January 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

JANUARY 2023 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]

beautiful sunshine ray

Content Warnings: mood altering substances.

hot chocolate

The weather across Folkmore is universally chill: Wintermute is frozen, Willow covered in snowdrifts, Epiphany a mess of slush, Cruel Summer dangerously cold at night, and Exile wrapped in a numbing fog. You wouldn't know it, but things are at least a little nicer than they have been - with the exception of Wintermute, you at least are not likely to freeze to death just by wandering around.

Or so you'll discover eventually. Right now? Well, you just got here! One minute you’re falling through the sky, and the next you’re in the middle of an ice fort. The walls are chiseled with care, rising up about seven feet high. Skinny windows are cut in the ice at regular intervals. There is no roof, and above you the sky is a cold, clear blue only marred by the occasional fluffy white cloud. Set inside the fort is a hot chocolate bar staffed entirely by white rabbits. They are the size of regular rabbits, but they don't seem to have any issue standing on their hind legs and using their little paws to pour drinks from large red cannisters into red paper cups.

By request, they will also drop a marshmallow into your cup. You have your choice of colours, and each one will have a different effect:


Pink: Causes you to feel bold and confident!
Blue: Grants you a mild sense of euphoria!
Yellow: Makes you feel quite flirty!
White: Nothing. It's a marshmallow.

winter games

Outside of the ice fort, you will find yourself among gently rolling hills covered in snow. It's perfect for packing... which you may very well find out when you're hit with a snowball. Who threw that? Who cares! The very instant you're struck you have the irresistible urge to get in on a no-holds-barred snowball fight! You might wind up throwing snowballs at other Star Children, or maybe you team up with another person to take out anyone else you see. Or maybe instead you see that there are toboggans and crazy carpets at the tops of some of these hills and you decide to take a ride with someone instead. There are snow angels and snowmen to make, too!

No matter what you decide to do, the moment you are hit with a snowball you just want to engage in light hearted fun and what some might call childish behaviour. You might be a little embarrassed later, but right now you're not concerned at all! And really, this is a great way to maybe make some new friends.

beautiful moonlight shine

Content Warnings: potential monster fights.

sing your life

Maybe you stay out having fun in the snow just a little too long, or maybe you've wandered to an entirely different part of Folkmore. However it happens, the sun has set and a brilliant sliver of moon has risen instead.

Folkmore is home to many Star Children, but it is also home to many spirits. As you move through the night, you realise that you can see some of these in your peripheral vision: pale, insubstantial things that inhabit the natural world. The idea might be creepy, but these spirits are all singing and the sound of it makes you feel safe. When you encounter another Star Child, you are happy to have them with you, happy to share this sense of comfort. You feel like you could walk forever under the new moon and have no harm ever befall you again.

...until it stops.

The sudden stillness falls like a blow, only to broken by the sound of an awful lot of snow hitting the ground - a loud thwump. When you turn to find he source of the noise, you will find one or more vaguely humanoid snow creatures ponderously headed your way!

You can fight them, of course. They are a little slow, but they are aggressive and have an annoying habit of reforming. You will notice that there are weapons hidden here and there - normal, unenchanted swords or guns or spears. You can find these and use them to smash the snow monsters apart until they stop trying to reform.

Or you may realise that these creatures only showed up when the other spirits stopped singing. What does that mean?

Weaponized karaoke!

When you sing, the monsters retreat. A duet will encourage them to do so even quicker. And when they are finally gone, you will find that they have left behind a sturdy wooden chest, inside of which is one item from home for each of you.

poetry in lights

In your travels at night, at some point you will find that you can see warm lights up ahead. Once you get close enough, you can see that the light comes from red lanterns hung everywhere. There are Star Children and even some spirits present, many of them moon gazing.

There is a kiosk set up, manned by black rabbits. If you have been injured in your fight with the snow monsters or some other way, they will patch you up with basic first aid at once.

The rabbits are also handing out sparklers. People are drawing shapes in the air with them, laughing and having a great time.

