August & September 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

August & September 2023 TDM

Introduction

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This Test Drive meme is open to all.
Welcome to Folkmore's bimonthly 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.

Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!


🦊 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.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Oh How Quiet . ★

Content Warnings: Difficulty seeing, possibility of drowning, forced relocation

Fog & Footsteps

Some Star Children find themselves on land. The air is foggy and damp, blurring and distorting vision making it difficult to tell where they are, what’s real and what isn’t until–finally–Star Children find themselves on wet sand. Continue marching forward and trees begin to form a skeletal border, dark shadows growing and stretching further into their depths. Star Children who have experienced being exiled before can feel a path through the trees should they choose to venture further. Star Children who haven’t been exiled can feel resentment building around them and have greater difficulty navigating the path ahead.

Anyone who glances back may find footsteps in the sand alongside theirs. The more anyone looks back, the more prints appear. They’re inconsistent like their maker hops or flies part of the time or fades in and out of the physical universe… or something else. They may be human, or animal, or something Star Children can’t quite put a name to.

The Will or the Wisp

The longer Star Children dwell on them, the more tempting they are to follow—familiarity, comfort, curiosity, something. The footsteps eventually lead Star Children down a branching path toward a wall of thick, colorless fog. Inside the fog, there are enchanting wisps of light dancing just out of reach, urging Star Children to keep following. Just a little further, the sweet voices promise.

Continue onward and soon outlines appear in the mist, showing just who (or what) the earlier footsteps belong to–distorted human or animal shapes that exist only where fog is displaced by the will-o’-the-wisps they carry like lanterns. They lure Star Children deeper into Exile, all the while making promises they have no intention of keeping...

Salvation comes in the form of a fellow Star Child guided toward someone in distress by shifting sands. They radiate starlight that pierces through the thick fog around them, allowing people to find the sandy forest path toward The Beach. Once Star Children reach it, they will both find an old, sea-battered treasure chest which offers characters a personal item from home and either a nonfunctional compass or lantern. A will-o-the-wisp will fly directly into the item, which doesn’t seem to make it work. The compass needle points toward somewhere in Exile, not north. The lantern doesn’t light up. However, when the Star Child is truly lost, the compass will point where they need to go and the lantern will light up any darkness. Each Star Child can only receive either the compass or the lantern.

A Magical Day

Whether passing directly through the forest path or guided back to it, Star Children find a shoreline extending in either direction. Some water laps against the beach, but farther out is the long expanse of tenuous reality. Come September, it fades into the distance until it can no longer be seen. The beach itself is in Exile, heavy with the weight of magic. It feels reassuring and encouraging. Star Children can indulge in a sunless day at the beach, playing in the sand, and soaking in the magic. Those wishing for a bit more warmth can explore the shoreline north to the Boat Bonanza at the port where the Encantado reaches the ocean.

Key Points:

🦊 Star Children may pass through a thick fog to reach a wet, sandy path that passes through trees and leads to The Beach in Exile.
🦊 If they keep looking behind them on the path they will find footprints following alongside their own. Those footprints will try luring characters deep into fog using will-o’-the-wisp lanterns, leading them into the swamp so they can drown them.
🦊 A fellow Star Child can act as a light to guide lost characters back to the safety of shore.
🦊 Star Children that are rescued from the lure or who rescue another Star Child will be rewarded with a non-weapon memento from home and either a compass or a lantern (not both).
🦊 Star Children that don’t succumb will simply continue forward to The Beach without issue and will have opportunities to find a non-personal item from their home worlds being sold at the market. See below.

Christening Ceremony . ★

Content Warnings: Possibility of drowning, fetch quests

Boat Bonanza

Whether venturing up the coastline from Exile, floating down the Encantado River, or simply being plopped into the water, Star Children new and old find themselves in water. A strong wave rolls up the beach to drag suspecting and unsuspecting alike. Playful pinkish-red dolphins spray people off boats into the river. Or Star Children find themselves treading water deeper than they are tall with no land in sight. No worries, those who need help getting out of the water will get it. Along the shore, spirits in boats will pick up anyone in need of a ride and bring them back through the fog to the sounds of shouts and cheers and music to a large clear spot in the fog.

Boats come into view. Boats of all shapes and sizes, from single person kayaks to large houseboats, fishing craft and sailboats. They rise and fall with the waves but aren't otherwise moving. Ropes, planks, and bridges tie the boats together. Whether approaching by river or by sea, new boats explore the outskirts of the great conglomeration of boats and attach themselves—increasing the size of the gathered ships. So many boats are gathered that the shore isn't visible from new boats tying up.

