Entry tags:

*tdm

December 2023 & January 2024 Test Drive Meme

December 2023 - January 2024 TDM

Introduction

Overflow TDM post found here

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full Navigation ]
This Test Drive meme is open to all.
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.

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]

Thirteen Knows What You Did Last Summer . ★

Content Warnings: School Detention, Time Not Passing, Forced Reflection/Confession, Potential Violence

Welcome to detention. Star Children, whether they're new arrivals to Folkmore or old hands, find themselves sitting at two person desks in a library. Perhaps there's only two Star Children, perhaps up to four or five. Regardless, each Star Child has a slip of paper in their hands which spells out why they are in detention, a secret detention slip no one else can read. Which, whew, because the reason any Star Child is in detention is for something they've never been punished for, something they might reasonably have thought they got away with, something they know was wrong.

The door to the library opens, and Kuma Lisa enters. She explains that Star Children will be in detention for four hours, and by the end of detention, they will need to reflect on what they did and express contrition. The headmistress gives no further guidance before leaving and closing the doors behind her.

Four hours is a notable chunk of time, but it's not so long, is it? Surely it's possible to wait it out without making good on the assignment… Or perhaps it's enough to write about it in one of the notebooks on the table in front of each student, without explaining it to another soul. Star Children are welcome to try whatever they want. However, they may notice an oddity with the clock. Namely, no matter how many times the second hand ticks around a circle to mark a whole minute, the minute and hour hands don't progress. It's the same minute over and over and over—

Detention is four hours, but how long four hours takes is entirely up to the Star Children in detention. Read every book in the library. Throw a dance party. Get high. Pull weapons out of the books. All matter of non-magical weapons. Nothing immediately happens upon pulling those weapons—no monsters to make detention less boring. Unless people make progress reflecting on their transgression, communicating about it with another Star Child, and showing penitence for it, time won't pass. Reality warps to stay in the same minute, minute after minute, hour after hour.

What's it going to be? Never ending detention or personal accountability?

However long it takes, it only takes four hours in the realm of Folkmore.

A word of warning to those who grabbed weapons, they will be attacked on their way home after detention. They will be attacked by creatures out of storybooks. Star Children will need to know the literary weaknesses of these creatures, good luck, or the help of someone else coming along who does know their weaknesses. At least there's some excitement in the day after four long long hours.

🦊 Star Children, new and old, in groups of 2-5 are in detention for something they did wrong & haven't been punished for.
🦊 Kuma Lisa explains detention lasts four hours, and people have to express regret for what they did by the end.
🦊 Time doesn't pass unless Star Children make progress toward that assignment.
🦊 It always takes four hours in Folkmore time.
🦊 Star Children who draw weapons from books during detention will be attacked on their way home.

To Prank or to be Pranked . ★

Content Warnings: Theft, Glitter Bombs, Minor Power Nerfing

There's a problem with the nonexistent mail delivery system in Folkmore. Gifts are being delivered to residents' addresses—their correct addresses, even if they live in the woods—but those recipients, written on a fat cream label, cannot pick them up, teleport them, or otherwise move them under their own power. These gifts sit in garish and contrasting colors that make certain to draw attention to themselves. Hello, here they are.

Anyone else can pick these packages up, from the person next door to a stranger walking by. There's so many gifts around it's easy to pick one up, remove the label, and go on one's way. Few people are home all the time, and even if they are, what are they going to do? Pick it up themselves? Ha! It's free ~~real estate~~. Star Children with abilities to see inside the packages can see something they want badly within as extra motivation to go for it.

When Star Children open their ill gotten gains, these packages explode in a glitter bomb that coats everyone within a ten foot radius. This glitter is impossible to wash out, magic away, or otherwise remove for twenty-four hours. Walk, swim, fly, or otherwise go about with glittery evidence of the crime committed.

Almost always. If it were guaranteed, where would the fun be in that?

The rare fortunate criminal or the original recipient, helped by another Star Child, will receive an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item. Those who receive an item will stop receiving gifts on their doorstep, whether they stole the gift or received it from a package addressed to them. They can keep stealing other people's gifts, but they will only receive a glitter bomb from then on.