When a sparkler is put into your hand all you really want to do is trace words against the velvet night sky. What words? You are compelled to spell out something from the heart: it can be a deep hurt, or a secret hope. Something intensely personal that you may not otherwise share, now written in light visible to all.

Maybe you feel the urge to explain, or defend. Or maybe you want to ask someone else about their own words hanging there in the air like a neon sign.

What a way to get to know someone.

Comments

[thirdaspect]

[His eyes nearly burn as he continues to stare at the word, almost accusatory in its presence. At first, shame and guilt washes through him, and he thought he'd hate someone accompanying him, but he's somewhat glad for the company. He's always been the most social of the three separated parts of himself, mostly because he's really the only one with such an opportunity in the first place. It's part of the whole 'try and be positive and hope they feel it too.'

A little to feel that right now though.

Still, Michael grimaces slightly, offering Rhys a strained smile that he doesn't bother correcting.]

I... no, not particularly. I'm sorry. [Murder is a high crime though, at least in most parts of human society. Despite that, he doesn't seem to be judgmental towards him.] If I can assure you, I promise that I wouldn't hurt anyone here.

[no_harm]

I doubt I'm the one who would need an apology...

[He managed an awkward smile.]

As for hurting anyone else here, I should strongly hope not. Or you will sorely regret it. [He raised his hands in appeal.] That isn't a threat, by the way -- please don't misunderstand! The goddess Sarenrae commands us to uphold and honor redemption for all who would seek it.

But... her law is also very firm when it comes to the unrepentant. My partner is one of her paladins, so... [He offered another grim, awkward smile.] It would make things awkward. Not to mention what anyone else might do...

Um, but if you ever -- my offer to talk is genuine. Maybe not now but if you ever thought it might help.

[thirdaspect]

[It's a little difficult not to take his words as a threat, but Michael understands. He's basically under the command of his god back home, even if he hasn't seen or spoken to him for thousands of years. Sometimes it's troubling, but if he's entirely honest... he doesn't mind it. But that's definitely a thought that he should keep to himself.

Nonetheless, a level of understanding reaches his eyes, and Michael raises both his hands to try and appeal to him.]

Honestly, the sight of others in pain deeply troubles me. [Which may sound weird coming from someone that's accused to be a killer, but he's not lying, or doesn't seem like it. His smile becomes a little less strained as well.]

Besides, I definitely do not wish to fight a paladin! I'd stand no chance.

[no_harm]

He is pretty formidable.

[And large. And kind of intimidating and scary-looking for people who didn't know how sweet he was. Rhys chuckled.]

Oh -- I'm sorry. Here I am talking like this and I never introduced myself. I'm Rhys.

[The dhampir extended his hand warmly. You can't just discuss Murder without manners!]

[thirdaspect]

[If it wasn't for the fact that he spoke to a fiend earlier, he may be a little more alarmed by Rhys's appearance. The fangs and ears are definitely not human, but it's easier to take in compared to that forked tail and horns he saw before. A nice guy through and through, but Michael won't lie and say he's 100% comfortable about it yet.

He's also not sure how to feel that he's no longer the only non-human wandering around. It's... nice in a way?? Maybe??

Oh! Right! Rhys is holding his hand out and here he is, just standing around in his thoughts. He offers a sheepish sort of smile before grasping his hand in return.]

I apologize-- my head's just been in the clouds lately. I'm Michael, it's nice to meet you, Rhys.

[no_harm]

[It only made sense to be a distracted when finding oneself in a strange new world, accused of murder, and talking to people who looked like Rhys. The dhampir clasped Michael's hand with a knowing look.]

I completely understand.

Tell me, what kind of world did you come from? Was it very different from this one?

[thirdaspect]

It's a little different, based on what I know about this place so far. Only humans really exist back home-- well, there are certainly animals, but no one else capable of complex thoughts and societies.

[There's also the fact that these rabbits here seem a little more intelligent than the ones on Earth. Michael doesn't think that they can be properly trained to pour hot chocolate and the like. Maybe monkeys, but...]

Very little happens back home. [He smiles slightly and rubs the back of his neck.] Actually kind of prefer that, the quiet and peaceful life. Not sure how things are over here.