folkooc | October 2022 Test Drive Meme

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*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

[Bandits on the road or even in cities themselves aren't exactly unheard of where Jaskier's from. Even in peaceful times when there seems more than enough to go around, men are not immune to desperation or a lack of means, after all. But it's not so commonplace all the same that it's ever been a particular worry of his. What little movement he's managed to make across the Continent, Jaskier's been able to enjoy without too much trouble. Then again, he sticks to very well-traveled roads and often maintains some form of company. There's a lot to deter those with less noble intentions with those factors alone even if they might look at a man like him and assume a little lordling must have a fat coin purse even if his doublet isn't quite as nice as one would expect.]

Considering you're the first I've come across, I don't believe we've much to worry about by way of bandits.

[if there was a competition for killing bandits, Sarajane would win. hands down. and probably leaving bloody handprints behind. which she'd feel a little embarrassed about since she's a mage, but not too embarrassed by because her staff was bladed and sometimes idiots got too close.

but she's kept herself to Kirkwall ever since she fled Ferelden and the Blight. she still missed her home country (and missed Bethany with every spell she cast), but she knew that sometimes, there wasn't any going back.

oh, well]

Seriously? That's a nice surprise. Usually bandits show up wherever I go as if by magic. You'd think the word would spread, don't fuck with the bitchy mage and her friends, but nooooooo.

Anyway, I'm Sarajane Hawke. It's nice to meet you in random maze number 368. Any idea of how we get out of here?

[Jaskier's eyebrows raise slightly at the mention of her ability to use magic. He hasn't exactly had all that much opportunity to meet those gifted with magic before and he can't help but be a touch curious about it. But it's probably a bit rude to immediately treat her like some sort of oddity like that, especially once she introduces herself. Jaskier does the same in turn.]

I am Jaskier. I can't say that I am altogether delighted by the place in which we're meeting, but your company is most certainly pleasing.

[To her question though, Jaskier shakes his head.]

Haven't a clue.

[not just a mage, an apostate mage. one who'd never set foot in a Circle and would have to be dragged kicking and screaming if the Templars tried. which, weirdly, they never had. once she got her "don't fuck with me" rep by killing the Arishok, sure, they probably figured they'd lose (and they would), but when she was a refugee? chilling in The Hanged Man on a regular basis? they never even bothered trying.

oh well. no skin off her nose.

and she gave Jaskier a grin] It's great to meet you. Really, I was beginning to get kinda scared I was lost in the Fade again and start trying to burn some shit. Let's get outta here.

[and she considers for a long moment]

Okay. If I was a stupid frost maze, how would I make an exit? Urgh, Aveline once told me about some trick to mazes, but I assumed she was babbling about the City Guard again and wasn't really listening.

Give me a minute...stuff Aveline said that wasn't about guardsmen...great! I remember. Basically, we're supposed to touch the wall and eventually we'll manage to get out of this frosthole. Sound good?

[Jaskier raises an eyebrow as his gaze drifts from her to the still somewhat frozen hedge wall. Things, of course, appear to be warming gradually and the ice is melting little by little, but not enough that he's all that eager to keep the chill in his hands prolonged by feeling along the bushes until they find the way out or they warm up enough to have little more than dew resting upon their leaves.]

I defer to your expertise then, [he says as he looks back to her, gesturing for her to go ahead and take the lead. He's not touching the hedges. She can.] But what exactly is the Fade?

[Not that Jaskier would consider himself an expert when it comes to anything related to magic—he knows he knows absolutely nothing—but he's never heard that one before even in passing.]

[being a native of Lothering, Sarajane would say there was a huge difference between frost and not-frost. They were in the southern reach of Ferelden, they got all kinds of shitty weather fist.

another thing they got first (aside from Ostagar and boy did SJ not want to think about forcefully dragging Carver away from the battleground after it became clear that Teryn Loghain abandoned them) was the Blight! who knew!

and if someone had known and knew the price they paid for escape, SJ was punching them in the crotch. with a Stonefist]

Cool. [she reached out and touched the right-hand side of the hedge maze] Let's get going. And, uh. The Fade is somewhere I have spent way too much time in and if I never see it again, I'm gonna be fucking overjoyed. It's, like. A dream-realm and it likes to fuck with you.

This time it was douchebag voices from above, telling you about the ways you'd failed. Like I need help remembering the ways. And giant spiders. Lots and lots of giant spiders. So, hey, could be worse! [she waits until he manages to get within arm's reach and gives him a friendly squeeze on the shoulder] No giant spiders? No problems!

