folkooc | October 2022 Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

*tdm

October 2022 Test Drive Meme

OCTOBER 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]

SHINING

Content Warnings: Possible insanity via freezing. Temporary nullification of abilities.

COLD AS YOU

You were falling...

The world snaps into place all at once; you are laying on the ground, surrounded on all sides by towering bushes that stretch up towards a beautiful sunset sky. The bushes were clearly flowered at one point, but now the flowers have died and all that remains are browning leaves that are beginning to fall. On the chill air you can sometimes hear the sound of music, too faint to completely determine.

As you stand, you are filled with an intense desire to find someone. You might have an idea of who, but chances are you do not - you just know that somewhere ahead of you is someone that you need to reach. Whether they are friend or lover or enemy remains to be seen.

You wander the maze. If you're the impatient type and you have the ability, you might try to fly out but you will simply be vaulted right back down if you do. Something clearly expects you to play by rules which were never actually explained. As you move through the twisting passages of nature, you will notice that there is a frost creeping along the branches on either side of you. This frost brings a deep chill with it, and it encourages you to move faster, to find that nameless person now now now! If you take a very long time to wander the maze you may very well be on the verge of freezing and half mad with the desire to find someone. If you try to force your way through the bushes, the frost will crawl over your limbs and inspire both the freezing and near madness at once.

When you find your Person, the cold evaporates. The air suddenly feels merely crisp, and the leaves on the bushes seem more vibrant. The two of you now can focus on finding the way out - so much easier now - but any sense of urgency will have passed and you may just walk for hours, talking and sharing things about yourselves.

It is possible to solve the maze alone, but it is much easier (and more pleasant!) with someone else.

KEEP YOUR BRITTLE HEART WARM

When you exit the hedge maze you will find a stunning display of lights: hundreds of candles and lanterns decorate the ground and hang from trees, illuminating a clear path over a gently sloping hill. When you crest the hill you can look down and see a beautiful hot spring sprawled out below. It too is lit up by hundreds of lights, all of them glowing under the late autumn sky as it darkens towards night. There are changing rooms where you can stash your clothes (yes, there are bathing suits for the very shy) and bathing stations to ensure that you are clean before entering.

The water of the springs soothes madness and heals physical injuries or any frostbite that may have been sustained in the maze. It also relaxes you, making you perhaps more likely to open up to anybody else present.

The hot spring is staffed by many mice. They don't speak, but they squeak to one another in such a way that it sounds like they are singing - high lilting chants that seem to promise that everything will be okay. They are happy enough to band together to bring you towels or hot tea. The spring is open 24/7, always with lights to fight the cold and darkness of winter.

HIGH STRANGENESS

Content Warnings: Monster sighting, optional violence.

GLITCH

Folkmore has trains and of course the cat bus, but it also has roads, mostly utilized by horses and bicycles. Maybe you're looking for the convivence store, or maybe you just like walking. However it happens, you find yourself on a lonely road at dusk. It is unusually quiet, almost as if the world is holding its breath.

Suddenly you hear the sound of wings. A man-sized creature soars above you, something with huge red glowing eyes. It drops something at your feet: a walkie-talkie. The creature lands some distance away, staring at you, and a thought arises unbidden in your mind:

Help them.

The walkie crackles and you can hear someone speaking, asking if anyone is there. It is another Star Child, brought into this trial as well. They are in danger somewhere nearby; maybe stuck on the edge of a cliff, or trapped on a rope bridge - whatever it is, they need someone else to help them get to safety. If they have any powers, they have been temporarily nullified, but if the rescuer has powers they remain intact. That's where you come in! Using the walkie you must communicate with one another so that the rescuer can reach the person in trouble in time!

But what if you don't make it in time? Or decide that you're not the hero type? Well. The rescue-ee will suffer a terrible fate... for a few seconds. Then the entire world fuzzes and resets, but this time the roles have been reversed. Both parties will remember what has already happened, so if you just ran off into the woods with no intent of helping the first time you miiiight get your just desserts! This process will repeat over and over, people switching sides every time, until someone is finally rescued or the sun rises. Whichever comes first!

If you do succeed at a rescue, you will hear the rustle of huge wings once more. This time you don't see the mysterious creature, but you will find a mystery trunk. Inside you will each find some of your canon clothes and a canon item. Looks like teamwork is rewarded! Nearby, there will also be some unenchanted weapons sticking out of the ground: basic swords, guns, shields, etc.

BAD OMEN

You don't necessarily have to have completed the rescue trial to get some goodies, though! Those aforementioned weapons are scattered all over Folkmore. But if you just go to grab any of them you'd better be prepared to fight; after all, nothing comes for free!

