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February 2023 Trial Event Plotting
Trial 10 Plotting Post
Welcome to our plotting post for this month's event! This plotting page doubles as our monthly CR meme. If you have questions about the trial, ask them below.
Mid February, the weather remains much the same as it has for a while now: 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. Still, slowly the sun is beginning to rise a little earlier, and the sun to set a little later. The weather may still be wintry, but it’s more the pretty-postcard sort.
A definite improvement is that the blackouts that plagued Folkmore have ceased completely. The wells leading to the dragon’s lairs in Wintermute have closed up once again, vanishing under fresh snow. Hopefully enough information was collected that those at Thoth Academy can map out the underground caverns a little better. And hopefully nobody is still trapped down there!
The Naturmechs are still available for use, although the same process of establishing a mental link must be utilized every time. There’s still plenty of snow you can shovel with them so it might be worth it!
The Fears stalking the Star Children can still be encountered, and can still be defeated.
Of course, older residents of Folkmore know that things are always likely to change on the thirteenth...
Reminders:
🦊 JAEGER TIME and FEAR ITSELF prompts from last month's trial are still in effect. Read more here.
🦊 February is a low intensity month.
🦊 February is a low intensity month.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN★
You wake up. Checking your Relic will reveal two things: it is February thirteenth, and you cannot access the Network. Hm.
Maybe you get up and have breakfast, or do your morning workout, or just slam a bunch of coffee and shower. You go about your day however you like, finally tucking yourself into bed after the sun has set, falling into a restful slumber...
You wake up. Checking your Relic will reveal two things: it is February thirteenth, and you cannot access the Network. Hm.
Maybe you get up and have breakfast, or do your morning workout, or just slam a bunch of coffee and shower. This seems awfully familiar, doesn’t it?
You go about your day, and you realise that you know what’s going to happen before it does because it happened yesterday. Except it’s today. Again. It stays the same day until you fall asleep again and…
You wake up. Checking your Relic will reveal two things: it is February thirteenth, and you cannot access the Network. Hm.
The thirteenth of February is, for some, stuck on an endless loop. All those affected will be aware of what is going on; people NOT affected will be pretty clueless if someone tells them "the day has been repeating" and are likely to think you’ve maybe had a bit to drink or something.
Unusual events are not uncommon in Folkmore, but there is always a point to made. Stuck on repeat, you may begin to notice all the things that aggravate you, but you can’t stay angry forever and once you move past that you may begin to consider what good you can do with an endless day. You still have your free will even if the day seems predetermined, after all, and beings with free will always have the choice to choose kindness.
That of course is the key: Star Children must perform a genuine act of kindness that will affect another person to break the spell. What form will that act of kindness take? It’s different for everyone. For some people, helping an old lady cross the stress is enough, while others seem to need to do something a little more extreme, like building a Children's Hospital.
Once an act of genuine kindness has been performed, the day will stop repeating. Events will change, and you can move on with your life.
MOST FUN I EVER HAD★
Content Warnings: mood influencing events, NSFW prompts
Why's it feel so good?
Although it may not feel like it, spring is on its way. The spirits of Folkmore set candles and lanterns everywhere as a celebration of the return of the light after winter’s darkness.
In Wintermute, the ground floor of Cutting Edge has been turned into a trader’s market where spirits and Star Children are encouraged to exchange goods and services. The spirits are offering everything from foodstuffs to artisanal crafts to home appliances. Yes, there might be a rock creature who wants to trade you a toaster. If one has no physical goods to trade, a story is considered acceptable payment.
Over at the hot springs there is a nonstop party going on. It is a celebration of reversals and indulgence! There are heat lamps set up near food and beverage stations so you don’t freeze while enjoying your cakes and drinks of both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic variety. The springs themselves are open to all as usual.
