folkooc | March 2023 Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

*tdm

March 2023 Test Drive Meme

March 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]

we can't have nice things

Content Warnings: mild body horror

One minute you were a falling star but as your body reforms you become aware of several things: the breeze that caresses your skin is not quite chill, and smells of fresh rain and flowers, while whatever you are laying on is both soft but also a little pointy. Once you've come fully to your senses you will discover that you are laying inside of a giant nest. Around you are eggs at least as tall as you if not larger, and another Star Child like yourself. The nest is, surprisingly, not in a tree but rather on the ground. Looking around will reveal there are a few such nests, some of which have giant white fluffy bunnies sitting on the eggs like hens. Some of them cluck in low, ominous tones.

Okay then.

There are broken eggshells on the floor of the nest of course, but these are rather unusual in that the insides are coated with gold. Look closer at the giant eggs and you will see that they have a faint light glowing inside. You can just barely make out something that sure doesn't look organic.

Well, well. Something valuable might just be in there!

make an omelette

You can use one of the bigger branches making up the nest, any powers you might have, or one of the funky new traits you might have been gifted. Maybe you can just use ol' Fisty and Punchy there on the ends of your arms. However you choose to do it, you can bust that egg wide open to claim your prize!

But what spills from the egg is a beautiful, shining version of yourself. Radiant. Angelic. Perfect.

And then your lookalike belches and mutates before your very eyes into a gooey, gelatinous horror. (You ever see Akira?) At its center is another egg, this one small and golden.

This creature wastes no time at all in attacking you and whoever else has the misfortune to be in the nest with you whether they helped you break the egg or not. Good luck fighting it off! Lucky for you if you look outside of the next you will find regular weapons scattered about - non-enchanted guns, knives, shields and the like.

Due to its gooshy and malleable form, the creature is extremely hard to damage, but the little gold egg is of course the key: smash that, and the creature will melt away. It leaves a sticky, foul smelling residue but also a golden chest. Inside, each of you will find some canon clothes and/or an item from your homeworlds. (This may include a canonical weapon.)

hope springs eternal

Perhaps you're not the destructive type. (Or maybe you've consumed enough media to know that bashing into things for treasure rarely ends well.) In that case, you are free to crawl out of the nest and try to find your way somewhere a little less weird.

Luckily there's a path that winds its way through tangled underbrush that sparkles with the condensation of spring mornings. The path leads you over shallow hills and into a field of wildflowers, all nodding in the breeze. You can see that the path leads on towards civilization but right in the center of the field and the path is a huge tree. It has many straight, evenly placed branches, which makes it perfect for climbing. In fact, it seems to beg to be climbed. There's definitely enough room for two to be able to do so.

The tree is crowned with another nest. This one is not so large as the ones you escaped - it could belong to a heron, or an osprey. Inside are several blue speckled eggs, about the size of a baseball.

Once you're at the top of the tree, you can see so much of the great realm of Folkmore. The air is clean and clear, and as you look out at this place you are filled with a bubbling sense of all that is possible with a fresh start.

You're so overcome with this feeling, as a matter of fact, that you feel compelled to share something you hope for with your companion. They just feel like someone you can trust with this right now.

A sharing of hopes and dreams has an unusual effect: it causes the eggs in the nest to hatch. They split open quite undramatically, and inside are flower bulbs, and some small sentimental object from home. Once planted and grown, these flowers will emit an aura of optimism; being near them will inspire you with hope. (The object from your homeworld may not be a weapon in this case.)

here's to my real friends

You've found yourself in any one of the neighbourhoods of Folkmore at dusk. The weather is pleasant and perfect for walking, so naturally that makes this a great time to explore wherever you've wound up.

While taking your little stroll, you suddenly hear a noise: a soft waow. Or maybe instead you see two wide eyes staring at you from the shadows. Stopping and waiting a moment will reward you with the appearance of a cat.

Well, sort of.

It's at least partly a cat. The other part seems to be something else. A slug, or an owl, or a moth perhaps. Any other critter that is approximately cat-sized or smaller. This hybrid cat is extremely friendly, twining around your ankles and making cute noises.

Then it runs away. But not too far. And makes its little noises at you again.

Look, genius, it wants you to follow it.

Your cat hybrid will lead you unerringly to another hybrid cat, who is also being followed by a Star Child. Yes, these little creatures are forcing you into a meet-cute. Heavy emphasis on the cute.

Chatting with this stranger will result in happy cats. Try to ditch the person you've just met and the cats will yowl and hiss at you. You can of course ignore them and storm off like the antisocial gremlin you are, but is it really worth the racket? Maybe it's better to just hang out for a little while.