Everyone's welcome aboard and to wander from boat to boat. Starfish spirits offer games of chance at low tables on broad open decks under awnings. There are even holes in the bottom of the deck, so players can dip their feet in cool water. A cephalopod band plays upbeat music other spirits and Star Children can dance to in competition with a scavenging of seagull spirits singing sea shanties as loudly as they can two boats over. Far from them, jellyfish spirits offer places to rest in quiet, with curtains drawn and sound dampened. Many spirits offer food and drink—seafood or seafood shaped candy or in the case of mystery flavored taffy, sometimes seafood flavored candy. Those who don't want freshly rolled sushi or take a chance with the candies can always see the Wandering Dog cart on the shore, where the dogs try very hard to be included.

Flotilla Afterparty

Come September, nymphs pop up in the waters and start shooing the boats away until only the houseboats and some submarines remain. Some go off on their lonesome, but more of them form flotillas that float along the coastline continuing their activities and coming to shore to pick up any who wish to join them. A restaurant flotilla, a meditative flotilla, music performance flotillas, and even gambling flotillas. Should people want off and the boats aren't ready to go to shore, sometimes Catbus shows up, able to leap whatever the distance.

Fetchquest

At any time, during the boat festival or smaller flotillas, Star Children may find non-personal items from their home world for sale. It may be a weapon or magical item. These spirits can sense who is from the same world as an item and will only offer them to those Star Children. These aren’t free! After all, these spirits pulled up these items from chests in the water. Star Children will need to do a few favors or barter something else to obtain the item from home. Star Children who help in Vasilisa’s, now mostly staffed by spirits, will find they have an easier time bartering… unless it’s in the Cuttlefish Curiosities shop. If the cuttlefish spirit smells a whiff of the grumpy old octopus spirit who has taken over as chef, that Star Child will have to do twice the work.

Key Points:

🦊 Explore your way to Nereid where the Encantado reaches the shore or get dropped into the water.
🦊 Enjoy an enormous boat festival! All kinds of boats! All kinds of activities!
🦊 In September, the boat festival will split into multiple flotillas floating around the shoreline.
🦊 Do favors or barter goods to receive a non-personal item from home. It may be a weapon or magical item. A magical gun from your world? Yes. Your personal magical gun with your dog’s name engraved in it? No.

Comments

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter, in turn, is all kinds of tense at first - he expects to be dropped or stabbed (or the rare DROP STAB COMBO!!) despite Casey’s extremely reasonable points about how impossible that is given their current positions. But as they land at the next boat sans human trickery, and continue on past that, he relaxes just a little bit. A LITTLE!! Maybe this human isn’t actively the worst.

There are no stab attempts, or even further complaints about the occasional rattled landing. (That armor is just not meant for moving around this much.) When they finally reach shore, he stumbles a few paces just finding his feet after all that swinging. And eyes Casey’s everything. ]

That - uh - that was an acceptable lack of trickery. And a lot faster than just jumping around.

[ Is that a thank you? It sort of sounds like a thank you. ]

[apuckalypse]

[Casey takes a moment to stretch out his back and shake the ache off his limbs as best as he can; thank goodness he's kept up on practicing grappling around, or that would've felt a lot worse. He's not used to having a passenger, and his arm's going to hate him tomorrow. Still, better than letting that take three times longer, or risk more water-bound rescues if one or them fell.

The comment sounds like the fake sort of thank you he might've gotten from Donnie, which, while not all that satisfying, is better than nothing. Also better than being stabbed, which he wasn't, so overall a reasonable experience.]

Glad I made the cut. [What else do you even say to that?] I'm gonna head into the port, so you can come along if you want.

[A very roundabout way of offering to guide Mr. Emperor-No-Name without making him accept help from a human again. He's starting to learn how this works.]

[pyrighteous]

[ Oh yes. This is the right way to handle Hunter. He’s absolutely in need of help and definitely way too prideful to accept it if offered. But if they both happen to be going the same direction, well… ]

It’s not like I can get home from here. So.

[ He reattaches his long white cloak (now badly mud stained) since they’re not going to be swinging or swimming any time soon now.

There’s a small pause as he hesitates, considering. ]

I’m Hunter. [ An awkward lil pause. ] E-Emperor Hunter! Of the Boiling Isles. Like I said.

[apuckalypse]

[A name! Casey's shoulders relax a bit; there's just something inherently comforting about knowing who you're dealing with, even if it's just a name. At least he'll have something to yell if they get separated. Or if he eventually does get stabbed. He has a feeling that's mostly off the table, though, as long as he himself can behave.]