Mischievous Star Children can even prank each other by changing the label and redelivering packages to someone else. Should that person get help to bring the gift inside, it still isn't their gift, not really, so it too will explode in glitter.

🦊 Gifts appear outside Star Children's residences, even those without residences.
🦊 Recipients cannot pick up the gift but any other Star Child can.
🦊 Almost all stolen gifts explode in a glitter bomb that leaves glitter for 24 hours.
🦊 Star Children can receive an item from home, even a weapon or magical item.
🦊 Star Children can prank each other by changing the labels/moving the packages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Toge is not a great student. He passes, but his foundational knowledge is weak at best and that has to do with not having learned it. He struggles, but he hangs in there. The opportunity to avoid homework? All the better.

He doesn't know if such a thing would be taught in school, it seems kind of niche doesn't it? Although, outside of Jedao, he's spoken to another girl who uses it.

Jedao teaches me, mostly by talking to me and then I copy him. Yuta copies me. It's very unstructured, but his vocabulary is getting better and better.

I can't think of anyone, but I know some people must have fake limbs, Matthew mentioned something like that. I upgraded some stuff in my kitchen so I could keep cooking. Toge smiles at that, he's proud of that, and it's good training. He's just more tired than he used to be.

Mild disappointment gets tempered by the fact it's childish behavior to avoid school when it's not compulsory. Inumaki is acting like a child in a way he has previously not been permitted. Whatever his education before Jujutsu Tech, Nanami is sure it was his clan's choice, not his.

If Okkatsu is not imposing upon this teacher, perhaps Nanami best not either. It's an inefficient method of learning a language, but it is the one children use when first acquiring language. The early development stage preventing them all from remembering years without language skills, understanding or speaking. "I would like to copy you as well," Nanami says, "if you do not mind."

Prosthetics do provide some measure of functionality to return, but so far as Nanami is aware, they do not entirely make up for the injury that was done. Even with what they can do, they take adjustment to. "Good work with your kitchen. It may be worthwhile to figure out who those people are."

"Tuna mayo." Toge responds all too cheerfully, he doesn't mind at all, although he's holding his relic at the moment to communicate. It's easier to do when he can set it down somewhere, and eventually they don't need it half as much. That's what's happened with Jedao and Yuta to different degrees. It's incredibly liberating to have more ways to express himself - he knows the people who should've taken care of this don't care what he has to say, but that's not universal.

Maybe. I usually cook dinner, Yuta's been helping me. It's not all bad, he gets to eat it so. I think he'd be hopeless without me! An amusing flare of teenage dramatics, Toge isn't immune to them, it's just that people don't usually know that about him.

You must've just come here. I can take you around if you want, Nanami-san, and feed you. I do that a lot.

An affirmative. While Nanami may not understand Inumaki as his peers do, he knows that much. They are, however, standing in a forest with a shovel apiece. It's not exactly conducive to signing. Also given the wolf attack, the location isn't the safest. His senses have remained tuned, but Nanami knows better than to mistake a moment of calm for safety.

"I'll take your word for it," Nanami deadpans about Okkatsu's uselessness. It's hard to consider any special grade sorcerer hopeless, but Nanami wouldn't want to rely on Gojo for dinner unless the alternative was certain death. He's only really seen Inumaki on missions. Nanami generally minimizes his time with students because the point is to avoid the need to have them in the field in the first place.

They have been stuck in one location for this conversation due to the need to use text to communicate. "I appreciate it, Inumaki," Nanami says, "Please do." He motions for the kid to take the lead.

Toge's certain that Yuta would've enjoyed a lot more of the fine cuisine outside of his apartment if he wasn't feeding him and he'd survive, but he didn't think Yuta would take up cooking. He couldn't be talented at everything, after all.

He nods and puts his relic back in his pocket so he can hoist his shovel up onto his shoulder. That way he could balance it on his arm and he could use his hand for pointing things out.

It was a bit of a win-win that way. He was a bit far from his apartment, but they weren't far from one of the many dining options, and Toge certainly had enough spoons to get them a meal, so he started to walk back towards town.