This is also a good time to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Depending on where you are, there may be businesses that are still open, places to find food and drinks, or just natural landmarks worth looking at. You and your new companion may not be from worlds remotely similar to Folkmore after all, and it all may be a little overwhelming.

You will at least make a friend regardless if you go the sociable route - you can adopt your cat hybrid. But you have to feed it and clean up after it!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mel waits as she lets her conversational partner confirm she speaks with him in fact. It happens at parties sometimes, though high society in Piltover is better at covering it. Folkmore brings all types together, even wallflowers, should that be his type. He certainly doesn't expect to be spoken with—that much is clear. She's curious as to why.

"This one," she motions toward hers which chirps happily, "found me in my studio and adamantly demanded my attention." Perhaps it sensed a different need for help than her senses usually lend her?

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Steven," Mel pauses, "Are you... new here? It's a lot to gather your bearings to." Though kinder than being attacked by a mushroom monster (her first day intro to others).

"Curious..." His voice trails off as he stares a bit at the two hybrid cats now happily lingering nearby, pleased by their successful match. He's never seen anything like it, as the animals seem so aware of everything around them and how they're interacting with these people, enough that Steven has a sense he shouldn't try to run off - not that he would anyway, he isn't rude.

Steven nods at her question, the smile on his face turning a bit more sheepish. "It's that obvious, yeah? I woke up here this morning, and it's been a shock, I can say that much." He gestures briefly to some shops nearby, quaint and cute, but so different from what he's used to. "It seems most people I've met along the way have been here a long time. Longer than this morning, anyhow."

"I'm not entirely sure what they wanted out of it, but they are happy with themselves aren't they," Mel muses. She crouches down to scritch the chin of the one that found her. It chirps and only seems to whisper more with the other one. Fine, have your secrets. You're still getting painted.

"A bit," Mel admits, "No hard feelings. I've only been here a month myself, and everyone could tell my first day as well—over and over again." Admittedly, she knew some of those people, and others knew Jayce and Viktor as well. Mel hmms again.

"Might there be anyone here you know? Anyone to keep an eye out for? Like I said, I've only been here a month. I've hardly met most people, but I'm happy to help. I'm a painter, so perhaps some wanted signs of the good variety." A joke.

Steven appreciates the friendliness of strangers thus far, everyone willing to help in some manner, and these critters happily facilitating these interactions. It's interesting and bizarre at once, not because he doesn't expect people to be nice, but he's lived in a bustling city for the majority of his life, and he's used to communities ignoring one another in the day to day. So far, that seems less encouraged here.

"Just one month? How are you faring so far?" Asked out of curiosity and concern, because he's also met someone who's been here far, far longer, and he can't quite gauge what the logic is behind who has been here and for how long.

He looks around momentarily as if he'd manage to spot a familiar face just by taking a glance but then he shakes his head, offering Mel a softer, unassuming smile. "I've heard there are some people I may recognize around these parts but no one I'm personally friends with. I haven't spotted them yet though - people from my, er... 'world' you could say." He emphasizes the word with air quotations. "They call themselves the Avengers where I'm from. Big shot heroes and whatnot."

She is glad to pay it forward, to help someone else the way others helped her, even after only a month. Mel could bother to count the days, to be more precise, but that would only make it feel shorter. It's short enough.

"Well," Mel says, "I have a studio where I can paint. My home's bigotry that would have seen me exiled no matter my social position back home are... of no matter to people here. A weight lifted from my shoulders. The troubles there are there, but here... we have the chance for something else. More, I believe some might say."

She smiles. "I'm also fortunate that a couple people I know and care about are here, which makes being here incomparably better than it would be in their absence," Mel adds. "I'm lucky."

She motions around them at the shops. "Anything you'd like to see or need right now? I can't promise any Avengers, but I could try if you really really want to see one."

Steven nods along as if he has some understanding, though with Mel's calm demeanor, she seems overall at peace with the cards they've been dealt. At least for now. A month is a long time but also a drop in the bucket comparatively, though it eases him too to know she's already reunited with people she cares for here.

"Ah, yes, our full potential or whatever it was." Clearly, he isn't so pleased about that concept by the tone of his voice, though it would be too personal to explain why. "It's wonderful that you at least have some kinship in others here. Certainly would make the transition a lot easier."

Her offer to seek out Avengers makes him laugh something warm and delighted, though he's quick to shake his head and hands between them. "No, no, that's quite alright. I'm sure I'll find them one way or another. They're pretty easy to spot," he grins. "I wouldn't mind seeing what sort of shops and things are around here though. I also heard something about a school..."