Never heard of it, sorry. But it's nice to meet you. [Mostly. Mostly? Yeah, it's fine. Besides the prickly attitude and the human hating, he seems okay.

....Or Casey has a very low bar ANYWAY he's walking now. Heading for port.] Why're they boiling?

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter is wary still - surely the human’s betrayal will be sudden and inevitable - but it doesn’t seem to be imminent, and that’s the only thing that matters right this second. He trudges along beside him, metallic boots alternately squelching and rattling as he moves. ]

Uh. Nice to meet you too, I guess.

[ For a HUMAN. Anyway. ]

Because the ocean is boiling hot, obviously. Especially around the Toes - you’d get third degree burns just from the steam.

[ Here he falters a bit. ]

At least it did before the Collector invaded.

[apuckalypse]

[Casey's step has his own half-stumble in response- the word invaded sure does conjure some grim images in his mind. He tries to shake it off and keep moving; his goal is to stay just a little bit ahead of Hunter if they're not walking at the same level, on account of the back-stabbing concerns. Best not to accidentally walk behind the guy.]

The... Collector?

[Why does he have that sudden, terrible feeling clenching in his chest?]

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter slows himself, instinctively; his shoulders hunch as if he’s suddenly got the weight of a world on them. Mentally? He kinda does. It had almost been nice to tell about boats and humans and backstabbing for a while. ]

He’s this monster from beyond the stars. A human summoned him into my world. He’s - destroying everything. I’m trying to fight him off, but it’s …

[ The blue lights flicker out behind Hunter’s mask as he squeezes his eyes shut. ]

I think there isn’t going to be much left soon.

[apuckalypse]

[Casey listens quietly, and the more Hunter says, the more his shoulders slump, hating that the ugly feeling in his gut was proven to be the right instinct. It's all the same, isn't it? Monsters from the stars, summoned by misguided people, a mindless destruction of everything, all in the name of- what? Conquest? Bragging rights? What happens when the dust settles and the world is dead? What's their grand plan for an empty planet?

He wants to laugh. A quiet, stifled noise that could be defined as much a bitter chuckle as a sob escapes his lips. He's not crying, but the ache in his chest won't go away. How many worlds are like this? Was it just another name for the Krang, or are there other monsters out there who do the same thing?]

I'm sorry, [he finally manages.] I understand what that's... [he trails off, unsure, then shakes his head.] No one should have to go through that.

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter winces at the stifled noise. Whether it's a laugh or a sob, it's too close to his own feelings in turn. He's lost so much over the last six months. People he thought were his friends, his uncle, the Isles themselves one piece at a time ... its only saving grace is still being new, so there's still hope, maybe. Or still a lot of suffering yet to come.

He sucks in a breath and stares over at Casey, unsure if that's comforting or not. His first instinct is to lash out a little - though his tone is more despairing than angry. ]

What do you even know about it?

[apuckalypse]

[Casey's quiet for a long moment, considering his answer. He could brush it off, apologize, sweep it under the rug. He has no right to assume that their lives are on the same path, nor does he want to give the other the despair he'd felt his whole life. To imply something like, I'm you, but when the Collector wins, would be terribly cruel.

At the same time, he's felt... uncomfortably alone at times, here. Welcomed and cared for, but still the odd one out, from a world that no longer exists. The home he'd grown up in, the family he'd loved, gone forever, averted by the shifting timeline. Never to be seen again. And his new family, wonderful as they are, will never understand.

Maybe... it'd help them both, in some small way. To have someone who gets it.]

In my world... it's been over 20 years since some people opened a portal and brought the Krang into it. Aliens from space, who'd destroyed world after world in the past. They destroyed everything, too. That world's all I knew growing up. [He hesitates again, then stands a little straighter, as if it might give his voice some strength and not have him sound so pathetic.] We... lost. Everyone's gone. I'm all that's left now.

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter's head snaps up at that. He'd expected - well, not that? Maybe some human blubbering about stupid things that don't even come close to the loss Hunter has experienced. Or maybe something equivalent that's sad, sure, but not the same. How could anyone know what he's going through? Even back home, even dealing with the same apocalypse in progress, no one had understood Hunter's position.

But here's someone who does. Hunter can hear that awful ache in his voice - can feel it echoed inside his own chest. ]

Twenty years...

[ He can't imagine. He's only been fighting six months -

It takes him a moment to say anything else out loud; his breathing rattles loudly in his mask. All of a sudden it's too stifling and hot in here. When it comes, his voice is choked and plaintive, barely louder than a whisper. ]

How - how do you live with it? How do you cope?