As soon as you have pulled a weapon out of the ground, a tall, man in a black suit and hat will appear from seemingly nowhere and attack you. He has no weapons but he is extremely strong. He's also just really creepy - his face looks like it might be fake, somehow. The only way he can be killed is with a wound to the heart - any other supposedly mortal injury will result in another man in black appearing. It is possible for someone with no combat training to beat these creatures, but they really might appreciate a little help from someone with more experience!

The good news is that they won't mess up your clothes any, as none of these creatures bleed. Because that is totally normal.

Good luck!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[after a bit more distortion and static, there's enough of a break in the noise to actually make words out:]

Y-yeah, I-! [----] -n a, a ravine, maybe? I don't know, b-- [----] -o rope to climb out alone, so....! Maybe a rope? Or, or a ladder?

[ Jayce eyes the winged creature briefly as he listens, but it doesn't do anything but stay there ominously. He decides to let it be and focus on the new voice. ]

Okay, don't worry, I'll find something to use. The sun's setting, can you see from your position if it's on your left or right? That could help me know what direction to go.

[ Surely there are not a lot of ravines around but if he starts to walk west when the other person is east, that would be a problem ]

[it takes a bit of time and doing thanks to the static on the walkie-talkies, but Manabu manages to convey some relative idea of where he's at: to the west, sight of some water below (but not enough to feel safe dropping into, mind), the fields of Willow visible in the distance...

and while his would-be rescuer is striking out to find this ravine, Manabu's doing his damndest to keep himself from disturbing the very slim real-estate - a sliver of protruding rock on the wall of this side of the ravine that's too far down from the top for him to reach on his own, but waaaay too high up to leap from and expect anything but a painful, crunching death.

his keen dog ears pick up the crunching of footsteps and the fizz of a communicator and he perks up, daring to lean forward a bit and try to peer up at the edge of the cliff.]

Hello-?! Down here!

[ It takes a few minutes to figure out the right way to go, but Manabu's indications are good enough, and the mention of the field of Willows is a good starting point. It's not long until Jayce is visible on the top's edge, looking down in concern but singing with relief upon finding the other man. ]

Ey! Don't worry, I'll find a way to pull you up.

[ ...'Somehow', Jayce thinks to himself. On the way here, he hadn't seen anything he could use as rope, no vines that looked strong enough not to snap or lose tree branches. Time to be creative and use what he does have. Jayce takes off his white coat, studies its length and the strength of the fabric for a moment, and decides it will be good enough. It's practically new and the shoulders have metal pads that will serve as reinforcement. It should be able to hold a full man's weight. He looks down at Manabu and shows him the coat. ]

Are you injured? Or do you think you can stand grabbing onto the coat while I pull you up?

[Manabu presses himself against the cliff wall best he can, clutching at rock before bending himself forward enough that he can squint up with more luck than before. it's really hard to see any details of the person up there, what with the sun and haze in the way.

he can hear just fine, however.]

I'm! I'm not hurt! Send it down!

[is it strong enough? hell, he doesn't know! but he's willing to try.]

[ Time is of the essence and the other man's position is precarious, Jayce only spares a moment to feel relieved that the other isn't injured-which would have complicated things exponentially- and then he's moving again.

He makes sure he has a good grip on the end of the coat, wrapping some of the fabric around his left fist, and then leans over the edge of the cliff and lowers the coat. ]

There you go. Let me know when you have a good grip, and I'll start pulling you up.

[ Jayce pushes his own weight back and down on his legs, so he's got a firm stand and is not at risk of falling forward himself. If Manabu manages to start climbing, Jayce will reach out for him with his other free hand as soon as he's within reach. He has spent many years working on forges and building machines, and he can lift the Mercury Hammer as if it weighed nothing. Jayce can put all those muscles to good use when needed. ]

[this is a bad idea, Manabu realizes. those are clothes, not a corded rope; he may be a pretty light guy, but gravity loves to make a boulder out of anything dangling on a tenuous thread!]

I-if this thing starts ripping, we hold off on this whole thing! Okay? [he grimaces.] Are you sure you didn't see any rope around?

[all great questions he should've been asking before reaching up to try and get a good grasp on the coat, but look. Manabu's only smart in spurts, and rarely in the right order.]

[ It's less than ideal, Jayce would admit as much. Not out loud, though, because he doesn't want to freak out the other man further when his life is at risk. ]

It won't, I promise you. The seams' strength is reinforced by the metal pauldrons. [ Jayce gives him what he hopes is a reassuring smile, and puts on his most confident voice. ] No, I'm sorry. People don't usually leave pieces of rope in the forest. And if they did, I'm not sure if I'd trust its integrity.

