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July 2023 Test Drive Meme
July 2023 TDM
Introduction
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 and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Playing and interacting with the 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.
🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.
and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.
🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.
Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.
Content Warnings: Reality shifting, environmental dangers.
Star Children new and old wake up in an extremely old building—or an incomplete one, it's hard to tell for sure. Star Children are solid and real and barefoot, but the building itself fades in and out of existence, threatening to abandon their occupants to the outside environment if they're lucky or nothing at all if they're not. Belongings are sparse, too ephemeral to be of any use. Not that shoes exist for even a moment.
Whether it's a home or an office, a train station or a school, what's certain is that it's not a place to stay. Because it whispers admonishments to leave, to pick up the pace, and promises that there is somewhere to go. Within minutes, the structure is gone, and Star Children must make their way across shifting jumbled landscapes toward Folkmore proper. They could travel across water, through tunnels, or amidst any type of land or space imaginable. The one constant is that it's not reliably there and thus difficult to navigate.
Should a Star Child get into a spot of danger, the land hums slightly and guides another Star Child to the person in question. The new Star Child is the only aide proffered, and they must work together to solve whatever conundrum is before them.
Star Children new and old wake up in an extremely old building—or an incomplete one, it's hard to tell for sure. Star Children are solid and real and barefoot, but the building itself fades in and out of existence, threatening to abandon their occupants to the outside environment if they're lucky or nothing at all if they're not. Belongings are sparse, too ephemeral to be of any use. Not that shoes exist for even a moment.
Whether it's a home or an office, a train station or a school, what's certain is that it's not a place to stay. Because it whispers admonishments to leave, to pick up the pace, and promises that there is somewhere to go. Within minutes, the structure is gone, and Star Children must make their way across shifting jumbled landscapes toward Folkmore proper. They could travel across water, through tunnels, or amidst any type of land or space imaginable. The one constant is that it's not reliably there and thus difficult to navigate.
Should a Star Child get into a spot of danger, the land hums slightly and guides another Star Child to the person in question. The new Star Child is the only aide proffered, and they must work together to solve whatever conundrum is before them.
Content Warnings: Liminal space, abandoned building, service industry.
Beach Day
Beach Day
It's difficult to tell exactly when Star Children are back on terra firma. The air is foggy and damp, obscuring vision similarly to reality coming in and out. However, all Star Children who get out find themselves on a beach of wet sand. Keep marching onward, and trees form a skeletal border growing dark shadows stretching further into their depths. Those who have been exiled before can feel a path through the trees should they wish to venture further into Exile. Those who have never been exiled can feel resentment and the promise of further difficulty.No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem
Like Baba Yaga, Exile seems to have walked over into new territory: a beach. Yes, the beach itself is in Exile and heavy with the weight of magic. It extends in either direction, bordering the long expanse of tenuous reality that laps against it. Star Children can do as they wish on the beach: build a sand castle, run or slide down dunes, or soak in the magic (the sun is hiding). And hey, at least no sand is getting in anyone's shoes—as there aren't any.
For those who walk the shore and explore the beach, they can eventually catch sight of a fading sign reading Vasilisa's swinging in a faint wind from a wooden post. Coming closer, there's faint signs of a fence having lived there back in the day. Lone picket teeth tilt haphazardly around a yard with weather worn beach furniture. Chairs hunch around tables flashing their back legs in the air for all the world to see. A stone path, half buried under sand, weaves between them toward the lone building on these empty shores.
The building clearly used to have bright colors some time, but it's faded and cracked to show the wood beneath. A covered porch crowds with tables for a break from the sun weakly illuminating the foggy scene. The front door creaks but opens to an empty host station and further seating within the beachfront restaurant. A giant chalkboard taller than most humans and many times wider looms over one side between two windows. Menu is written in flowing script atop the chalkboard, and several thick pieces of chalk rest on the ledge before it. All it needs is to be filled in.
No spirits greet anyone or man the kitchen. It's empty, though well stocked with pots and pans, mixing bowls and measuring cups, shelf stable ingredients and fresh ones. None of the food is rotten or bad. It's simply waiting. The only way for the restaurant to run is for Star Children to step up and run it. Develop a menu, cook dishes, seat guests, take orders, clear dishes, wash dishes… There's no shortage of ways to help out.
So come and enjoy the restaurant, whether to work in it or to enjoy the labors of those who do. Whoever helps the restaurant in any capacity will find, when they take a moment's break, a small chest containing an item from your homeworld. This may even be a weapon or magical item.
And shoes.
no subject
What is this guy on about?