Star Children are invited to build their own costumes and join the festivities. The costumes do not have to be serious or even that glamorous. Satire is welcomed (mockery of the Fox!) and so is depravity (dress up with a phallus if you want). Star Children who can't build their own costumes can ask someone else to do so, or have the Spirits paint their faces and bodies upon arrival.
What’s a party without a dance floor? There’s a large building serving as the hot spring’s own private club. It’s warm inside from all the moving bodies, so come on in and avoid the chill!
Thirteen figured Star Children might need a little bit of inspiration at this party, so she invited a friend of hers to provide some: Euterpe, the Muse of flutes and music! She has a stage to command, and command it she does. Her voice influences the Star Children, and different styles of music cause different effects.
They say I did something bad
If you’re not much of a dancer but still want to get physical, there is another building available. Inside is a roller skating rink, but one with a twist.
This particular rink is a fetish party.
That’s right - bring your sexy primal energy, and leave your inhibitions at home! Step into the kinky Rolla Lair to sample devious delights!
There are poles in the middle of the rink upon which spirits and Star Children can show off their athletic prowess. Go-go cages line the perimeter, with space to dance around them as well. Of course there’s a bar set to one side of the room, while the other side a full fledged dungeon is set up, complete with demonstrations! There are several private rooms down a short hall as well, each filled with all the toys and equipment anybody could possibly dream of.
Maybe you’ll meet someone to experiment with. Or maybe you just really want to rollerskate in vinyl hotpants.
Why's it feel so good?
Although it may not feel like it, spring is on its way. The spirits of Folkmore set candles and lanterns everywhere as a celebration of the return of the light after winter’s darkness.
In Wintermute, the ground floor of Cutting Edge has been turned into a trader’s market where spirits and Star Children are encouraged to exchange goods and services. The spirits are offering everything from foodstuffs to artisanal crafts to home appliances. Yes, there might be a rock creature who wants to trade you a toaster. If one has no physical goods to trade, a story is considered acceptable payment.
Over at the hot springs there is a nonstop party going on. It is a celebration of reversals and indulgence! There are heat lamps set up near food and beverage stations so you don’t freeze while enjoying your cakes and drinks of both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic variety. The springs themselves are open to all as usual.
Star Children are invited to build their own costumes and join the festivities. The costumes do not have to be serious or even that glamorous. Satire is welcomed (mockery of the Fox!) and so is depravity (dress up with a phallus if you want). Star Children who can't build their own costumes can ask someone else to do so, or have the Spirits paint their faces and bodies upon arrival.
What’s a party without a dance floor? There’s a large building serving as the hot spring’s own private club. It’s warm inside from all the moving bodies, so come on in and avoid the chill!
Thirteen figured Star Children might need a little bit of inspiration at this party, so she invited a friend of hers to provide some: Euterpe, the Muse of flutes and music! She has a stage to command, and command it she does. Her voice influences the Star Children, and different styles of music cause different effects.
🦊 Pop: Whatever emotions one has been feeling most lately will suddenly appear above your head. Words like "happy" or "sad" suddenly just floating above you, possibly revealing more than you’d like! These emotional signs will disappear after talking about said emotion with someone else.
🦊 Country: inspires a deep and urgent horniness, often with the urge to engage in exhibitionism and voyeurism. This urge only abates after indulging. What a fun group project that could be!
🦊 Classical: Hanahaki Disease in which victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided feelings. It ends when they confess their feelings. These feelings do not have to be romantic - perhaps you’ve been hiding your disdain for someone, or your anger at something they’ve done.
🦊 Rock: The very first creature you lay your eyes on will be the most charming and irresistible thing you’ve ever seen. You will be temporarily infatuated with this person... or spirit... or walking bunny... Yes, you can become enchanted by NPCs. (You can of course play out any of Folkmore’s spirit people or animals - major NPCs such as Thirteen’s iterations are off limits so you’d have to obsess from afar.) This enchantment simply wears off over a period of time.
🦊 Jazz: Red string which temporarily attaches two people together. Physically! They can't cut the string and move away from each other. They must to share something physical (a kiss, a hug, etc) in order to break the string.
