February 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

FEBRUARY 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]

SPRING BREAKS LOOSE

Content Warnings: extreme weather

the time is near

The earth is awakening.

You are aware of this fact before consciousness truly returns. One minute you were a falling star but as your body reforms you can sense the freshness of spring just around the corner. In your minds eye you can see circling birds in the sky, feel the first warm breeze of the season, and hear icicles melting into crystal puddles.

But something isn't right.

The moment you are truly awake you find yourself in what could generously be described as a shack built in the snowy wasteland of Wintermute. You and another Star Child are at least being kept warm by an electric heater, but there really isn't much in the way of amenities otherwise. More disturbingly, the entire shack has a deeply oppressive aura to it, encouraging the pair of you to leave as soon as you can.

But where can you possibly go?

Stepping outside reveals the answer, as parked not far from the shed is a dogsled, complete with warm winter gear to protect you from the cold.

The dogs themselves are the real marvels; not flesh and blood, the sled dogs are in fact automatons. The winter sun reflects off of their silver and copper bodies and the steady tick of their inner workings breaks the chilly silence. Each dog has a key sticking out of its back, turning slowly.

The oppressive sense you felt in the shack continues to grow. Your thoughts begin to turn negative: sad, paranoid, fearful. It is quite unbearable... until your eye falls on a delicate splash of purple against the snow.

Close to the dogsled, a single crocus pokes out of the ground.

The very sight of it calms you down. Picking it will make you feel happy, and you will find yourself blurting out the first pleasant memory that comes to mind.

The robodogs bark, delighted, encouraging you to climb aboard the sled and look for more of those flowers!

Every crocus you collect will make you feel positive emotions and the urge to share good personal moments with your companion. The more you find, the happier you will be... and you might get quite close to a total stranger as a result as well!

in from the snow

While you are out and about, you'll want to keep an eye on your team of dogs - they can and will lose power after a point. Your job as a good dog driver is to keep them wound up! Yes, you'll have to stop and physically wind the dogs back up when they lose steam.

You are likely to discover weapons jutting up from the snow. These are all unenchanted items, basic swords, guns, shields, etc., but the second you pull them from the snow the weather will take a turn for the worse. You may even be subject to a sudden avalanche! Hopefully you got the dogs wound up enough that they can get you out of there without any damage!

Eventually the dogs will choose to take you to Akhlut Station in Wintermute where you can catch the train somewhere a little warmer.

BUT SO DOES FEAR

Content Warnings: Fungus, spores, live burial, mental confusion and hallucinations.

putting roots in my dreamland

Willow is definitely warmer than Wintermute. The tail end of winter means that while much of the farmland is still blanketed in snow, the more wooded areas have large clear patches beneath the conifers. The ground here is damp and rich smelling. Poking out of the soil are tiny white mushrooms. These fungi glisten wetly, strangely compelling in their little rings of earth. You just want to take a closer look... maybe have a seat under the conifers and listen to the snow melt...

The mushrooms enchant anyone who gets close to them into simply staying put. They cloud the mind, leaving you in a dimly pleasant haze, while your body sinks slowly into the earth. The longer you stay, the more you sink - maybe a passerby can come and pull you out! If you don't wind up suffocated by dirt you will find that your head clears on its own once night falls. You will probably still need a hand pulling yourself out of the ground, but at least now you know what's going on.

The woods at night are not still - there are mice and owls and the usual nocturnal critters. There is also something else, something that moves slowly beneath the trees checking the mushroom traps. About eight feet tall, this lanky creature resembles a human skeleton held together by muscles and tendons of moss and fungus. Its head is a huge mushroom cap, underneath from which glitter a pair of bright blue eyes. If it finds any unfortunates stuck in the traps without anyone to help them, it will push their heads beneath the soil and hold them there until they die.

The sight of this creature inspires feelings of disorientation and hopelessness. These feelings are lessened when you are in close physical proximity with another Star Child, so it is to your advantage to stick together. The mushroom creature's objective remains the same: to feed the living earth with your body.

The creature is not particularly tough - its flesh is soft and gives way easily. You can defeat it easily with weapons or even your fists provided you can get close enough without succumbing to the disorientation and hopeless feelings. Oh, and you may not want to hit it on the head...

The mushroom cap, when struck, showers spores everywhere. These spores burn if they land on your skin, and if they get in your eyes they cause vivid hallucinations of ghostly figures reaching for you, trying to immobilize you. These hallucinations are so real that it is likely you will act as if they are real, standing still as if you are restrained.

If you defeat the mushroom creature, it will dissolve into the ground and leave in its place a wooden chest. Inside each of you will find some canon clothes and/or an item from your homeworlds.

coast is clear

Not far from the forest treeline, a bonfire burns merrily in the center of a circle of light green tents. The tents are kept warm by portable heaters, with some containing food and drink, and others offering small packs of seeds as gifts. These seeds are for common earth flowers and vegetables. One of the tents provides first aid supplies, in case you got roughed up fighting a giant mushroom or something.