[apuckalypse]

[That tone sure is painfully familiar. He's heard it in his own voice, in the voices of those around him, plenty of times. It's enough to make him stop and turn to face Hunter, a sad grimace on his face. Even the mask is similar. Does he wear it to hide sometimes, the way Casey does? For protection not only from danger but to prevent others (and even himself) from seeing his own tragedy in his eyes? He'd felt pathetic for it sometimes, but seeing Hunter with his mask in place, sounding like that, he feels like... maybe he could be a little kinder to himself for it. Masks are meant to protect you. He grew up knowing this.

His hands clench tightly at his sides, and he forces them to relax when it starts to hurt.]

Not that well, [is his unfortunately honest answer.] My family... they were so much stronger than me. They made me think we still had hope. It's only because of them that I made it as far as I did. Now, I...

[He looks down, blinking rapidly. Keep it together, Casey. Is he really going to walk into port weeping, caught off guard by the most unexpected kindred spirit encounter ever?]

...I just take it one day at a time. I wanna live the best I can, for their sake.

[pyrighteous]

[ They made me think we still had hope. Hunter tries to imagine, for a moment, what that might have felt like. Would this have been easier with Darius by his side? If Luz hadn't been the one to betray him? If his uncle had ...

He can't help the sniffle behind his mask; he can only hope it's quiet enough not to be noticeable. Ugh, he's going to have to clean the snot out of this thing AGAIN. Truly the worst downside of keeping his face hidden like this. ]

My uncle was killed. He was the first one the Collector murdered. H-he my only family, I ...

[ His voice wobbles. ]

I try to do everything I can for his sake. Yeah. I - I guess it's good that even humans think the same way.

[apuckalypse]

[It may be noticeable, but Casey doesn't comment on it. He does lift a hand to wipe at his own eyes, particularly at the uncle comment. That too... god, this is the worst. That someone else could be in his shoes, and that he has so little to offer as comfort. If they were closer he'd want to hug the poor guy. As it is, that would definitely look like a stab attempt.

Instead, Casey shifts sideways a few steps and crouches down at the water's edge. At this point he's not leading them into port a mutually crying mess. His own pride won't allow it, almost as much as Hunter's. He tugs off a glove and splashes some water on his face, intent on sitting there for a bit to give them both a breather. And maybe talk this through, as much as either of them need. Far from the crowd of whatever's going on at the main docks.]

I lost my uncles, too. My sensei. [How many other terrible truths do they share? Though his own losses weren't the first - they survived many years, even after he was born - he doubts the timing makes the sting any less terrible. By Hunter's voice alone, he knows that's not true.] They taught me... the greatest weapon is hope. You keep fighting as long as you can. The people who're counting on you... they make you stronger.

[pyrighteous]

[ Sitting is good. Breathing is good. After a moment, Hunter slowly sits too, his layers of armor collapsing gently around him. He sniffles again, and there's more soft, wet noises coming from behind his mask. He winds up having to tilt just the bottom edge up a little so that he can breathe without choking on his own tears.

It's a lot to have in a first conversation. Then again, when's the last time he talked to ANYONE about this? At all? Ever? ]

... They sound amazing. Your uncles. [ And sensei, but he doesn't recognize the word, so he isn't confident enough to reply using it in a sentence. ] Were they human like you?

[apuckalypse]

[It sure is a magical first impression, in the worst way. Technically better than yelling or trying to stab one another, but still... kind of feels like a stab in the heart nonetheless.

Casey's trying to look for the silver lining in this. He had been told that it's important to talk about this stuff, he just hasn't much. Probably good for Hunter to get it out there, too. Common ground is itself a big comfort.

...The ocean is not helping all that saltwater dripping on his face.]

They really were amazing. [It's easier to praise them; his tone is unspeakably fond.] They weren't human, they were- [He hesitates, catching himself before he says too much. Some of them are here, technically. They shouldn't know.] -they were mutants. But they took me in when my mom died, so I don't really remember having a different family. They had mystic powers that could do incredible things, and were the greatest ninjas in the whole world.

[pyrighteous]

[ It's good, it's good. Hunter hates to admit it, but it's nice having this conversation. Even with a human. He REALLY didn't expect to have ANYTHING in common with a human today. ]

My uncle adopted me too. When - when I was young. I owed him everything. I - guess you feel the same way about yours, huh.

[ He doesn't remember anyone else - not even vague impressions. Not the same, but still a point of similarity. ]

What's a mutant? And ninjas?

[apuckalypse]

[Casey's quick to nod. He really does owe everything he has, everything he is, to how they raised him. He'd have surely died a thousand times if not for them protecting not just him personally but the hidden bases he grew up in.]

