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

KEEP YOUR BRITTLE HEART WARM

[mysterieuse]

Fran had taken a bikini as a small bit of cover during her foray into the hot springs. Somehow what the mice had given her left even less to the imagination than her usual armor. Perhaps she would have been served just as well had she chosen to decline clothing altogether. A part of her was hesitant to leave behind her weapon and her protection but she needed to rid herself of the cold that still seemed to linger deep in her bones. The cold might have lessened once she had found her partner but it had not completely faded. Nor had the unpleasant memories of her dulled senses.

Most unpleasant. All of that had been a most unpleasant experience.

She let out a heavy sigh as she relaxed herself down into the water near a hume whose eyes had been closed until that moment.

"They would say nothing at all. It seems their language is to sing," her accent was thick and difficult to put a location on. "They make offers of hot tea."

[toomuchinfo]

Hawke could related to the feeling of not wanting to leave protective armor and possessions back in a cubby. But since she was a mage, she figured she could use her magic just as well, even without her staff as focus. And she hadn't realized that somewhat clothed options were an option. Even if she had, she probably would've went nude anyway. And really, this hot spring thing hit the spot.

She was absolutely asking Seb if something like this was an option anywhere in Starkhaven.

"Singing. That's absolutely adorable. Maybe a little too adorable? First it's 'here, enjoy this hot spring,' then it's 'and we hope you don't mind that we move into your house and eat all of your cheese.' But I guess tea will work. Do you want any?"

[mysterieuse]

She gave a sidelong glance to the other woman in the springs with her. "A strangely specific concern to have." Though she would put little effort into trying to understand the reference behind it. Clearly there was something she had missed, but she doubted the knowledge would add anything too useful.

She hummed thoughtfully and then nodded, causing her ears to bounce slightly in the process. "I would not say no. It would go well with the mood." And her attempts at relaxing were not going quite as well as they could.

[toomuchinfo]

Hawke tilted her head to one side ever so slightly. "You never know with mice. I promised that I wouldn't get a housecat to deal with them in Kirkwall and the next thing I knew, they'd eaten all of my hard cheese and bread. But these ones seem all right. Don't you~~?"

The mice sang back their approval of her sentence, making her grin widely.

"See? Totally benevolent mice. So tea, booze, whatever. We can take from them 'cause they're not arseholes.

Anyway, I'm Hawke. Sarajane Hawke. What's yours?"

[mysterieuse]

"You made promises to mice?" What an interesting choice to make promises to creatures that probably understood none of it. Unless the mice Hawke spoke of were more akin to these. With less singing.

One of the mice deposited two mugs of tea down for them and then with a final song and a bow it was on it's way to help another. Fran wrapped a hand around the mug and breathed in the steam from the pleasant smelling liquid.

"Fran. Is your preference Hawke?"

[toomuchinfo]

"I did! They seem to be the ones in charge here, so I figure it was a good idea to play along." Because the mice seem to be friendly and outgoing and warm-hearted. That, by itself, is a reason to trust the mice.

Of course, she also thought the same of Anders. Arsehole. But she took the steaming mug of tea, bringing it close to her nose.

It smelled like green grass and mango and all kinds of other goods which were so rarely available to Ferelden. And Kirkwall.

"It's great to meet you, Fran! And, sure, Hawke works. Or Sarajane or SJ or I've even been known to respond to 'what the fuck, you mage bitch' on occasion. I wouldn't recommend the latter.

It's great to meet you Fran! Where're you from?"

[mysterieuse]

Her nose flicked as the steam from the drink swirled around and she took a slow sip. The flavors were somehow precisely what she had wanted despite not even realizing it. She leaned back as the relaxing waters combined with the tea finally started to take effect.

"You must make a strong impression." For the better or worse. Only one that left a wake would have experience with being called a mage bitch though. She shook her head, moving the water with the weight of her mountain of hair.