The tents are staffed by squirrels and chipmunks. Just plain old ordinary squirrels and chipmunks. They don't speak - only chitter and occasionally screech - but they will help as best as their tiny paws allow.

This is a good time to recover, and also to talk to any other Star Children you may see.

Comments

[demonicbeauty]

Well, he hadn't started screaming. Or demanded her head on a platter. But somehow, Ariadne had doubted he would. Even if he wasn't Steve--the first one, again--he was still Steve. So...a good person.

Thirteen liked him so much, she'd taken him twice, after all.

Still, she was cautious as she approached, careful to draw her shoulders in, make her steps timid and as unthreatening as possible.

Living openly was still something new to her.

"Um, no," she admitted, setting the branch down within his reach, before quickly stepping back, to assure him that she wasn't about to attack or anything. "No, that's something I've always been able to do. My kind has been able to do."

[mightysmall]

"Oh." Steve took the branch. "I guess that'll teach me to assume everyone's human around here."

If it was something she could do at home then it was natural. Kind of like his blond hair and asthma. There's nothing to be scared of because she wouldn't use them against him. She was nice and he had no reason to be afraid.

He smiled to reassure her. "You can sit down. Unless you're going to cut another branch?"

Steve didn't think she would need to. This one seemed sturdy. He was going to modify it slightly just to make it more comfortable to use but otherwise it should work for him.

[demonicbeauty]

A Steve was a Steve was a Steve.

She let go of some tension she'd been holding in her shoulders and sat down again, close enough to be sitting with him. But far enough that he wouldn't think she was about to jump out and strangle him. Or slice him up into ribbons.

There was a small smile in the corners of her mouth. "I wasn't doing much to disillusion you," she said. "I've spent most of my life trying to pass for Human. It's a hard habit to break. Folkmore is different though. No one seems to care what you are. It's strange, but another thing I like about his place."

[mightysmall]

"Don't feel like you have to hide what you are with me," Steve said as reassuringly as he could. "I'm the last person to judge someone for being different."

He started pulling the bark away from the top of the branch, slow and methodical to get to the soft smooth wood underneath. That would make for a more comfortable handhold.

"You're the first not human I've met and you're pretty nice." He smiled at her, once again hoping she'd relax. "And I bet those claws come in handy for chopping up vegetables for dinner."

Hopefully a little joke wouldn't upset her. He was trying his best but he still wasn't well practiced in talking with girls. He had no practice at all talking with inhuman girls. That was entirely new.

[demonicbeauty]

Chopping...vegetables?

She considered that for a solid thirty seconds, before she suddenly burst into giggles again. That same enthusiastic, kind-hearted laughter as before. "Oh, I'm a menace in the kitchen," she assured him. "I can't cook anything at all. I'm so bad, I was banished from the royal kitchens at North Castle. It wasn't my fault, I swear. And it was only a small fire!"

That story was, of course, much funnier in retrospect. At the time, it had been utterly terrifying. But Ariadne was very, very good at laughing at herself.

Again, usually in retrospect.

She glanced down at her delicate hands, so unthreatening without the talons. "They say my people evolved from dragons. I don't know if it's true or not, but it would explain a few things about us, including the claws."

[mightysmall]

Hey, it worked! Steve was relieved. He smiled a little easier.

"You could learn. It's really not that hard when you practice. I used to cook sometimes for my ma when she worked late. That way she'd have a warm meal when she came home." Steve's smile stayed fond and warm as he thought of his ma. He missed her but it was nice to remember her and the good days they had together.

The comment about dragons made his eyebrows jump up. "Wow. Dragons aren't real where I'm from. We evolved from monkeys."

Evolving from dragons sounded much cooler and would explain the claws. "Do you also really like gold and hoarding things?"

[demonicbeauty]

Monkeys?

All right, maybe she could see it. Maybe.

She shook her head at his question, though. "No, I don't have much use for gold. The only gold I have is a dress that Thirteen gave me once for a party in Folkmore, a few months ago." She loved the dress, actually. Mostly because it made her feel a bit like a princess.

Not that she wanted to be one. Ever. Still, it was a fun bit of make-believe.

"I do...like a kind of hording, though," she admitted. "I like to collect stories. From all of the new worlds that I'm encountering."

[mightysmall]

Steve shifted the branch around to stick the stripped end in the hot coals around the bonfire to further smooth it out. He left it for a few minutes then shoved it in the snow before it could get deeply charred or start burning. He just needed it warm and smooth, not on fire.

"Do you want to hear a story from my world?" he offered because he liked the idea of collecting stories. That was a great hoard for someone to have. "Since we're sitting around a campfire a story feels appropriate. All we need a s'mores."