Mutants are... kind of animal hybrids? They walk on two legs, they talk and can do stuff that any other person can do, they just have animal features. And ninjas are powerful warriors who use stealth to hide and attack from the shadows, and fight using martial arts training.

[pyrighteous]

Huh. That ... just sounds like a normal demon to me. The animal parts, I mean.

[ The word "demon" is said neutrally, in the same tone as "person" or "animal." Just a species, not an insult. ]

Even they couldn't stop the Krang?

[apuckalypse]

[Casey quirks a brow. He definitely wouldn't call them demons, but... it's not like he knows much about demons anyway. Maybe they're cool in Hunter's world. He definitely says it with less distaste than he's ever said 'human'... ouch.]

The Krang were... overwhelming. They could infect whatever they touched, turn people and animals into monsters they controlled. The longer they invaded Earth, the more that infection spread. It wasn't just the Krang we were fighting- it was everyone and everything they'd turned into one of their puppets. Even the greatest warriors couldn't stop a whole army by themselves.

[He pauses, then narrows his eyes stubbornly.]

But we tried anyway, and we gave them a real fight. I bet no other world gave them twenty years of trouble.

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter 100% said "demon" with wayyy less distaste than "human." Pretty distinct bias there.

Also, he shivers at that. Yet another point of uncomfortable similarity. At least the Collector (and his siblings) weren't an infection, necessarily, but the puppeting... ]

Y. Yeah. Especially when you have to go up against someone you cared about who became one of their monsters.

[ Another deep, watery breath. Darius had turned on him and joined Luz, but it had still been miserable finding out that the Collector had turned him into his toy just like everyone else. ]

The Collectors don't infect worlds. But. Once they've preserved what they want to preserve, they don't care about the rest of it. Or who they destroy in the process.

[apuckalypse]

[He nods reluctantly, hating the unfortunate knowledge that they have one more thing adjacently in common. This is a hell of a rabbit hole to dive into, here. He's had to fight friends in the past, too? No wonder he's so prickly. Casey would've likely been a lot more angry if he'd had no family support and the war was fresh enough that he wasn't used to every bad thing that ever happened. It still hurt, of course, but sometimes, if he wasn't too close to the one they lost, it felt inevitable enough that he'd been numb to it.

And "preserving" doesn't sound like a good thing- not when it's forced and accompanied by the destruction of everything else. It's confirmation that these Collectors are definitely not Krang under a different name, which is... really depressing. So there are more than one species of awful world-destroyers in the universe.]

They sound horrible. What do they do with the ones they're 'preserving'? Are they safe?

[pyrighteous]

[ The Krang vs. the Collectors would be one hell of a fight, just sayin'.

Hunter shivers again underneath his cloak and mask. ]

"Safe." Sure. Technically, I guess they are.

[ That bleak tone is answer enough on its own, but Hunter elaborates after a moment anyway. ]

You're turned into a living doll. You can't move, you can't breathe, you're just - still. And the Collectors puppet you like that however they want. Or they whisk you away to be stored with the rest of their specimens.

... It happened to me once. I - I got out of it, but it was - awful.

[apuckalypse]

What? You...?

[That shudder is echoed in Casey, as he imagines what that would be like, and thinks of what they'd observed in the Krang-infected people when they weren't being directed to hunt by their masters. How they'd stand for hours, like empty husks, doing nothing but stare vacantly until their prey was spotted or the Krang ordered them to move. Neither option is any way to live. At least- if Hunter had been like that before- there's a way to come back from it. Until he'd gone to the past, he'd never known there was a way to break free of a Krang infection. Even now, he's fortunate to have never endured it himself. It's not like he has mystic powers needed to break free of their control. What must it take to break free from the Collectors...?]

That really sounds awful... I'm sorry. [He drops down fully into the sand, tucking his knees up to hug them to his chest.] Knowing that there's different kinds of monsters out there, who'll do that kind of thing to people, just because they can... it's terrifying.

[pyrighteous]

[ It sure is a story - one that Hunter isn't inclined to offer just yet, as much as he is (reluctantly) starting to like Casey. He doesn't elaborate for now.

Instead ... this damn mask is just TOO gross now. He can't take it any more. With a gentle tug, Hunter peels the shining gold layer away.

Scraggly blond hair, a mass of face scars, thin and pale and carrying the most incredible bags under his bright magenta eyes. His ears spring out once they're free of his cowl as well: distinctly pointed, like an elf's. Hence him staring at Casey's rounded ones before.

He's just a kid? If he's older than Casey, it isn't by much. And when he opens his mouth again, it's clear there's a lil gap between his front teeth too. ]

We'll just have to destroy all of them. Permanently. Before they can hurt anyone else.