[ Jayce is a scientist, which means he is a genius but also an idiot who would try anything at least once. Manabu is in good company. As soon as the man starts climbing, Jayce's grip tightens on the clothes, and he tugs back to help haul him up closer to the cliff's edge. ]

Just...a little bit more...

[the moment Manabu's feet lift away from anything solid, there's the familiar stomach-drop that comes with a harrowing and probably-bad decision. he's very keen to fixing that, by trying to get a foothold to keep from any errant swinging that'll just raise the odds against him. with grit teeth and white knuckles, Manabu grunts with each step he can take along that wall, fumbling a bit when his grip puts him in contact with the awkward geometry of a rope made of clothes.

soon, though, one of his arms can finally get in reach of Jayce and his hand snatches at his wrist.]

Good! Okay! Okay-!

[ The fabric of the coat strains under Manabu's weight, but it seems to resist the tension. Jayce's muscles tense up, and he frowns in concentration, feet firmly planted on the ground. He tries to meet Manabu's eyes as soon as the other man is closer to him. ]

I've got you. [ Jayce says reassuringly because for the past month he's learned to turn the little self-confidence he has into fine art. Fake it until you make it, and all that.

This time, however, he knows exactly how much weight he can lift, and though the position is less than ideal, he reaches out to hold onto Manabu when his wrist is grabbed. He pulls up and back with a grunt, taking some steps back to drag him over the edge.

It goes well, or so he thinks, for the most part. Jayce takes a couple of steps back and away from the cliff when the sole of his boot lands on a smooth rock. His foot slips, and gravity is a cruel mistress, so he stumbles and falls back onto the ground, possibly dragging Manabu down with him. Or on top of him.

Oops. ]

GWAHH-!!

[Manabu barely gets a chance to feel solid, horizontal ground under his feet before the unexpected yank sends him staggering along with Jayce's stumble and does indeed get squashed under all that himbo.

now, maybe in other circumstances, getting a face full of this guy's chest wouldn't be so bad!!

...but he kind of can't breathe.

so he has to feebly swat at Jayce until he moves so he can gasp for breath.] Ghah-!! Ho-holy shit--

Oooff...[ Between the disorienting fall and Manabu hitting his chest, Jayce is also not having a very good day. He gets the hint quickly, though, shifting his weight and getting off of the other man, then sitting on the ground next to him. ]

Sorry, my foot slipped. [ It's hard to see now that the sun has almost set and Jayce's shoes aren't suited for going trekking. ] Are you alright? Accidental squish notwithstanding.

[Manabu coughs and catches his breath, his floppy ears flopped out of place, grimacing as that big man-shape moves out of the way and the sun is full-on in his face again. he raises a hand to shield his face and squints over at Jayce, blinking.]

Uh, ye-yeah. Yeah-- [that prompts him to actually move to sit up, pushing up on his elbows and shaking his head - an act which rights his ears.

he exhales in a huff.]

Jeez... I guess surprise-teleportations are going to be normal here...

[ Jayce is quiet, his eyes now fixated on Manabu's head. Or rather, the cute ears atop it. Distracted as he had been with getting the other man out of that cliff, he hadn't noticed them before.

This might be a Vastaya, which means they're from the same word. It's comforting to see. Jayce's hand reaches out to Manabu almost subconsciously, brushing against an ear to right it, before he catches himself and pulls it back.

He is about to apologize again when Manabu shakes his head and fixes the position of his ear. It earns him a small, strangle noise from Jayce that sounds a bit like an 'aww' before he catches himself and tried to hide it with a cough. Get it together, man! ]

That was strange, yes. There was a...a winged creature that dropped that machine in front of me, the one we used to talk to each other. And I guess it was trying to help, to get me to help you.

[the sound is weird, and it prompts Manabu to blink and look over to see what the reason for it was. he's not very good at reading nuance...or even not-nuance, given the coughing, so he's going to just have to be bewildered while Jayce speaks on creatures.]

Winged creature? Like what? A dragon? [was it Kaeya? that'd be weird...why the hell wouldn't Kaeya just come and get him.]

[ Jayce tries to act as casually as he can, not wanting to offend the other man, but there's a light flush on his cheekbones caused by his own indiscretion. ]

No, those are way bigger. It was humanoid but it kept itself in the dark so I couldn't see it well. Big red eyes, fluffy looking...a bit like a giant moth? Oh that sounds crazy.

[ He realizes it the moment he says it. It's also the truth, however, so he has no other explanation. ]

Either way...I'm glad you're okay. I'm Jayce.