"Ah, well, my boyfriend is learning how to cook as part of whatever that is for some reason," Mel notes, "It currently leaves a lot to be desired, though he's mastered toast." Her tone is light, enough to lean away from the serious aspect of potential and instead lean on the domestic measures of cooking lessons.

"Thankfully, among the kinds of shops includes cafes and restaurants," Mel leads them down some streets, "Even a section of food carts. There's a train system that can help you get around Folkmore to other areas, though if you get lost catbus, which yes is both a cat and a bus, may show up to help you get wherever you're going."

"As for a school, there's a few. In Epiphany, there's Kuma Lisa Academy. It teaches about everything, while the others are specialized," Mel says. "I can lead you to it, though I study at Baba Yaga, the magic school, myself." Plus, with Hawke.

The note about the toast makes Steven laugh, delighted to hear that someone out there is trying to better himself in such an ordinary way, though Steven really isn't one to talk, not much of a chef himself. "Toast is very important, at least he's got that down. Maybe next he can try a bagel."

This isn't even the first time he's been warned about the cat bus and it still baffles him to even imagine, his brain having a difficult time picturing what such a thing could even look like, functionally. He shakes his head a bit as they continue to walk, peering at all the various shops nearby, noting how so many of them seem to be run by... creatures.

"Baba Yaga? Like the old folktale? Oh, my days..." Steven's eyes widen at the thought, yet again unable to comprehend what it would even be like to see something like that in person. "A place that teaches magic sounds very interesting though. Are you- I mean... are you able to harness magic where you're from?"

"He's far more ambitious than that. Eggs are in his sights, and not only that but poached eggs," Mel says. "They are my favorite eggs, so he's set his sights on them." She smiles fondly because, well, that's Jayce. Many misadventures to come, she's sure he'll master them too. Science, as he's so good at pointing out, is as much about failure as success.

Mel raises an eyebrow at the description of Baba Yaga. "Baba Yaga is not a part of any folktales where I am from," she says, "but that only says we are from different worlds."

A reminder to herself. This isn't Piltover or Noxus. No one can use her magic for war. There isn't even war in Folkmore. The violence she dislikes (that's a different unsettled thought Mel hasn't entirely processed yet) is another matter. A potentially innocent question. Those close to her know. People she's getting to know... know. A stranger? It's a much larger leap.

"Yes," Mel says, internally braced for a violent response. "We call it the Arcane in Runeterra."

Steven innocently doesn't understand the implications of his question, thinking it's simple and straightforward, but of course different worlds have different limits and perspectives. Hell, he is still getting used to the concept of different worlds as it stands, and the confirmation from each new person he meets is astounding. To think there is a world out there where magic may be perceived as dangerous shouldn't be too surprising, though to Steven, it's just fascinating.

"That's incredible." His face lights up at the thought. "I've seem some spectacularly odd things where I'm from, but magic is still a new concept to me. Is it common where you're from? Or is it special?"

He doesn't even realize these might be invasive questions, too curious for his own good.

His enthusiasm reminds her of Jayce, save Jayce at least knows the attitudes and dangers around magic in Runeterra. At least, in Piltover. Mel breathes evenly, not letting the terrible dangers that surrounded her at all times reach out to snap at this man in his naivete.

"It depends on where in Runeterra you are from. Common in some areas, rare in others," Mel says, "I came here from Piltover, the City of Progress—scientific progress that is. The outlawing of magic is at the foundation of the two hundred year old city, the Ethos."

"It had to be secret. Anyone else in Piltover with magic also had to keep it secret. We could have passed each other like ships in the night."

If Steven knew better, he surely wouldn't press, but to him learning about all these different worlds and people is just so interesting. It helps prevent him from freaking out about their current predicament at least, as a sort of distraction from reality. Maybe it isn't fair to drill people with questions immediately after meeting them though.

"The outlawing of magic..." he repeats softly to himself, his expression shifting from the brightness to something more tempered. "Sorry, I'm just- I can't help but be curious. Knowing there are different worlds is still bonkers to my brain, let alone the different ways of living and experiencing things like- like magic."

Folkmore is a remarkably strange place on any given day. Extended exposure makes one more used to the fact but makes it no less incredible. The clashing of worlds, while more extreme than Noxus and Piltover, bears some similarity to her first days in the City of Progress. That combined with her own arrival in Folkmore gives Mel the grace and kindness for Steven.

"Surely there are rudimentary aspects of your world that would astound me," Mel says, "whereas everyone in Runeterra must come to terms with magic and the runes used to access it. Here I am actually learning magic from another world altogether. Spirit Healing."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

March 2023 Test Drive Meme

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