[way too much time in the Fade. way, way, way, way too much time. the entire time, being taunted from afar. she'd honestly wanted to shove the Nightmare demon's taunts up its ass, but the Inquisitor said she'd make a better ally than Stroud. so bye-bye Mr. Mustache Guy, thanks for saving Carver way back when!]

[Most of what she's saying makes very little sense to Jaskier and only inspires more questions. He follows what he can about a dream realm and voices and great danger, but he hasn't the faintest idea what manner of creature a douchebag is or why she would even venture into another realm if it was so dangerous. Or any other realm for that matter. The collision of the spheres was, by all accounts, not considered a gift to any after all. What good can come of traveling intentionally to another world?]

[When her hand comes to clap on his shoulder with a squeeze, Jaskier doesn't recoil. He just doesn't necessarily look all that convinced that the lack of giant spiders were really a metric of a lack of problems.]

When has anything good ever happened after someone has said it could be worse? This clearly might not be this Fade of yours, but honestly, Lady Hawke. Must you?

[Hawke is thoroughly Theodosian, with a strong streak of Fereldan stubbornness. add in the fact that her dad was an Dalish apostate, dragged to the Circle by Templars, only to fall in love with a human noblewoman...she's thoroughly steeped in the ways of both the Creators and the Maker. and she's also at this point unaware that others are not from Thedas.

after all, give Jaskier some knife-throwing ability and there wouldn't be that much difference between him and Orlesian travelling entertainers.

and Sarajane looks around herself, gives his shoulder another squeeze, then lets go] Hmm. Um. Lemme think a minute, there's got to be at least one time that happened! [graciously and with a curtsy] But allow me to assure you, I'm an extremely well-practiced mage. If there were any giant spiders, I could squish 'em in an instant! Assuming they were normal giant spiders, I don't like to assume about that kind of thing.

My hero...

[And yet, Jaskier does not sound all that reassured. It's not so much a doubt in Sarajane's skills. Jaskier trusts even the most untalented mage would still manage just find on their own and she seems kind enough not to just abandon him to whatever danger might be found (or finds them, as the case may be).]

[But the mention of normal giant spiders assumes there's even more abnormal out there and it's hard to find that particularly reassuring.]

Is there anything else you wish to have haunting my dreams moving forward?

Ehhh, I try.

[and she gives him a wry smile at the tone in his voice. she tried to be the same confident person she'd been before the outbreak of the mage and templar war for real. but she couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible for it, not having questioned Anders enough. in the end, he'd manipulated her into becoming an accomplice to an atrocity.

that, she wasn't okay with. would never be okay with]

Um. Abominations, demons, abominations who are demons, the entire Fade in general, the fact that unless you're a dwarf, no there's no way to get out of going there when you sleep? I could go on? But none of that should be a problem, I can...feel that the magic somehow is different.

Yeah... [Jaskier says, elongating the vowel as his expression pinches before he shakes his head. She's still not being particularly reassuring.] When I dream, it's all pleasant things. Wine, good food, and, ah, even better company. [A very nice way of putting it.] Those sorts of things.

[And then Jaskier's expression shifts as something occurs to him for the first time.]

...Although I suppose if I follow Geralt long enough, that's perhaps bound to change.

[That probably shouldn't be just now occurring to Jaskier. And perhaps on some level, it hadn't and Jaskier was aware from the very beginning given that one couldn't really overlook the particular sorts of danger that a witcher willingly approaches. But gods, is he in for some unpleasant sights... Far worse ones than any giant spiders, that's for certain. Perhaps up there with abominations? Jaskier's not entirely what they look like.]

But perhaps we ought to turn the conversation to something better than whatever monsters wish to devour us body and soul, hm? Surely you've interests beyond your bandits and demons.

[she's so weird to Kirkwall's particular brand of chaos and disorder by now, well. she tries] Yeah, those are much better things to dream about. I mean, who in their right mind actually wants to dream about demons?

[and she does pick up on that shift]

Geralt? Friend of yours? Traveling companion?

[because she knows how that goes. first, Aveline, fleeing the Blight along with what was left of the Hawke family. then, it's Varric in the courtyard with the crossbow. after that, it's the fellow apostate who's the vessel of a spirit.

or by the end, a demon. she guessed it didn't matter much either way]

Yeah, sorry, that's on me. I'm so used to monsters who want to devour me that they've kind of lost that initial panicked allure. So! Wine, men and women, and song? Those are all pretty good things to talk about. But don't ask me to actually sing, I'd probably make all of the local dogs howl. There are dogs here, right?