As long as she also told them to other people. It would be a shame to keep all those stories to herself.

[demonicbeauty]

He certainly seemed to know what he was doing. Which was a great relief, because the last thing Ariadne wanted was for either of them to start a fire. For one thing, it would be somewhat disrespectful to the very kind chipmunks and squirrels.

She nodded, wrapping her hands around her ankles, pulling her knees up against her chest. "I'd like that," she said. "The story part, anyway. I'm not so sure about s'mores. I tried that once...the white, gooey thing was just so strange."

Mostly, she'd just gobbled up the chocolate.

Hey, cacao was a rare commodity, back in Valeria.

[mightysmall]

"There once was a god named Dagda who is said to have been the father and protector of the Tuatha dé Danann. He was very powerful but his most prized possession was his harp. It was made from rare wood, gold, and jewels. The harp would only play for Dagda and the music it played made people feel transformed," Steve started, sitting up a little straighter for the story. It was another thing his mother had made sure he knew, stories from his homeland.

"Now, the Tuatha dé Danann were at war with the Fomorians who inhabited Ireland before Dagda and his people showed up. They fought for ownership of the lands. During one battle when the great hall of the Tuatha dé Danann was left unguarded the Fomorians came in and stole Dagda's harp, thinking they could use its music to enchant their enemy."

"But the harp refused to play and Dagda figured out their plan so he follow them to their great hall where the Fomorians had hung the harp as a trophy. Dagda burst in during a feast and called for his harp which leapt into his arms. He played three songs."

Steve ticked the songs off on his fingers as he continued the story. "The Music of Tears which made every man, woman, and child in the hall weep uncontrollably. The Music of Mirth, which made them laugh hysterically. Finally, the Music of Sleep which made all the Fomorians fall into a deep slumber. After that Daga and the Tuatha dé Danann were free to roam the lands as they pleased."

[demonicbeauty]

She leaned forward as she listened, the lines of her face transforming, first to curiosity, then concern, and then an enormous smile, as the story came to its conclusion.

That was certainly not what she'd been expecting. A lot of stories of this nature ended in a brutal slaughter.

How lovely and refreshing to hear something new.

With a smile and a laugh, she gave him a small round of applause, delightedly digging her feet into the ground. "Music is powerful, isn't it? I truly believe that it could end wars!"

[mightysmall]

"Well, the harp's magical so I'm not sure it's the music so much as the magic," Steve said with a little laugh, blushing too because she looked so delighted. He wasn't expecting his story to have that strong an effect.

Maybe it was because she was a collector of them. Then again a lot of anti-Irish sentiment back home had probably made him used to people not enjoying Irish tales.

"But I'm glad you liked it. It is a good story." And it ended somewhat peacefully. Sleeping forever didn't sound like a great fate because those people all died of starvation after long enough asleep. It's still a grim end. Not that he really shared that part.

[demonicbeauty]

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed a little against the log. "I think music is a type of magic. Or, at least, as close as someone like me can get to magic." She was forever haunted by her early days at the missionary school. All of the Elves studying their spells, while she was forced to sit back and do arithmetic, because her teachers didn't know how else to keep her busy.

Of course, Thirteen had granted her some magic in Folkmore. But Ariadne decided not to bring that up for now.

Too much might just overwhelm Steve again.

"I teach music here," she explained, shrugging one shoulder. "There's a school called Kuma Lisa. I give music lessons three days a week."

[mightysmall]

"Oh. We have to get jobs here?" Steve hadn't really been informed of what it was like living here. No one had told him about needing a job. He wasn't sure what he could do in a land of magic and Disney creatures.

Steve's job back home only existed because of the Hydra Stomper. He doubted there'd be a giant flying robot suit to go to war in here. It seemed too nice a place for something like that. War, he meant. War didn't seem to belong here.

Not that he was against a job but Steve wasn't sure what he could do. Maybe he shouldn't worry about that until he was settled and understood the world better.

[demonicbeauty]

She frowned thoughtfully. "Well, there's no rule or anything that says you have to. Some people prefer to be students. Others are just eager to explore Folkmore and discover what they can about it."

Could he survive without a job?

Probably. But that felt like it might get a little boring, after a while. Still, that was just her opinion.

"There's certainly no rush. You can take your time and decide how you want to dedicate your days here. Thirteen is all about us trying to reach our potential, whatever that is. It's still a little unclear."

[mightysmall]

"Potential is a little vague," Steve agreed with a nod. He rested the improvised cane against the log and wrapped his hands around his tea again. His hands were starting to get cold.

"Is there an art school?" It was the one thing Steve thought of when it came to being a student. He'd never finished thanks to the war but he did plan to go back when the war was over. Maybe he could pick up where he'd left off.

Did they have art school in Disney-like places? Steve might need some sort of history class too.