"I... I don't have any tuna."
This guy doesn't seem like a spirit, but there's definitely something coming off of him. He's just not sure what yet.
Whatever; before this guy changes his mind, he's going to grab Toge's hand.
He breathes heavily and coughs as he tries to catch his breath between the cold and getting pulled back up. He doesn't feel well, this cold is only making it worse. A doctor, medicine, even someplace warm would be great right now.
no subject
He stepped forward to the bridge and held on firmly. "Mentaiko." He said in a tone that suggested he was trying to be encouraging. Shino was going to be okay, he could do this.
It was obvious once Toge was ahead of him that he had a tail, thanks to being a familiar. It was poofy and sandy-coloured and kind of dog-like, even though he's specifically a tanuki.
no subject
Shino's not a child. Despite his appearance. But that tail was cute. And he wanted to pet Toge. For comfort. Because it reminds him of Sousuke back home. Yea, that's it. It's totally not because he's a child. Because he's not.
And whether or not Toge's some sort of spirit-possessed person or something, Shino's been in enough weird circumstances in his life, and he's used to unusual individuals being something of a help. So he'll absolutely follow this food-naming doggish-person. Following things recently hasn't gotten him in any trouble so far.
Clearly, Shino can't learn his lessons.Oh! Maybe Toge's like one of the fox spirits like that person Hamaji stayed with?
"Do you have a master that you're taking me to?"
Maybe master wasn't quite the right word. But his personal experience leads him to that selection.
no subject
The question though caused him to look over his shoulder. A master? Really?
Although he could be paired with a Legend or a Myth or more than one, Toge was not. He hadn't determined if such a bond would be safe or not. "Fish flakes." He responded, shaking his head. There was no master to speak of.
He did however navigate them across the bridge at least.
no subject
If Shino didn't know any better. He'd think he'd smacked his head pretty hard somewhere. Actually, now that he thinks about it, he rubs his head to look for a bump, and pinches his arm for good measure. Just in case this is a weird dream.
Nothing.
Okay, now that he's sure he's awake and not delirious, he can try to figure out what's going on.
No to the master question. And a strange language, yet with words he knew.
Time to test the waters.
"Can you understand me?"
He assumes, so. But he's seeking out something specific. And he's hoping it works.
no subject
In response to the question he nodded. "Salmon."
There was no problem with his understanding, at least.
no subject
Time for the ultimate test for this progress.
"Did the Fox God bring you here, too?"
Salmon? Fish Flakes? An Entirely different answer? If he can find the basics, he can learn, he thinks. And if Toge can understand him, he just needs to understand Toge back. He doesn't have to use the same words, just understand their meaning.
no subject
Toge could be a troll and throw him a curve ball, but he wasn't going to be so mean. He had only just arrived, after all.
He's quite amused at the fact, but really, his cipher is easy, it's only eleven words or so.
no subject
The victory pose catches his lungs, though, and he covers his mouth as he coughs again.
Right. He's sick. Curse that Fox for not bringing Murasame with him. Seriously.
Okay, next question.
"Have you been here a while? Do you know someplace warm we can go?"
Warm is only a start. He really... should probably see a doctor. But the doctors back home couldn't do anything for him, either. So, maybe there's no hope in that anyway.
no subject
He didn't break his stride as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of cough syrup before holding it out to Shino. It was sealed, he hadn't used it. Did he want that? It might help.
no subject
A few blinks as he looks at the bottle before him.
"Medicine?" A few more seconds pass to process. And then it sinks in. "Medicine!"
Yes, please! Even if it's just to curb a stupid cough. He's quick to take it and pour a dose, gulping it down. And...
"Bllllleeeeghhhhh...." He's lucky it went down his throat before he could process the taste, else it would have gone to waste. Excuse him while he crouches down and just... eats some snow. Please, he's gotta get that taste out. He doesn't want to walk around for the next however-long with that flavour lingering.
But still, he minds the bottle, and closes it up properly before giving it back. In his other hand, he brushes snow acrost his tongue like he's trying to scrape it off.
If nothing else, he's at least forgetting to cough. Though he wonders if it was worth the grossness. (It is, he just needs to stop being dramatic first).
"Thank you..." he manages to mumble out. He knows Toge's a lifesaver. Really. Just why does this stuff taste so bad? clearly someone wants to torture little kids.
no subject
Shino could keep it, he could always get some more.
Toge considered their options. If they kept walking they would get out of the area, that was for sure. It was probably a trial of some kind though, so it probably wouldn't be that easy.
It would be alright, he could defend Shino if it became necessary.