"I am no longer from anyplace." Her home had instead been discarded for freedom with few regrets. "What of you?"

[toomuchinfo]

She'd always been more of a whisky drinker than tea, but at the same time...the scent and taste of the tea reminded her of the good times with her mom.

She'd come in looking like a wreck after one night on the town turned into yet another brawl with the gangs, her mom would take one look at her, and sit her down for some tea. And for a little while, she felt like a normal person instead of an elf-blooded apostate who seemed to attract armed gangs of arseholes the way light attracted bugs.

"Sure, that's the nicest way of putting it. And I've heard all of the not so nice ways, too." And that particular epithet had been thrown her way after she fled Kirkwall to Starkhaven with Sebastian. Seb had nearly challenged the noble to a duel, but Hawke talked him out of it. The last thing he needed was something else to upset him after the Chantry and Elthina.

"Same here. I used to be from Ferelden, then went to Kirkwall to escape the Blight, then I had to run away from there to Starkhaven, where my--I hate giving him a label. Boyfriend is too cheesy, lover is technically not true, my, uh. Sebastian."

[mysterieuse]

Fran had pleasant memories of quiet nights with her sisters in the Wood. Memories of a time when she stood among her sisters as a Wood Warder, sworn to protect their land and their people from any who might trespass. A bittersweet taste overtook the moment for a second and Fran cast her eyes down at the water, swirling a clawed finger in the water.

"My partner too has that affect." He had a particularly unique talent for making enemies. Often due to what he stole. Or what he said. He had a penchant for speaking a bit too far past what was wanted.

"You have traveled much then." She turned her head to look at her and tilted it inquisitively. "Too cheesy?"

[toomuchinfo]

That was one of many things Hawke would never forgive herself for: the death of Bethany. Her kid sister, fellow mage, probably the sweetest person she'd ever known. She'll always replay the memories of Bethany's last moments alive in her mind, trying to figure out how she could have stopped it.

"Really? Whew! It's not just me! Seriously, I thought it was just me. But if your partner has that happening to them, too, at least we aren't the only ones in the universe." And Hawke's problem was, she was too mouthy. An arsehole was gonna monologue? She was going to interrupt mid-monologue to make it damned clear how little she cared.

"Yeah. I had to hike all the way to the Anderfels from Orlais recently. I was on my way back to Starkhaven when the fox showed up. Something something potential later and now I'm here. You?" And she looked down, grinning. "Something in my world where it's like 'oh wow, you're too cuddly and romantic and sappy, so you're cheesy.'"

[mysterieuse]

"No. You are most certainly not the only ones." That happened to be her partners problem as well. A bit too mouthy when he might have been served better by more restraint. Restraint was not his strong suit. Though she would have a great deal of respect for one to just interrupt a monologue.

None of the locations are familiar to her but she showed no sign that it particularly bothered her. Or that she was curious. "The Fox appeared as we made our escaped from the Bahamut." She turned her head with the ghost of a smile on her face. "Is that such a problem?"

[toomuchinfo]

"Thank the Maker. I just don't have much patience with monologues. They're readable in my friend's books, but that's 'cause he writes them to be a little more bombastic than real reality. So it makes sense for monologues." She's thinking of the Nightmare demon so hard right now. That arsehole.

"The Bahamut? Sounds cult-y." And she chuckled to herself. "Yeah, kind of. My best friend hates Seb, but it's too bad for him, I'm still expecting him to do the stand in for family thing at the wedding. For a full twenty-four hours, he's going to have to be nice to Sebastian."

[mysterieuse]

"Bombastic?" So many strange words from one person. "I have seen no point in monologues. Delay the fight all one wants, the outcome will remain the same." None ever chose to monologue after their victory, always before. Such a waste of time when there would always be but one victor and one loser.

"She was an airship of enormous size." Though perhaps one could see Archadia as being cult-y in some respects. "Is there reason to this hatred?"