[demonicbeauty]

Art school? That made her smile. Not that it was hard to get Ariadne to smile. She was a very smiley person, in general. It was just that she appreciated art.
She couldn't actually do it, but it sure was pretty to look at. "Kuma Lisa offered some art classes, I think," she said. "I'm not sure what kind, but it's worth investigating. And if they don't have a class, they're always open to creating a new one, if they can find the right instructor."

Now that she thought about it, she'd occasionally seen Steve--the other Steve, again--with a sketch book.

Which brought everything circling back to how this Steve and that Steve could be the same and different.

The multiverse was a real headache!

[mightysmall]

"Kuma Lisa," Steve repeated so that he would remember it. "I'll look into it once I've settled in."

The chances of him getting another flying suit of armor were very small so he doubted that he'd be fighting anything in this world. He could, though, get back to his passions. Maybe. That also made him feel a little guilty.

"Since you've been here a long time what do you recommend to do around here?" He'd like a local's opinion. Well, as local as anyone was. The animals couldn't answer questions. So far.

[demonicbeauty]

"Well, like I said, my favorite thing is getting to know about the stories and cultures of some of the other chosen ones," she said. Maybe it didn't sound like much, but it was downright luxurious, compared to the work she'd been doing back home. Her own guilt was only mildly assuaged by the fact that there was apparently some other version of her living that life, so no one had been abandoned.

Weird to think about. But she was also talking to her second Steve Rogers. So...maybe not all that weird.

Absently, she ran her fingers along the weave of her braid. "Thirteen keeps us busy. There are always parties and performances. And plenty of dancing. I love dancing."

[mightysmall]

Parties and performances. The things Steve wasn't good at. He had gone drinking with the Howlies in London and sometimes with Howard but Howard was a lot to keep up with. He couldn't dance very long with his lungs and bad hip.

He smiled, though it was a little awkward and unsure. "That sounds like fun."

Fun he wouldn't really participate in. It would be fine. He was used to being the guy on the edge of the crowd.

"Where's a good place to settle down?" he asked to change the subject.

[demonicbeauty]

She sensed something that felt like uncertainty or discomfort, but she couldn't trace it. Anyway, it was rude to try to pinpoint someone's emotional distress when you weren't spying on them. Maybe when they got to be better friends--which she'd already decided was going to happen--she'd pursue it.

For now, though, she let it go.

"Oh, there are lots of great places," she replied. "You might like the cottages of Gram. It's a neighborhood in the northeastern portion of Willow, dotted with all of these beautiful lakes. Lots of trees. And it's quiet up there, because it's a little remote, compared to some of the other neighborhoods. I almost considered settling there, before deciding on Leshy."

[mightysmall]

"Pollen and I don't really get along. Probably better for me to stay in a city." Steve liked the idea of trees and lakes because they're so pretty and could make for some nice paintings but when spring really kicked in it would be hard on him.

"And what's medicine like there?" He had to ask because it would only be a matter of time before he got sick. He has to wonder if there's some treatment for his asthma here.

The woodland creatures had helped with his hip when he got to camp. They might have something to help his lungs when he struggled. Better to be safe before he ended up passing out on someone or worse.

[demonicbeauty]

"It's..."

Thirty-six languages, and she still had a hard time putting it into words. That was one of the marvels of Folkmore; how often it left her at a loss to explain.

Or explain well.

She smiled, shrugging apologetically. "It's nothing like the kind I've known," she admitted. "There are people here with miraculous abilities. They can heal someone with a touch. And others use herbs." She actually had a small, medicinal garden in her yard. Ariadne wasn't much of a healer, but she knew what some herbs did. "Still others have pills and powders. Everyone's brought the type of healing from their homelands and there are always a lot of options."

Ariadne decided against mentioning that Thirteen could actually bring back the dead. Besides the fact that she was still reconciling that fact herself, she knew it might push overwhelming.

[mightysmall]

Pills and powders were more reliable to Steve than magical powers but then again this was a weird world. Maybe the magic was his best bet when it came to his repeated health issues.

"Do you know any of them? The doctors, I mean. The ones that can heal people." Because Steve will need their names. Given the cold weather and the way he pushed his hip today he was probably going to get sick or just need physical therapy for his injuries.

"I, uh, get sick easily," he explained, one corner of his mouth tipped up in something of a smile. "It'd be good for me to know who I can go to for help when it happens."

Although, he might stubbornly stick it out alone. Steve was foolish sometimes.

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne shook her head, offering him an apologetic wince. "I'm sorry, I haven't made any personal contact with them. To...to be honest, when I first got here, I was kind of avoiding them as much as possible."

And she wanted to leave it there.

But that was a terrible way to change topics.

With a sigh, she glanced down at her hands. "I didn't want anyone to know I wasn't Human and...well, healers can usually figure out that kind of thing. So I stayed far away."