🦊 Metal: Temporary telepathy! You and someone else will be able to hear one another’s thoughts and feel one another’s feelings. This link wears off over time - embracing it speeds up the process. The more you resist this and try to deny or suppress the link the longer it will last.
🦊 Rap and Hip-Hop: You feel the urge to compliment a stranger… with some sick rhymes. It’s impossible to resist! If you’re lucky you might already know some songs whose lyrics you can borrow. If not, well, someone might be subjected to your personal attempts...
🦊 Electronic: Floating on a euphoric high, you are compelled to disclose a hope or dream to someone nearby. The urge passes once you have done so.
🦊 Country: inspires a deep and urgent horniness, often with the urge to engage in exhibitionism and voyeurism. This urge only abates after indulging. What a fun group project that could be!
🦊 Classical: Hanahaki Disease in which victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided feelings. It ends when they confess their feelings. These feelings do not have to be romantic - perhaps you’ve been hiding your disdain for someone, or your anger at something they’ve done.
🦊 Rock: The very first creature you lay your eyes on will be the most charming and irresistible thing you’ve ever seen. You will be temporarily infatuated with this person... or spirit... or walking bunny... Yes, you can become enchanted by NPCs. (You can of course play out any of Folkmore’s spirit people or animals - major NPCs such as Thirteen’s iterations are off limits so you’d have to obsess from afar.) This enchantment simply wears off over a period of time.
🦊 Jazz: Red string which temporarily attaches two people together. Physically! They can't cut the string and move away from each other. They must to share something physical (a kiss, a hug, etc) in order to break the string.
🦊 Metal: Temporary telepathy! You and someone else will be able to hear one another’s thoughts and feel one another’s feelings. This link wears off over time - embracing it speeds up the process. The more you resist this and try to deny or suppress the link the longer it will last.
🦊 Rap and Hip-Hop: You feel the urge to compliment a stranger… with some sick rhymes. It’s impossible to resist! If you’re lucky you might already know some songs whose lyrics you can borrow. If not, well, someone might be subjected to your personal attempts...
🦊 Electronic: Floating on a euphoric high, you are compelled to disclose a hope or dream to someone nearby. The urge passes once you have done so.
They say I did something bad
If you’re not much of a dancer but still want to get physical, there is another building available. Inside is a roller skating rink, but one with a twist.
This particular rink is a fetish party.
That’s right - bring your sexy primal energy, and leave your inhibitions at home! Step into the kinky Rolla Lair to sample devious delights!
There are poles in the middle of the rink upon which spirits and Star Children can show off their athletic prowess. Go-go cages line the perimeter, with space to dance around them as well. Of course there’s a bar set to one side of the room, while the other side a full fledged dungeon is set up, complete with demonstrations! There are several private rooms down a short hall as well, each filled with all the toys and equipment anybody could possibly dream of.
Maybe you’ll meet someone to experiment with. Or maybe you just really want to rollerskate in vinyl hotpants.
HOW THE WORLD WORKS★
Content Warnings: interdimensional kidnapping, enforced sharing time.
Many Star Children will have experienced the 'safe space' memories of the Naturmechs already; they manifest in your mind's eye as a memory place, someplace they remember fondly. This is not a living memory or a scene playing out, it is only the location.
The safe space pocket dimension works by separating the mind/soul from the body - this is why being stuck there can kill the flesh. Now they can be accessed by the entire person - soul and body.
The entry to the safe space works thusly: one must realise that they need help, and then accept help from another person. The two things may be entirely unrelated; one may realise they feel depressed and need to talk it out, and then someone just happens to hold the door for you because you’re struggling with your groceries. As with many things in Folkmore, it’s not an exact science.
Once this helping connection is made, you and your helpful fellow will be sucked into the safe space. Inside, you are meant to connect, heal, bond, and of course help each other. If you happened to go to your best friend for advice on a situation, this is likely to be a pretty good experience. If someone just picked up your scarf for you, it could be significantly more awkward.