[Jaskier gives a helpless little shrug at the question of whether or not there are dogs.]

I'm just as new to this place as you, I'm afraid. I couldn't say.

[and she looks determined]

There have to be dogs. I mean, the mice were cute and friendly, but if I don't get to have Fluffy with me, I'm going to die of dog withdrawal.

Mice? [Jaskier raises a brow. Slowly, he's beginning to suspect perhaps is not all well with her. He'd assumed when she spoke of bandits "falling in," that it was just an odd choice in speech. But when coupled with the casualness she speaks of all sorts of monsters, the earlier thinking aloud, and now this mention of friendly mice after dogs? Jaskier's growing a touch concerned.] Where have you seen mice here?

They were at the hosts at the hot springs. Very nice, but all they had to offer was tea. You haven't been there yet?

[it would be a stretch to say that she was perfectly sane. one didn't endure years of Kirkwall and Kirkwall problems and claim that. frankly, the environment wasn't healthy. but she'd always had the tendency to think out loud and at least try to use humor as a defense mechanism. not that she would've known what a defense mechanism was, but it was close enough]

No...

[To say the look Jaskier gives her is incredulous is perhaps a bit of an understatement. Jaskier also has to do his very best to stifle any bit of laughter that threatens to slip out. It's there in the very edges of his tone as he says,]

Well, I hope you weren't rude to them. Considering how much effort it would take them to start their own brewery at their stature, I don't imagine they'd be capable of providing you with an ale.

[Jaskier concludes that she is, in fact, absolutely mad. But he's willing to play along.]

[she can hear the laughter tinging his voice and figures that it's directed at her. but she'd endured worse, going to Starkhaven with Seb as her fiancee caused one Void of a stir amongst Starkhaven's nobles. an apostate mage with their prince? a scandal! to be tittered at from the sidelines.

she's kept Sebastian from challenging people to so many duels]

Of course I wasn't rude. Being rude is dumb and says more about the person being rude than it does about the person who's the target of the rude. The mice were sweet.

[mad? probably. but anyone would go mad after playing referee between the various members of the Frankensquad for years]

Ah, so did they stay to have a chat with you as well then? It would be terribly rude of them as hosts not to. Granted, it's kind enough for them to serve you tea, but I would expect a bit of conversation to accompany that. You know, telling you how the missus and kids are doing, that sort of thing.

[Jaskier still isn't treating it all that seriously and his tone continued to not keep that fact a particularly well-guarded secret. But still, he avoids telling her the idea of mice serving tea at a hot spring to be utterly absurd.]

Small talk, [he continues before he can't hold it in any longer and he snorts at his own joke.] Very small talk, I suppose, given their size.

[and the tone finally gets to her enough to address it]

...are you calling me a liar? It happened. All that and more. I'd swear on my mother's grave, so don't fuck with that.

[Jaskier raises his hands in a placating gesture. The humor is gone from his expression, but his smile maintains as an additional effort to smooth over ruffled feathers.]

I don't recall calling you a liar. But come now, Lady Hawke. You must hear yourself in all this. Mice? Serving you tea in a hot spring? It sounds more fantastical dream than reality.

[she may be something of a gadfly, but with all of the shite she'd been through, she's an honest one. Anders taught her what happened when people weren't.

and it takes a moment, but she relaxes finally]

Yeah, well, that seems to be a bonus feature of our new home. And being served tea by singing mice wouldn't even crack my top ten of 'weirdest shit that happened to me.' Seriously.

That certainly would seem to be the case, [Jaskier agrees, even if he remains somewhat skeptical of anything pertaining to the mice. There must have been something else at play for her to think something like that, but it's best not to further agitate her. Especially when she seems so confident in locating the exit.]

You've seen some weird shit, too, huh? [honestly, if this place tries to drag her into the Fade again, she's rioting. she's spent entirely too much time in the Fade to even feel comfortable sleeping. not without something to help sleep come along. like much of a bottle of Starkhaven whisky]

[Jaskier shakes his head a little.]

Not at all. When not at home, I've spent my time at university. Which, of course, get a group of students drunk enough and something odd is bound to occur, but nothing quite like what you've experienced or you're implying.

October 2022 Test Drive Meme

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(CW: PTSD, insomnia, disordered drinking)

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