folkooc | October & November 2023 Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

*tdm

October & November 2023 Test Drive Meme

October - November 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]

Candy Man . ★

Content Warnings: Potential nonconsensual physical changes

Tides doesn’t have a farmer’s market. However, it does have a regular artists’ fair. Spirits—and Star Children—can set up stalls to offer art they have already made or to make it right before people. On the spot commissions! It’s a great way to see a wide spread of the art available in Tides, on rare occasions even Jewelia’s own.

Within the artists’ fair is a makers’ square where everyone is invited to join an artist in learning to make some kind of art. It might be painting and wine. Lithography. Embroidery. You name it. Seriously, feel free to put a suggestion in the box of what Star Children would be interested in. The artists leading the space don’t all teach at Jewelia Academy. This could be the only chance to learn from them!

This time it’s making salt water taffy. Spirit Children can learn how to complete the process from start to finish with a bit of an arm workout. If they aren’t interested in or cannot handle the arm workout pulling the taffy, they can help a spirit wherever they’re interested. There is any flavor Spirit Children can imagine to flavor their taffy, even ones only found in their home worlds. Share a little culture!

Star Children may keep up to half of the taffy they make, but the rest will be offered to everyone coming through the makers’ square in the artists’ fair. Perhaps it’ll encourage other Star Children to make their own! Star Children, whether they make taffy or simply take free samples, will find that eating taffy can have an effect on them.

Eating taffy made by Legends will give Star Children color changing eyes that give away their mood, just like Legends. Eating taffy made by Myths will give Star Children horns, claws, or a tail that grows larger when they react more logically and less emotionally. Eating taffy made by Familiars will give Star Children animal features. These effects last from one-six hours.

Eating taffy made by Spirits has no effect at all!

🦊 Star Children can attend an artists’ fair and make salt water taffy.
🦊 Eating salt water taffy made by Star Children will give temporary features of that kind of Star Child.
🦊 Eating salt water taffy made by Spirits has no effect.

Creative Block Castles . ★

Content Warnings: Pocket universe, ~~dungeon~~ castle crawl, forced relocation

One of the many food carts in Tides serves homemade ice cream. The fox spirit serving it promises that it will provide a jolt of inspiration—even to Star Children who cannot eat. Even holding a cone or cup of the ice cream can jolt someone’s imagination, the fox says. It’s free as part of the welcome to Tides, but no one has to accept it, not even to hold. The fox spirit won’t cajole anyone, and Star Children can go along their way.

At least a few hours later, long enough to have forgotten the offer or to get frustrated by the lack of promised inspiration, Star Children fall down down down into a painted, sculpted, sidewalk chalked, or otherwise artistically bent world. They are as artistically made as the rest of the world around them. They match it, as do their one to three companions who arrive with them. They may be friends or strangers. They are compatriots in this strange world.

Whether starting deep in the bowels or high in a tower, this artistic world is that of a castle. A unique castle to each Star Child host. Elements of its design, decor, and mechanisms tie back to a creative endeavor of the host. For the castle is a direct manifestation of whatever project the Star Child host experiences creative block around, whether that’s art or science or anything else. It’s baked into the design. Not only that, the castle is under attack! Dragons or monsters or knights, oh my! Whatever attacks, the very creative idea may crumble if it doesn’t get solved.

Star Children who ate the ice cream will have an easier time shoring up defenses, buying time to think, and even experiencing a breakthrough moment of inspiration. Any companions who ate the ice cream will have an easier time helping the host. Regardless, the only way out is a breakthrough or to see the idea fall to uninspired ruin. Which will it be?

When a group breaks through, they return to Tides with up to four nearly identical dollhouse castles. A miniature doll of one party member will be in each dollhouse. The doll will also have a miniature version of an item from home. Take it from one’s doll, and it becomes lifesize. It may even be a magical item or weapon.

🦊 Star Children will be offered homemade ice cream by a fox spirit.
🦊 Star Children will be transported into an artistic world set within a castle under attack.
🦊 1-3 other Star Children will join the host.
🦊 Escape by breaking through the host’s creative block.
🦊 Star Children whose groups break through will receive a personal item from home. It may even be a magical item or weapon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She's never seen anything like it. Like any of it. She can hear a light humming in the air, but she can't quite put her finger on where it's coming from.

And she watches with rapt attention and widening eyes as Toge points out various items. A little kettle for tea alone, that would've been marvelous while she was still one of Queen Gertrude's ladies. No running back and forth from the kitchen!

"I have no idea what you mean by a 'fridge.' We have nonesuch devices in Denmark. All of this is both wonderous and strange." And she'll need to learn how to cook for herself eventually?