In order to leave the safe space, one must experience some emotional change and improvement. You may not be able to solve a problem completely, but achieving a state of calm or acceptance can do the trick. A door will appear somewhere in your safe space through which you can return to the real world.
Are you the stubborn sort? Or is your helper not helping? Then this comforting location will begin to twist and warp, becoming frightening and threatening before you are both rudely ejected.
For those who bond very deeply through this process, they can become soulmates temporarily for a week. (Players may convert this link to a permanent one through a spoons purchase, but if you link to the thread in which you become bonded for a week you get a half-off discount!)
Many Star Children will have experienced the 'safe space' memories of the Naturmechs already; they manifest in your mind's eye as a memory place, someplace they remember fondly. This is not a living memory or a scene playing out, it is only the location.
The safe space pocket dimension works by separating the mind/soul from the body - this is why being stuck there can kill the flesh. Now they can be accessed by the entire person - soul and body.
The entry to the safe space works thusly: one must realise that they need help, and then accept help from another person. The two things may be entirely unrelated; one may realise they feel depressed and need to talk it out, and then someone just happens to hold the door for you because you’re struggling with your groceries. As with many things in Folkmore, it’s not an exact science.
Once this helping connection is made, you and your helpful fellow will be sucked into the safe space. Inside, you are meant to connect, heal, bond, and of course help each other. If you happened to go to your best friend for advice on a situation, this is likely to be a pretty good experience. If someone just picked up your scarf for you, it could be significantly more awkward.
In order to leave the safe space, one must experience some emotional change and improvement. You may not be able to solve a problem completely, but achieving a state of calm or acceptance can do the trick. A door will appear somewhere in your safe space through which you can return to the real world.
Are you the stubborn sort? Or is your helper not helping? Then this comforting location will begin to twist and warp, becoming frightening and threatening before you are both rudely ejected.
For those who bond very deeply through this process, they can become soulmates temporarily for a week. (Players may convert this link to a permanent one through a spoons purchase, but if you link to the thread in which you become bonded for a week you get a half-off discount!)
Esteban | Legend
Character Name: Esteban
Permissions: 🦊 Permissions. I don't have an Opt-in, Opt-out, but I'm just a PM away if there's any need.
OOC Intro? 🦊 Link to OOC Intro
Character Role: Legend.
🦊 Manifested Traits ➟ Esteban has golden lines marbling his skin near his eyes, and his irises shimmer a bit. His eyes are a very striking shade of blue.
🦊 Discussions ➟ I'd like him to find people that need someone to remind them that being a good person doesn't mean always putting everyone else ahead of their own self-care. Esteban isn't the best at voicing this, but he wants people to do things that they love, even if it ends up coming across as them being selfish. He does tend to do this regardless of people's situations, so he can come off as callous, and you can play on that for sure!
Public Knowledge: Fairly recent arrival! He got here at the beginning of January.
🦊 [Housing] ➟ Esteban currently shares a house with Daia (
🦊 [Dating?] ➟ He and Daia are pretty close, but not dating currently. Feel free to read it as ambiguous!
🦊 [Cold] ➟ He doesn't seem to feel the cold much! Despite the biting winds and the colder months, he's wearing a short woolen hood that comes up to just a bit past his elbows, paired with fingerless gloves, a warm waistcoat and a scarf.
🦊 [Explorer] ➟ Esteban can be seen wandering the edges of the Lakes and Cruel Summer. He's not prepared for deep exploration yet, but he spends short overnight trips once in a while. Sometimes Daia is with him too.
🦊 [Prancing Pony] ➟ He likes to go there semi-often to catch up with rumors and have a drink in the evening. Maybe once a week or so.
General CR information
Wanted CR: I'm mostly searching for people to have a light-hearted/silly CRs with. Shitpost with me! I want to learn to leave seriousness behind and just laugh at my own character! I don't do it really well right now, but I'm trying to learn!
