( Corrin this is exactly why members of your army roasted you for being too trusting. but much to his surprise, he finds himself blushing when Sylvain says "your Dimitri." as if he can tell they're lovers ... or maybe it's just Corrin's imagination. (it absolutely is.) )
E-Ehehe, yeah, that would be great. ( he twirls a lock of his hair ... oh my, he really is going red! )
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Judging from the look on your face, I oughta make sure I'm not interrupting anything before I stop by. [...he really shouldn't, they just met, Corrin seemed nice, Corrin seemed sheltered, Corrin needed some protection, but also, also. Also, if you leave him an opening, and it's right there, how can you expect him to ignore it? You cannot.] And that's why it's a bad idea for me to spend the night.
[Was that the only reason why it was a bad idea? No. Could many things be true all at the same time? Sure!
Regardless, Sylvain's saying that with a big, big grin, just- the opening is there! He had to take it.]
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I-Interrupting anything? ( gods, give him strength! ) Ah- uh- uu-uhmm ... it's ... I ... ehehe...! C-Can we change the subject, please? ( uuh, think, Corrin! think! )
Oh! I've got it. What's that word you were going to tell me about?
( UH OH. )
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[Look, a distraction!]
If I put it off for much longer I'll probably be sleeping in a ditch.
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Okay. I'll hold you to that! I don't want to keep you from finding somewhere to rest, I'm just sorry that I couldn't be of any help to you.
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Nah, you've been a ton of help, trust me. I'll see you around.
[Nope nope noping away from this problem.]