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Entry tags:
October 2022 Test Drive Meme
OCTOBER 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: Possible insanity via freezing. Temporary nullification of abilities.
COLD AS YOU
KEEP YOUR BRITTLE HEART WARM
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.
Content Warnings: Monster sighting, optional violence.
GLITCH
BAD OMEN
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!
no subject
Not my best first impression, I admit. Are you all right?
no subject
Trust me nobody makes good first impressions in this place. [ She shrugs. ] I'm fine. You?
no subject
In our defense, I don't think any of us expected to get lost in a maze. I'm actually not even sure how I got to this place. I will probably sound crazy, but I was following a fox.
[ Maybe it's all a dream, and he's just fallen asleep in his lab or something. It seems unlikely because the last thing Jayce remembers is being with the council discussing the peace treaty with Zaun. What an inconvenient time to disappear, even if his body is supposedly left behind. ]
I'm fine as well, thank you. I'm Jayce... Jayce Talis. Have you been here for long?
no subject
[ Why they followed her or what the circumstances were seemed to be different for everyone though. Sometimes it was interesting to hear the different experiences for people. ]
Welcome to Folk though. I'd say you'll get used to being plucked up and tossed inside of situations like this but [ she shrugged. ] I'm not sure if you ever really do. [ Not when they were each slightly different each time. ]
Lorna Dane. About three or four months?
no subject
Heh, thanks. It's been a thrilling experience so far. My bad luck is the gift that keeps on giving. [ There's a hint of sarcasm in his voice and a smile that is not directed at her but at their situation, alongside some healthy self-deprecation. ] It's nice to meet you, Lorna. And I'm sorry again for body-slamming you. The cold was getting to me, I never liked it much ever since I was a kid, so I was a bit stressed out.
[ The understatement of the century, no doubt. But she has been in a similar predicament, so Jayce imagines that she will understand. ]
Four months is a long time. Did the people here treat you well? [ There's an honest concern in his voice. Jayce has traveled, but he can't imagine being away from his home that long, in such a strange place, on your own. ]
no subject
Luckily you're not the only one here with bad luck. [ She offers him a small smile with a healthy dose of her own self-deprecation. ] You don't need to apologize. [ It's not like it was anyone's fault really. ] If it helps, I think the cold was causing a lot of weird feelings. [ Like the need to find someone and that it was almost chasing after her. ] I take it you had a bad experience as a kid then? [ Good one wouldn't really stress someone out. Unless they really hated good memories. ]
Natives are usually pretty decent. Better than where I come from. [ Despite the trials she kind of likes it here better. There's more freedom. Even if she does miss her family like hell. ]
no subject
[ The confirmation that leaving isn't possible is a hard blow, but Jayce expected it after Lorna mentioned being stuck here for months. That's going to cause so many problems in his homeworld, gods. Just thinking about it makes his head hurt. ]
Well...real or not, I was freezing before, and now that I am with you, I am not. I consider that a strike of good luck. Perhaps together we can find our way out of here.
[ They need to keep moving, either until they find a way out or until they wake up from whatever crazy fever dream they are trapped in. Her self-deprecating answer makes him smile a little. Misery loves company and all that. ]
Thanks. And no, It does not look like a normal kind of weather that's for sure. The frost acted as if it was almost alive, chasing us. And even if it weren't, Jayce's dislike for the cold is still crystal clear. [ He wasn't expecting her to care enough to ask, but it's a good surprise and he doesn't mind talking about it. ] When I was little, about 8 years old or so, I was traveling with my mother. We got caught in a snowstorm while crossing the mountains, and she passed out. I really thought we were going to die there. But a wandering mage saved us. He used a spell to teleport us back to safety. I've been fascinated with magic since then.
[ Jayce got a hyper fixation when he wasn't even ten years old and carried it with him well into adulthood. On a positive note, he made it a way of life and created Hextech alongside Viktor. So who says that obsessions can't have a positive side? ]
It's good to know about the natives, less so about your world. I'm sorry, that must be rough. Is there some sort of war going on where you come from, or...?
no subject
Should be easier now. [ Something made her think the main part of this trial, if it even was one, was just finding that Person. So, she started walking forward towards a junction. ]
Time to test if the lucks turning around, right or left? [ She inclined her head towards him and gave him a twist of a smile. It was more like a smirk but hey, she tried. ]
Wandering mage. Not a statement you hear every day. [ At least not one she did. Maybe it was more common where he was from. It was hard to not be sympathetic towards a story like that, being that young and terrified for his life must have left an impression. ]
I can see why you're not thrilled with the cold. You were lucky they happened to show up. [ And that they were the type to save someone. ] Most people where I'm from would have been afraid, not fascinated. [ Even if their lives had been saved.