Esteban is searching for friends of any kind! He likes finding people to look after, or kids that need a bit of a safe person to cry to. Found Family is great around him, though he wouldn't really know how to put it into words.
Unwanted CR: Negative CR for negative's sake. Romantic CRs; Esteban has a
not boyfriend he's taking things slow with. Trying really hard to take things slow with. He might flirt a bit, but he won't mean anything too deep.Goals For Your Character:
🦊 Semi-mortal ➟ Esteban's lifespan is... long. He knows he'll die one day, but his best guess is that he might die around 400-500 years old. A lot of his character is driven by the difference between his lifespan with other people's; he gets attached fast because he knows that he is doomed to lose the people that he loves. A few deep friendships to at least approach this would be great.
🦊 VoidTreckers ➟ Previously, Esteban was in the VoidTrecker Express game. He's lost a large number of people he was truly close to, and it stings. He's not actually aware of it yet, but he's avoiding thinking too hard about it, and is currently jumpy at the idea of loss again.
🦊 Festival times!~ ➟ Long-term goals, Esteban wants to bring festivals to Folkmore! I'm hoping to start one up in June; Here's a bit of an example to my chaotic thoughts. And here's an ongoing attempt to write a festival down. I still have to work on it more, but it can serve as a template.
Anyone suggesting planning, themes and other skillsets would be very welcome!
Specific CR for the trials: New CRs welcome! "Old" CRs welcome! He's still getting to know a lot of his new friends =3
Trial information
Trial Reactions & Goals:
🦊 Groundhog day ➟ Esteban can and will readily help out someone stuck in a time loop. He's unlikely to get stuck in one himself, but he can suspend his disbelief and try to help anyone lost in one!
🦊 Dance Party - Pop! ➟ So, he's been very horny and a little in love. He's struggling. And he refuses to go home with those two words over his head, thanks! He wouldn't panic, but he'd definitely be at a loss over these bloody words and how to get rid of them! He might do a few Dumb things to try and remove the words.
🦊 Dance Party - Metal, Rap and Hip-hop! ➟ This sounds like so much fun! Anyone mind-linked with Esteban will find his thoughts dizzying and fast, jumping from three different things in the snap of a second. For rap, COME AT ME, I want to try making Esteban (Not A Rhymer) make it work. It will be Ridiculous, and it will be Hilarious! Esteban will roll with it and have fun himself, even if it's a bit embarrassing.
🦊 Skating Ring ➟ I like the idea of him pole-dancing in the skating ring. Not likely to follow NSFW threads though, since he's taken.
🦊 Safe Space ➟ Esteban has lost a lot of people, and he doesn't talk about them often. He's struggling with that loss right now, and he's not really aware of it, and doesn't know how to handle it.
Esteban's safe space would be his hoard: a mountain of knicknacks and baubles that aren't physical objects, usually, but a representation of the people he's loved and lost. His hoard doubles as a cemetery. Dealing with this is extremely touchy, seeing as there is no true "solution" to his problems, but talking about it should already be helpful (though he won't immediately start on that, because he doesn't realize he is troubled by it again.) Anyone helping would get his attention, and Esteban always want to return the favour to those who helped him out.
Trial Accomplishments: What are you interested in your character accomplishing in these trials? What are their successes/wins? How does this affect their potential as their role or their arcs? How might they help others?
🦊 Grief ➟ Esteban needs to realize that he's grieving again, and that his attachment to Daia is a bit unhealthy. I'm hoping to get him at least started on processing that grief and rebalancing his relationship in a more healthy way.
🦊 Have a good time! ➟ Help out others! Have a good time! Laugh at himself! He's ready for it!
Timeline of Trials: Free game!
no subject
/BUSTS IN HERE LIKE THE KOOL-AID MAN
Somehow this needs to be a thing they discuss, but I also would love it if Viktor helped Esteban deal with greif.
no subject
Would you like this during the February event, or something further, like a March catch-all?