He smiles a little bit and beckons her over to the fridge before opening the door and he stuck his hand in and then made a beckoning motion. She should try it.

"Tuna mayo." He says conversationally, even though he knows she can't understand that yet. The air inside is cold, and the food he has in there makes it obvious he's using it to store food so it doesn't go bad.

It's not a novel invention to him, but it's probably an important one.

Ophelia walks over to the machine with a curious look on her face. This world is full of wonders and she wants to learn as much as possible.

When he opens the door and lets her have a look, she waves her hand inside the device, feeling the chill. It makes her arm have goosebumps. "This...is for food? So I don't have to eat what's been freshly hunted all the time? Does it preserve vegetables as well?"

If so, she thinks on some level, she's going to really like it here. If only her daughter were with her, it could be a paradise!

"Salmon salmon." Toge pulls open a drawer. Most teens might not have fresh vegetables on hand, but he cooks so he needs them.

It preserves for a few days at least, it's not like canning or something. You can get more from various stalls, or just use your spoon to call what you want. Food's not very expensive. You can get ingredients or straight up meals.

He prefers to cook, but not everyone does, surely.

Ophelia comes from a time when vegetables were to be enjoyed while they lasted and pickled for the times when they weren't. Even eggs could be pickled, though she never liked them that way and would be happy to never see them again.

"I could never imagine such a system...though, I suppose for a while I'll be dependent upon meals which have already been prepared, though there are foods I'll miss. I'm not sure they'll be here."

Toge seems to think about that a moment and snaps his fingers before grabbing his relic again.

What's your favourite food to eat?

"My favorite...there are so many, it's hard to choose from them! I think I like roast venison the best, though. Not that I'm likely to have it again anytime soon, I don't have the slightest idea of how to hunt. Father believed it wasn't proper for ladies to do so."

Roast venison. He hadn't had any experience with that, but he could imagine that roasted potatoes and some veggies wouldn't be amiss. Probably something like a red wine sauce, he would think.

"Tuna mayo." Toge set his relic down and held up a finger as if to say, watch this.

He pulled his spoon out of his pocket again and held it out, hovering above the counter. "Umeboshi."

Out of nowhere appears two plates with roast venison in a red wine sauce, roasted potatoes and roasted cauliflower and broccoli. The spoons are pretty magical, as long as you fill them up with interactions.

He would be correct about all of that. As relatively small as Denmark was, its court was well appropriated, even before the idle, luxurious Claudius had stolen his brother's throne.

And Ophelia watches with curiosity, wondering what might happen.

She can safely say it wasn't that!

"Magic," she breathed. "It really is real here, isn't it? I never imagined such things were possible, even Mechtild was bound by what's possible in the natural world."

"Salmon, salmon." Toge agrees and swings around to open a draw to get some utensils and he pushes the plate towards her.

Just say what you want. If it's bigger than that you have to put it in water. That's it. It pays for everything and you make it work by interacting with people.

He might not be the easiest person to learn from, but at least he's happy enough to try.

Ophelia takes the plate gratefully. The fork isn't like the ones she's used to with two tines, but everything else seems similar enough. She takes extra care with her manners as she begins to eat, not realizing how hungry she's been until she's taken a few bites.

"That's unlike anything back home. We're given items for being social? That may be tricky at first, but I'm sure I'll manage," she says, trying to sound more confident than she feels.

As far as she's concerned, Toge is doing an excellent job.

This is not the easiest meal for him to eat, but that's alright. Toge busies himself with pulling out an adaptive cutting board he's gotten and places the venison there, using the adjustments to keep it still so he can use the knife and cut it up. A little awkward, but it's fine. It's going to work. By the time she's had a few bites, he's putting it back on his plate so he can just need a fork.

It feels like it's always something, it's exhausting, but he has company so he's going to save up his frustrations to whine to Yuta about his challenges later.

Toge smiles at her and nods at her question. "Salmon." Now he unzips his collar and his curse marks are on full display, the two round circles by his lips in a mimicry of a snake. When he takes a bite, she can see he has another sigil on his tongue.

She watches how he cuts his meat, uncertain if that was the custom here. There were so many things to get used to or to learn, she felt that she might always be a bit backwards compared to everyone else. But she'd do her best, the same way she'd always tried.

She wonders if Hamlet will ever arrive. She'd heard of the carnage at court just prior to Fortinbras' invasion and mourned, but if magic was real maybe they could magic him back to life.

Ophelia wants to ask about the marks and sigil, but she doesn't want to be rude. It was a change from her youth when she asked questions boldly and without reservations, but her training as a lady of court curtailed that tendency. "May I ask how long you've been here," she asked between bites of food.