She rubbed her temples at his question and sighed. ] Yeah, there is. [ Had helped to push the world to the brink of war? Yeah. Best of intentions only get you so far. ]
no subject
Hm. It feels like that to me too.[ One doesn't need to be a genius to realize that the moment they got close, the anxiety and desperation disappeared along with the frost. He's grateful that it didn't take long to find Lorna, and Jayce has the suspicion that he might have gone a little mad otherwise. He follows and then ponders their options when she asks which way to go. ]
Let's go left. I think we have the same chances of getting out no matter which way we pick. [ He returns the smile easily and makes an attempt at casualness of his own. ] Unless you want to sit on my shoulders and try to see anything beyond the bushes and branches.
[ Joking aside, it's something they could try at some point because Jayce is pretty sure he can lift her without much issue. ]
They are not people you see every day where I live either, much less in the middle of a mountain. Yes, we were extremely lucky back then. [ He really thought they were going to die there, alone and lost. It's no wonder Jayce ended up seeing magic in such a positive light, neither his mother nor he would be alive if it weren't for the kindness of a stranger. It's also why he tries to be helpful as well. ]
Unexpected meetings in strange circumstances can be plenty fortunate. [ He lightly bumps his arms against her as they walk, another small smile on his face that turned into a look of understanding as Lorna spoke about her world. Jayce also knows a thing or two about how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. ]
I'm sorry, that's never easy to deal with. In my world, we were in a similar situation. Everything was getting out of hand quickly, and no matter what I tried, it seemed like I could never make the right choice, you know?
no subject
She seems to like forcing people together in some way. [ There'd been the memory bubbles where two people had gotten stuck in someone's memories. Then the trials where people were thrown into a house and left to survive the night. Seemed like the fox really liked tossing two people together and seeing what happened.
It's not a bad idea, but she's also not entirely into the idea of trusting him to not drop her. Or trusting people in general. She gives a flash of a smirk and then shrugs. ] Lets try left, if we get desperate maybe we'll give it a go. [ She sighed. ] Wish I could just fly up. [ But nah, seems like the fox had decided to mess with her powers again. That little trick was getting old.
Must've been the coincidence of the year that they were there then. [ Or maybe more than a few years considering how much of an impact it seemed to have had on him. She arched an eyebrow at his next statement and laughed. Well, wasn't he wholesome? ] Some people have all the luck.
[ Her laugh faded quickly only to be replaced with her own look of understanding. ] Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. That was exactly where I was at back home. [ She ran a hand through her hair. ] What kind of wrong choices were you making? [ Maybe that wasn't appropriate to ask someone she'd just met, but it struck a chord with her and the question just came out. ]
no subject
[ He has so many more questions now. When the fox is a house, can it see? Can people go inside? Would that be rude? What if it ships back into a fox when people are inside? Oh, better not think of that possibility. Creepy. ]
Yes, I've noticed that now. But so far, so good. [ He likes Lorna, and they seem to be getting along well together. The maze doesn't seem as frightening now, and it's also somehow easier to see the paths ahead of them now that the air is less foggy and frosty. ] All right. We will save the acrobatics for later.
[ Jayce wouldn't drop her on purpose, that's for sure, but he would understand the reticence. He starts to walk to the left as she suggested, watching around them to see if there are any other paths to the sides that could lead to a door or a way out. ]
Oh, if only that was possible. [ He thinks that she's just being wishful rather than literal about her powers. ] I have flown a couple of times in my life, or more accurately, I levitated. But it was because of magic. It was fun while it lasted.
[ Both were pivotal moments in his life. One, his first brush with the arcane. The other, was when Viktor and him found a way to make Hextech a reality. Jayce holds onto those memories dearly. ]
A chance among millions, most likely. [ His luck, however, is fading quickly back home nowadays. Lately, it seemed like he couldn't keep people from getting hurt, and that's what's eating him. Jayce can tell that she's not simply being sympathetic now, her body language says as much, so he didn't mind answering. ]
The sort of wrong choices that could lead to a war between the different sides of my city. I mean, after being voted into the council, I was trying to prevent that from happening. However, it is difficult to fix a system that has been broken for over 200 years and to amend old wounds that have never scarred in a matter of days.[ His voice is quiet, and he explains it as a fact rather than a way to justify his failures. He knows that's on him. ] I attempted diplomacy, I attempted a more hands-on approach... and somewhere in the middle, I lost sense of myself and forgot what was truly important. Before I woke up in this maze, I was trying to amend that negligence.
no subject
Acrobatics fit firmly into plan B territory. [ At least it didn't seem like they'd freeze to death. The urgency being gone made things almost pleasant. Maybe not completely pleasant, but closer than it had been. She turned her head to cast a glance at him as they made their way down a pretty uneventful stretch of maze. Seemed like they were just going left at a steady pace now. ] I was a kid when I first realized I could use my powers to fly. I thought it was the best thing ever at the time. [ She still thought it was a pretty great part of her powers. Not everything had to be destructive and it was nice to remember that sometimes. ] Maybe you'll get the chance to here. [ Some people got wings or bird forms, never could tell.