Esteban is out there, using the Power Of Friendship to help his friends take better care of themselves, oopsEsteban needs to meet Rio too XD
Grief is hard for Esteban to approach naturally because he's usually in Denial over it. It's pretty difficult to PLOT a conversation over grief unless something external (like the event) might pull this to the forefront. If you have any angles Viktor might use, I'm all ears too! I very much appreciate the help!
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And Esteban would have no trouble at all stumbling into Viktor being unhealthy with either the hours he's working or not eating or having serious issues with that confidence/ self-worth thing that he still struggles with.
Also I'll put Rio in an open log, I was just waiting on the Event prompts so I can keep everything in one tidy place :3
Re: Esteban | Legend
CW: Some? Racism? For lack of better term?
Not to say that they aren't welcome! Just that he's a bit more wary around them.
I'd love to start something with your characters though! But it might be a bit rough at the start. The TL;DR of it is that Esteban's parents are both immortals, and he is YOUNG. Barely 100. He's lived and lost, but he still has that naive "I will love recklessly" approach that REALLY hurts him when he loses people.
And his parents tried really hard to discourage that. It's easy to see why; they just want to protect him from a lot of heartache, but Esteban has taken this as a more "the longer you live, the more distant/unconcerned with mortal lives immortals become" and he swears he will not be one of those people. Mortal lives matter So Much to him BECAUSE they are so brief.
So while he'd probably not be too keen on having immortals around him at first, long term, he would very much benefit from it! It's up to you if you would rather avoid that setup though! I know it's not a pretty place to start.
If you still want to go for it, I'll be happy to include a personalized starter in my catch-all! Esteban's an explorer, so he can be found pretty much anywhere! Just pick a place and I'll write something up!
EDIT: as a note; he's not going to know right from the start that they're immortals/longer lived, unless they have this sort of "holding people at arm's length" vibe that he very much associates with immortals. So he can be quite blissfully happy in befriending them too! Things just might turn a bit sour down the road though.
CW: references to murder/torture
Mayerling is very open about the fact he is a vampire and was married to a human (he's widowed and still in mourning 6 years later). He is very pro-relationships with humans/mortals even though it is that kind of heartache. It could come up pretty easily. However that would go, those things considered.
Jedao isn't particularly open about being an immortal on the other hand. He's treating Folkmore as retirement/respite from the horrible universe he comes from. He's originally human but has held people at a distance since he was 17 and decided to... take down the government (based on ritual torture/death calendar). Letting people close would've just risked horrible bad times for them. He was undead for a while and only recently alive again as... a voidmoth. So honestly a baby immortal himself in that regard xD
Jedao is uh... pranking people and just having fun. IDK how Esteban would take being pranked by a goose XD
no subject
Jedao also seems like a lot of fun, and I would like starting sillier/humorous goose shenanigans (Esteban doesn't have a mean bone in his body, so he'll be very playful with the mischievous goose).
Both are very welcome! If you have a TL/catch-all I'd love to poke at it (probably tomorrow. I'm finishing up my own catch-all today and that's all the energy I'll have for RP I think)
Or I could leave a prompt or two in for your characters! Up to you!
no subject
Huzzah! I am excited to do that too. It's something I've been a little shy on so far, so come on self, pranks!
If you could leave in a prompt or two, that'd be great. Due to medical stuff, I don't know how much TLing I'll manage this month x.x
no subject
But! No worries about pranks! GO FOR THEM! I welcome them!
Esteban has a - pulled someone in a pool who didn't know how to swim, and b- scared the shit out of someone who had about 0.01% of self-confidence, so he knows a thing or two about pranks gone wrong! (and got tossed-- him!! 6'7"!! Tossed!-- by a robot lady across the pool, but that was just pure awesome in his books.) I'll let you know when my catchall is out! Sorry for the delay!
no subject
Here's my Catch-all!