October 2022 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

OCTOBER 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

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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!

Comments

[servicenyan]

[That's a weird request. What would he have to fear? Not that he has enough time to really ponder it. He's not sure how much longer he can hold. And he's going to put his chips on whatever thing he might fear coming to save him is significantly better than dying right now.]

Deal. Please hurry.

[He's going to put his belief in whoever, and whatever, this person is to help him.]

[hornton]

I will not be able to speak over the device once I search for you, but I will be able to hear you. You may continue to guide me as I search. I am certain you will know me when you see me.

[And that is the last message he sends. There is a moment of quiet until a disturbance can be heard int he distance. Spooked birds, the snapping of trees, shortly followed by a giant flying lizard emerging from the treeline.]

[servicenyan]

[Not able to speak? Aoi has so many questions. But he decides it's definitely a better idea to wait until he's rescued first. Questions can come after.

He does his best to guide, but honestly, he's bad at it. The best Malleus really gets out of him is that he's dangling off a ledge with sharp rocks below. He has no idea about anything.

But then there's spooked birds. Did a tree just snap? Aoi holds his breath nervously.

That's.

That's a dragon. Isn't it? Is this what he was supposed to be waiting for?

He gives a silent prayer that this be the guy he's waiting for, and then he lets go of the breath he was holding. He's going to put his trust in it. He won't struggle in the slightest.

Hopefully it doesn't result in him dying. He's been involved in stranger things, anyway, right? What's one more weird thing?]

Over here!

[He shouts as loud as he can, which may have also come through on the walkie-talkie. Whoops.]

[hornton]

[Ah. That was very loud. And startling. He has kept the walkie talkie in his mouth as a way to hear it… but then shouting happened and out of reflex he spit it out.

Oops.

So this big dragon would be flying in place looking very distressed over this turn of events. This was going to make rescuing more difficult... it was probably broken at this point. Undoing that would be a challenge in this form. Help.]

[servicenyan]

[He's just... flying in place. Was he wrong? Maybe this isn't the guy he made that promise to. Things are even more confusing.

And Aoi's fingertips are screaming at how long they've been holding. He's not going to be able to hold on much longer.

Last ditch effort. Here goes everything.

He tries to swing himself a little bit so he can get as much momentum as possible, and he tries yelling out again:]

Over here!

[And he throws the walkie-talkie up as high as he can, hoping the dragon might notice it. (Though, in hindsight, would a dragon be able to see something so tiny? Aoi curses his own stupidity.)

Unfortunately, that swinging motion was all his fingers could take, and he slips. His fingertips are searing as he screams.

Is this really how he dies? He tries to transform, but it doesn't come.

God damn his powers for not being convenient.]

[hornton]

[It was such a dilemma. A tragedy. It was almost like he could still hear the stranger calling it to him from the little device…

Wait.

Oh hey! It was the stranger! Phew! He couldn’t help but smile as he dove forward, which was probably a tad unsettling because his smile was just Teeth, and now there’s a fire breathing colossus approaching at rapid speeds.

But he thankfully aims to land just below the stranger on the cliffs (didn’t want his flapping winds to blow the poor man from his perch), and climbs up the rest of the way. He positions his nose just within stepping distance… of course he’s still got that unsettling smile in the process.]

Hello, I am here to rescue you.

[servicenyan]

[Aoi's just... gonna collapse on that nose.]

Thank God...

[Surprisingly, Aoi shows very little discomfort at the teeth. He's sincerely grateful just to be rescued. He's glad he tried to get the dragon's attention. Lord knows where he'd be now if he didn't.]

Ugh... thank you for the rescue.

I thought you said you couldn't talk, though?

[Not realising that the dragon carried the walkie-talkie in his mouth. Honestly, he's not even aware that Malleus dropped it.]

[hornton]

Ah.

[Well he’s just going to look gosh darn guilty at that. Time to overexplain his whole dilemma!]

It wasn’t that I cannot dial in this form, but to both hold such a fragile and small device, and press the button is very difficult. Even if I simply held it with magic, you would likely only hear the wind- so I put it in my mouth.

But then it was loud and startled me, so I dropped it.

I could have gone down to find it and fix it, but I would have had to revert to my smaller form and that would take time, and I did not know if there would be time!

[Interrupt him at your leisure Aoi.]

[servicenyan]

[Aoi just listens and thinks on it for another moment before realising... Oh.]

Because I yelled?

[Shoot, his bad. Definitely explains why the dragon looked distraught in the middle of the air. It's Aoi's turn to be sheepish.]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't thinking.

[He's just going to quietly beat himself up for being an idiot. Even if a normal person in his circumstances might have taken it much worse. Still, there's something Malleus said that sticks out, now that he thinks about it.]

You can grow smaller, though?

[hornton]

Still, I should not have dropped it. I am glad to have found you in time though.

[That was a good shift in subject! Easier to speak on while climbing up the cliffside. His charge seemed tired and content to lay on his snout, and he feared it might be rude to make him move and hold on so he could take flight.