A disturbing amount of what he said was relatable to her and she frowned. Her body was tense as she shook her head. ] Sometimes I wonder if things are that screwed up, maybe there's just no fixing it. [ She cast her gaze down and fixated on the ground. ] Does sound like you're blaming yourself a little bit too much. [ Not that she knew what exactly he'd caused or thought he'd caused. Still, sounded like he was putting a lot on his shoulders. ] I get it, but you put too much on your shoulders and that weight just ends up crushing you.
no subject
[ Once he's gotten over the initial confusion and surprise, curiosity fills the space that was left. it's always like that with Jayce, and sometimes he's too curious for his own good. It's a flaw in all scientists who are proud to call themselves that. ]
It's a always good to have a few plans at the ready. [ Even if in Jayce experience, things rarely went according to plan. It was not for lack of trying, though. He can't exactly put it in words, it was more of a feeling than anything, but the maze seemed less ominous. And the branches forming around them were less threatening and strange looking. He took it as a positive thing as they walked down a clearer path. ]
It still sounds amazing to me, even at my age. [ Jayce makes a brief pause before continuing. ] Wow, that made me sound like an old man. [ In truth, Jayce does feel like he aged a decade these past weeks. ] The fox did mention something about me being a Legend? but she was a bit vague. Do you have a designation as well? Is there a reason you don't fly anymore? Or it's only here?
[ Maybe the maze was causing interference with those powers. It was somewhat magical on its own, or at least, it had strangely reactive weather. Jayce was silent for another moment, noticing the tension in her body and wondering how bad things must have been for her. 'Pretty bad' seemed like a fairly good guess. ]
I think that everything can be changed, eventually. Maybe not completely fixed, maybe not exactly as it used to be... but it's still better than the way things are now. It's just the road to that point that's filled with obstacles. but we also don't have to try to get rid of those on our own.
[ Always trying to look on the positive side of things, this guy. He was a bit more jagged now than he was before Hextech became a reality, but Jacye still tried to keep his hopes up. He spoke in a quiet voice, only meant for her to hear, even though they might be alone in this maze. Some conversations require quiet understanding. He also appreciates the comfort, the corner of his mouth upturns for a brief moment, but Jayce still had more things to blame himself for, almost literal skelentons in the closet. Things he's not ready to tell her just yet, or anybody. ]
Hm. I'm not sure about your first statement; I have made some pretty spectacular mistakes back home. But you're right that part of it ended up burning me out. Maybe being here won't be so bad, gives us time to think about where to go from here.
no subject
You don't look like you could be older than me. [ And she was not ready to think of herself as an old woman, thanks. ] Legend huh? You might get to fly then, a lot of them end up with wings. [ She shook her head at his question though. ] I'm a Myth. I can fly because of the powers I was born with, but they're not working right here. Fox seems to like doing that lately. [ Must to her annoyance. ]
Optimistic view point. I know someone that would say the exact same thing. [ And she really wished she could still find it in her to believe that. But she can't. Though, lately she's been trying to not show how jaded and bitter she's gotten to everyone. She gave him a little halfhearted smile. ] If it helps, I can guarantee you I've made worse mistakes. So have a lot of people here. [ So at least he won't take the mantle of biggest fuck up. Small steps. She's gotten herself a bit stuck about thinking too much about where she goes from here, what choices she should embrace or leave behind. ] This place does leave a lot of room for reflection and self-discovery. Too much sometimes
I never got this notifs, I'm so sorry for the delay! 🙏
[ It did seem a bit weird, and Jayce blinked a couple of times in confusion but eventually gave a nod, simply accepting that their lives were just this weird. Unfortunately for him, since he had never been a proper outcast, attempting to enter exile to find the Baba Yaga school and learn magic will result in the place finding ways to kick him out, much to Jayce's frustration. But that will be a problem for another day. ]
I'm in my thirties, but I swear I must have gotten new gray hairs in the last week. A lot had happened in my world, and none of it was good. [ Despite that statement, he gave Lorna a smile. Age is just a number, anyway. ] I know someone who's over 300 years old and acts like he's still a student at times.
[ Jayce admired Heimerdinger's upbeat attitude and interest in certain scientific fields. Not so much his reticence and wariness about magic, that led to their fall out as the Yordle wanted them to destroy the only thing that could save Viktor's life. He still felt terrible about it. ]
What's like being a myth then? The way the fox talked about the roles made it sound like we're supposed to be opposites, but I don't think that's the case. [ They have only met briefly, but Lorna and he got along well enough, and nothing about her struck him as intentionally mean, but totally the opposite. She had been nothing but kind and helpful. ] The fox gives, and the fox takes. It's quite worrisome. But spirits and gods are said to be fickle. Everything could be a big test.
[ He easily accepted the label of an optimist by flashing Lorna a 'guilty as charged' look. It was pretty fitting, even if lately Jayce had found it harder to keep focusing on the good things in life. ]
It does help. Even if it's in the 'shared misery' kind of way. [ Jayce was not ready to talk about the factory raid, but he couldn't help but wonder if she would be so understanding after knowing the damage he caused. ]
Oh, gods. I can agree that too much self-reflection is a dangerous path. And talking about paths...[ They were once again at a crossroads of sorts, with 2 long corridors on each side. ] Should we flip a coin? I'm partial to always going in the same direction, though, because maybe that way we might find the edges of the maze.