[that...doesn't sound like something Kaeya would shift to, but then again, the guy had been stuck as a unicorn against his will before, so...maybe?

...probably not.

Manabu's brow furrows as he considers what it could be, but nothing certain comes to mind.]

A--yeah, mn. I'm fine, thanks. I'm Manabu. Manabu Yuuki. [he means to speak more, but the sound of a heavy and very sudden thunk of a mysterious trunk from on high makes him jolt and whirl his head around in confusion.]

What was that-?!

[ Jayce still has to learn that people here turn into animals at will, it will be an interesting discovery for sure. As for what the creature was, he honestly can't tell Manabu more information; Jayce is as lost as him. ]

It was no problem. I wasn't about to abandon someone in need. Nice to meet you, Manabu. So you don't know how you ended up on that cliff, it just happened?

[ Jayce doesn't exactly jump, but his head also turns sharply toward the direction of the nearby sound. He can't see anything, but he also doesn't want to stay here waiting for whatever THAT was to show up. ]

Perhaps we could....go somewhere else? Preferably a place that has doors with latches.

[while Jayce is making that suggestion, Manabu rolls onto his knees and sits up to peer over him.]

Is...is that your suitcase...? [or is luggage just going to start raining from the sky.]

What? No, I didn't have anything with me. [ Jayce looks behind him and sure enough, there is a suitcase there. It's square and pretty large, and he is sure it wasn't here before. ] What the...?

[ He looks up after that, expecting to see the winged creature, but there's only a faint rustle of feathers in the distance, and the sound dies out quickly. ]

I suppose we could check it out. [ Jayce stands and offers Manabu a hand to help him up. Once they approach the trunk and open it, they will for sure see Jayce's Mercury hammer inside, and the clothes he puts on when he works at the laboratory. Next to them, there's a bundle he doesn't recognize. ]

Ah. This is mine but I have no idea how it got here. Well, the hammer and the clothes. I don't know what that might be. [ Jayce gestures to the items next to the hammer. ]

[Manabu, scooting over and sitting on his knees beside him as Jayce opens the suitcase up, gawks in wonder at the massive hammer. what the hell kind of...what would you even use a thing like this for? hammering house-sized nails? bashing mountainsides? crazy...

he double-blinks incredulously as Jayce announces it's his. what the heck? but before he can ask more about it, his attention is moved to the remaining contents.]

That's... [his satchel, isn't it? from Trench. he feels a twinge in his stomach as he sits up and reaches in to pick it up and rummage inside.]

Uoh-- [he carefully unveils a pistol, now more careful than before just in case the safety wasn't on.] My dragoon... How did it get here...?

[ There are many benefits to being a skilled forge worker, and one of them is being able to make hammers as big as you want. Eat your heart out, Thor.

Manabu's reaction doesn't go unnoticed, and Jayce at least has the decency to look sheepish for a moment. Then it's his turn to eye the other man's weapon. ]

I've never seen a pistol with that design before. A good name for a weapon, too. If it's really authentic, perhaps the fox that brought us here also pulled those from our world?

[ If it's genuine, Jayce can only confirm it in one way. He reaches out to grab the hammer, and the way he effortlessly maneuvers it around despite its height speaks of familiarity. His fingers go to the special handle in the middle of the metal bar and activate it. The hammer's head shifts open, with a bright blue light sparkling to life in the middle of it, and the same electric current appears at the end of the weapon. Jayce is quick to turn it off once it's clear that the Hextex gem is still inside. It's a relief, the last thing they all need is to have another stolen. ]

This is the hammer I made, for sure.

[he looks reluctant to say, but says anyway:] Or a convincing enough one. [because he's not sure they're their authentic selves; why would their gear be authentic, too?

still, even if it's a fake, a giant glowing hammer is still pretty impressive.]

...Should've had something like that drop a week ago. [would've been handy.

You're right. I guess it's impossible to be certain one hundred percent about anything while in this world. [ Without going into specifics, I can only assure you that this weapon is not easy to fake.

The hammer, perhaps, but now the magic gemstone inside that gives it its cannon capabilities as well as the force field shield. Manabu's next words get Jayce to to stop frowning, looking curious instead. ]

What happened a week ago?

There was this crazy trial-thing...got stuck in a house with like endless doors and monsters and weird traps and things? [Manabu grimaces.] Would've been nice to have a big hammer to just bash through stuff.

[he sighs, turning the pistol around in his hands. quietly:] At least...now I'm not that helpless, if this thing still works. [good question; he does a bit of finagling with the chamber and pulls back on the narrow end-piece; when he rotates it, there's a click, and then a soft, electrical whine.

he exhales. seems to work.]

glitch

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