He did not know. He didn’t believe there was any sort of social protocol for this specific situation. So climbing it was.]

I can. Dragons are… a rare kind of Fae. Things are not made to accommodate our size. So I take a smaller form much of the time.

[servicenyan]

[A Fae, huh? Like the kind in fairy tales? Though, come to think of it, he is right here, on the snout of a thankfully-benevolent dragon, having been rescued from life-threatening danger. This entire thing screams fairy tale.

He's not sure if he's dreaming this whole thing. Maybe he's actually still in Tokyo, passed out next to his friends on the rooftop as they soak the rain in.

He doesn't know. And in the off chance that it isn't some dream, he'd rather make friends with a dragon.]

That makes sense. I guess I never thought about dragons trying to get into the places humans do. What's your favourite place to go?

[hornton]

I personally like to venture in ruins and abandoned buildings- however I am a prince and I am often obligated to keep company of other nobles and royalty, some of which are Fae far smaller than humans.

[He makes it over the top of the cliff, and politely takes a seat on the ground. His charge did not seem inclined to move, so he would let him rest.]

And recently my caretaker saw me enroll in a learning institution. It is interesting walking among so many and I have learned much of humans, but it is noisy and crowded.

[servicenyan]

[When Malleus stops moving, Aoi waits a few moments before he gives a small peek to see the ground within a safe distance. Slowly, gently, he slides off Malleus' nose. He'll take a seat in the grass next to the dragon.]

Yea, sounds about right. Tokyo's really big, crowded, and noisy. So I get it.

I can't imagine what it's like to be a prince. [Being worshipped by fangirls every where he went was bad enough. Maybe it's in the same camp?] Do girls throw themselves at you all the time?

[hornton]

[Ah, so it was sitting time for both of them! Well, since they were speaking of his ability to change forms, now seemed a good a time as any to do so. One should be at Eye level when speaking to another after all.

So when he spoke next it would not be a big voice magically projected, it would be spoken as anyone else.]

No. I am one of the strongest mages in my world, and I have… a reputation. As a child I had very poor control of my power, it caused no small amount of destruction.

So I am regarded with fear more often than not.

The inbox forgives you xD

[servicenyan]

[Aoi turns his head when the voice changes from big-and-projected to something more normal. Huh, the guy almost looks human. If Aoi didn't hate his own cat form, he'd probably secretly admire Malleus' forms. The kid he once was that wanted to be a cool hero would, at least.

But Malleus' reputation... he feels kind of sorry for him. Aoi can identify with loneliness, but he's not sure his would be on the same level as the dragon's.]

Well, I'm not afraid of you. You used your power to save me. And that's worth admiration. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're friends.

Phone tagging at work, man. It's dangerous.

[hornton]

Friends?

[ANOTHER ONE??? HE HAS TWO FRIENDS NOW? All it took was picking people up from cliffs?!

...He was going to keep an eye on these cliffs more often. He did not wish to be greedy, one friend was a blessing enough, but two! Maybe someday... he may even have three.

Yes. Yes he likes this. And even though his face leaned towards looking passively dour- he certainly brightened up after the initial shock hit.]

I have gone many years without having ever made a friend, and now two have claimed me as such! I shall do my best to be a good friend! I thank you for this honor.

[servicenyan]

[It kind of sounds like Hiroo. His speed was too good that he had an infinite amount of bullies, and no real friends before Anzu and Aoi's group stepped in. And Malleus gratefulness... he shouldn't have to feel that way, ever. He should have more friends.

At least Aoi gets to contribute to that number. And he's sure if the other Mew Mews were here, they'd jump right in with him. He hopes that Malleus' other friend will treat him well, too.

Aoi gives Malleus a smile.]

You're already a good friend. And I'm sure you'll get a whole lot more. You're a good person.

[A beat. Wait, did he mess that up? Are Faes considered persons? Is there another word for them? Shoot, he has no idea. Maybe Malleus will correct him.]

[hornton]

[Fortunately, Malleus took no offense. While Fae, he had it drilled into him from a young age to be more understanding of humans than much of his kin. This one's words were spoken with kind intent, akin to a gift, and he was utterly elated about it.

Of course, he would not claim to be as ambitious as this one's hopes for him were.]

I feel as though hoping for more would be greedy. I am content with two, should there be more though, I will welcome them.

[servicenyan]

[As much as he'd like to counteract that Malleus should and will have more than two friends, he can also understand that Malleus' confidence in it would be, of course, very low. If Aoi's only one of two friends, then that outlook makes sense. At least Malleus is willing to accept more as they come. So he'll hope enough for both of them that Malleus will get more friends than he knows what to do with. And a mental promise that if Anzu and the other Mew Mews ever show up here to introduce them, too.]

Well, as friends, I owe you big time. You really did save my skin.

[Of course, if the shoe were ever on the other foot, he'd of course return the favour. Although, he hopes that never has to happen. He'd rather keep his kitty alter-ego a secret. And speaking of, he makes a mental note to try and transform when he's alone later. Because he can't even mentally make that promise if his powers are gone.]

Are there foods you like? It'll be my treat.