October & November 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

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.

Comments

[rueforyou]

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.

[cursedwords]

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.

(CW: period typical ableism)

[rueforyou]

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.

(CW: period typical ableism)

[cursedwords]

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.

(CW: period typical ableism, societal roles)

[rueforyou]

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?"

[cursedwords]

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.

[rueforyou]

"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.

1/2

[cursedwords]

"Salmon." Without hesitation, at that. Toge has no reason not to help others and it's part of his job too, looking after those that need protecting. He's pretty serious about that aspect of his job, even with his peers.

At the mention of the animals though, he gets a mischievous glint in his eyes. He stands up easily and shifts-

2/2

[cursedwords]

Where Toge was standing is now a tanuki, albeit one with only three paws, but he sits on his haunches, his tail waving a bit.

He looks very pleased with himself really, even though now he's an animal. It's the benefit of being a familiar.

[rueforyou]

Ophelia gasps in surprise at the transformation. She's never seen this type of animal before, but he's so cute! But, where did Toge go? Is he still here somewhere? Or is he the animal? Impossible...isn't it?

"Toge...is that you? If so, you're adorable!"

[cursedwords]

Unsurprisingly perhaps, Toge can't speak like this either, but that's alright, he waves his tail helpfully to agree.

His ears twitch at the praise. It's much harder to see the sigils under all the fur, so he looks pretty ordinary.

[rueforyou]

She wants to pet him. She really, really, really wants to pet him. But she assumes that would be rude.

"Really, you're so cute like this. Not that you weren't the other way, too, but I've never seen an animal like this before. I would ask what you're called when you're like this, but I'd imagine you'd tell me your name."

[cursedwords]

It would be, and she isn't Yuta, he'd probably shy away from her touch. In an instant he's back in his usual form, just sitting on the floor and he gets up so eh can answer.

Thanks. It's my form. Familiars get to be an animal. I can have ears and a tail like this too, but I've learned to hide it. Magic is pretty cool like that.

[rueforyou]

She has to blink twice to make sure she's seen this correctly: Toge going from an adorable animal to being himself again. She's sure her father or brother would be screaming witchcraft to the rafters, but she's not them. Something she's never been more glad of.

"So...what do the wings and corona make me? I look like an angel, but I'm far from being without sin."

[cursedwords]

I don't think it means the same thing. You're a legend, like I'm a familiar. What these actually mean, no one seems to know exactly. I'm not sure there is an actual definition. Familiars support legends and myths, that's about all I know about the idea...and we've talked about it a lot on the network. No one knows more than that.

Toge lets her read while he takes a few more bites like the hungry teenage boy that he is. It's really good, although he doesn't normally summon his food. He's just been distracted.

[rueforyou]

And when she finishes reading, she's still rather confused. "If no one knows more, may I ask what the point behind these roles are? Other than Familiars giving support to others? What does that support involve," she asked, sounding concerned.

[cursedwords]

Toge shrugs helplessly. He doesn't know what the meaning is and no one seems to. It seems downright arbitrary, except you get some cool powers to go with it.

I've heard you can bond with a legend or a myth but I don't know anyone who has, so I don't know what it entails. I'd do it for an experiment but if I do that without asking Yuta first, he's gonna kill me.

[rueforyou]

Ophelia hums under her breath, also at a loss as to what it could all mean. She's a little alarmed that those who have been here for a while are still at as much of a loss as she is right now and wonders if they'll ever get simple answers.

"Why can't you do it with Yuta? Is he from your world and a familiar as well?"

[cursedwords]

We're both from the same world and Yuta's a myth. We could do it. We haven't talked about it since he arrived. I guess we probably should.

It would give them more information in any case. He'll have to remember to bring it up to Yuta again.

[rueforyou]

"It might not hurt? I don't know if a person can bond to more than one person, but I'd imagine it would be easier with someone you knew from home. Anyone else and it would be quite the leap of faith."

And she's not sure she's capable of such a thing. Should she ever find anyone she'd want to bond with and she's quite uncertain of that.

[cursedwords]

Hard to say. I guess it would be. I'm not really afraid of it, but I just don't know what it does yet.

No one forces anyone to engage, although there was the pairing app, but again it didn't force anything. Ophelia will get to make her own choices, that Toge is sure of.

As he finishes eating, he just rests his chin on his hand, letting her mull.

[rueforyou]

"I can understand your hesitancy, then. Not knowing what will happen until something is done isn't a very good basis for trust."

She's mostly interested in the plethora of schools on offer. She wants to learn as much as she can as quickly as she can so that things like electricity won't be as much of a surprise. A pleasant one, but still a surprise.

"I think I've decided where I want to live. A treehouse sounds like something out of a dream, but I suppose this place can make dreams reality."

[cursedwords]

Sometimes definitely. So to get there from here, you hop on the train, like we came here, but you're getting off at Elder Mother Station. From there, you should be able to head out to Leshy. Just find an unoccupied treehouse and make it your own.

At the very least, Toge can give her directions, which of course is probably a good thing.

[rueforyou]

Ophelia grins broadly. "It all sounds so exciting! I've never had a place which was purely my own before. And when the weather is nicer, maybe I'll try to garden. I've never done it before, but I love flowers, trees, all sorts of growing things. But, where do you live?"

A very good thing. The train was very strange, much faster than a carriage ride. She'd been glued to the window, watching the scenery go by.

[cursedwords]

This place is called Satori Hills.

Toge explains, waving his hand a bit.

Mostly apartments like this, around here there's all kinds of food carts though, out in the courtyard, so it's the place to come visit if you want to try a bunch of different food.