It isn't, he's just dealing with the fact cutting his meat with one arm is very difficult, this is just easier for him. Maybe if he was more used to it, but his injury is very very recent, he's doing his best.

He smiles, and if she's watching him he doesn't seem put off by it. Toge tilts his head and seems to think her question over. Instinctively he sets his fork down and makes a gesture, answering the question in sign language, but actually, he remembers that he's not talking to Jedao or Yuta and waves his hand and pulls his relic out again.

It's been eight months.

If she were thinking more clearly instead of her thoughts bouncing from one topic to the other, she'd wonder about the injured arm. If the injury occurred here and if she's likely to incur similar injuries in time.

But she can't help being curious about the hand gestures. That was always her problem in the eyes of others, being far too curious about others and not paying as much attention to her own 'advancement.' Never mind that she was the secret bride of the prince of Denmark and mother of his daughter.

"Eight months?" Her eyes widened. "I'll admit, that's longer than I expected. Are you...content enough here?"

It's a new habit and one he's working on getting into, but it's not likely to help when meeting a new person. It's alright though, he's good with his relic to manage communication.

"Salmon salmon." Toge answers, while putting his hand in front of his mouth and nodding. It's for her own safety that he has to hide behind his hand.

I went home briefly two weeks ago, but I came back. I'm not quite sure what prompted it, but while I was there I didn't remember being here. I came back a mess really.

In time, she'll learn. Ophelia was a clever girl, in the opinions of some too clever for her own good. And she likes Toge very much, making her even more eager to learn.

And she is curious about that, but doesn't feel that it's her place to pry

"Really," she breathes out. "I'm so sorry. That must have been frightening, to come back with all new memories of being, well. A mess."

He offers half a shrug, and his response even in text comes across kind of pithy.

Wasn't just the memory. I left half my blood in Shibuya and half of it out in the courtyard.

Toge doesn't look bothered by the topic however, he's very matter of fact about it. He got injured. Severely. He could've died. But he didn't.

Ophelia's eyes widen with shock and concern. "Oh my God! Are you well? I--you seem well enough. But that sounds terrifying!"

She remembers back to taking Mechtild's potion before faking her own death. Being dug out of her own grave by Horatio, trying to convince Hamlet to escape with her one last time. How would she react if she left, had more memories, then came back?

Badly.

Toge nods at the question and holds up his hand a bit, as though to express that she didn't need to be too alarmed. At least, he's fine now.

My friend healed me. I'd been cut up pretty bad and lost the arm. It's kind of a hazard of my job. I fight for a living so sometimes bad things happen.

At least Yuta was considerate enough to make sure he wasn't hurting, that's more kindness than Shoko would offer him.

She watches with wide, concerned eyes. Then reads what he typed.

"You fight for a living? I...how old are you? Are you a soldier?"

There had been guards and soldiers around what she thinks his age is, but those are still some very severe wounds. The loss of an arm was enough to force a guard to have to take some other duty, he'd be considered too badly wounded.

I'm seventeen now. It's my second year in school so I guess you could say I started at fifteen. I'm a jujutsu sorcerer and fighting curses and other sorcerers hell bent on destruction is kind of the job.

Her questions were fair and he nods a little bit as he types again. It's a severe wound, and for someone like Todo, it's career ending. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who was asked, his weapon is his voice and so him having limbs is not a necessary thing, according to the old men in charge, and likely they are not going to worry or do anything about it.

Fifteen isn't an uncommon age to get one's start as a soldier. In fact, most people around that age were considering marriage and children. Ophelia herself was considered a bit strange in that she had shown no (visible) interest in anyone when she was seventeen.

"I'm sorry. It sounds...terrifying, really. Is that what I'm going to experience here? Things which are terrifying?"

I would say no, but I've been told I might not be the best person to decide that. It's not scary to me, and most of the time it's perfectly fine. Some of the trials can be dangerous, but you don't have to face them alone. You can call on pretty much anyone to help you out, in my experience. I'm always down for a good fight.

He doesn't think she's too likely to get severely injured, and he certainly would do his best to prevent that from happening, as much as one person could. Two, after he looped Yuta in, which he definitely would.

"You would help me when there's nothing I can do for you? That's...very unlike most people I knew back home. But I appreciate it. There are already so many things which seem new or strange." And a small laugh. "Not even including the cats and dogs walking around on their hind legs."

She's never been a wallflower, but her bravery was generally bravery of spirit and convictions. She's never really had to be in a physical fight, even when the soldiers were taunting her she tried to disarm them with her tongue.

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(CW: hunting for food)

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(CW: underage marriage, parenthood)

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(CW: period typical ableism)

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(CW: period typical ableism, societal roles)

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