"Mentaiko." Toge answers, he doesn't really mind. This place is neat, there's a lot to see, it's very different and he's been there awhile.

Nanami made enough money when he was alive to pay for many of his needs to be completed by others. As a corporate man, he always felt their work was more important than anything he did. As a jujutsu sorcerer, he still values the baker who bakes his bread, the butcher who prepares the meat, the distillery that makes his drinks, but as terrible of work as it is, his work helps other people. He may never see the effects himself, but he can know he made a difference. Did something worthwhile. Nanami was still compensated well enough to have many things taken care of and focus his efforts on his work.

Folkmore will be different, at least to an extent. If these types of wolf attacks are common, he will do his part. If they are not, he will determine ways to pass his time productively. Adult-teenager interactions are part of growing up. Nanami hasn't been Inumaki's mentor, but perhaps he can take on that role in Folkmore. If the kid will let him.

He pays attention to the area around them for both threats and the promised tour.

It's harder to hold a conversation with him while moving, but not impossible, if one can read and walk. Toge can certainly type and walk. Can't all teenagers these days? But Toge didn't seem to feel the need to push for conversation. He was as comfortable as anyone could be in silence, but that was very normal for him.

As they got further into the town area, Toge pointed. "Tuna tuna."

He was pointing at the train station, as it was the primary way to get around Folkmore.

Their situation lacks urgency, so Nanami too is fine with silence. Despite detention, he appreciates the time to get used to... everything. The whole world is something different.

His mouth quirks at the train station. Toge's association seems to be positive, but Nanami cannot claim any feeling of urgency to use it at the moment. Flashes of memory come to mind, but that has nothing to do with this train station. He definitely needs to improve at protecting his soul, so that he can do it when injured as well as at good health.

"I'll remember where the train station is. Thank you, Inumaki," Nanami says politely.

"Salmon." Toge answers brightly enough and he continues moving. The shops are worth looking at, but he picks his favourite cafe and and stops, tilting his head at the door.

"Tuna mayo?" Is this place alright with him?

He will likely need to get over that aversion to the train station, but they don't need to take the train that moment. Inumaki is one of the reasons Nanami came back. He'll face train stations for that. Thankfully, after something to eat. He's not sure how long four hours was in detention. It felt longer.

"Yes, this is good. I haven't eaten in some time." Nanami cannot seem to escape his reflections at the moment, but that's not Inumaki's fault. The trip here and detention both brought them back in full force. He opts not to inquire whether the cafe sells alcohol. If it doesn't or only low quality stuff, Nanami can wait.

Toge was taking the train long before Shibuya and honestly, faced with taking the Japanese subway? He might find himself a mess. The train here doesn't seem like that, so for the moment it doesn't bother him. No more than anything else, anyway.

It seems like knowing where to get drinks is something Toge might know around here, being unsupervised, but he actually doesn't drink much. Toge gets the door for them and gestures at the menu.

"Tuna mayo."

Order whatever you want, I've got my spoon.

Nanami picks up the menu and checks it out from start to finish, no immediately turning to the drinks section to see whether or not the place serves alcohol. It's not a good example to set for Inumaki. Besides, it would feel wrong to have a teenager buy him a drink.

"Thank you, Inumaki," Nanami says. In Japan, he has—or has access to—far more money than Inumaki, but while he too has his spoon, he doubts he's earned much Lore. He's already bought a shovel. Strange to be poor, but it's something his grandfather said. You don't take your money with you when you die.

A sandwich, soup, and tea ordered later, Nanami looks at the student, who paid a price at least similar to the old man. Nanami couldn't find him or Maki (she hates being called Zenin) after the second special grade. He makes polite conversation instead of asking. "What do you think of this place?"

Menus were easy enough because Toge could just point to what he wanted, and what he wanted was a huge sandwich full of meat. It wasn't the most healthy thing he could have but he was a teenager. It was fine.

"Salmon." His agreement sounded a bit like 'don't worry about it'. Toge happens to have no trouble earning lore. The question has him surprised, but he uses his relic.

This place is pretty good. Mostly peaceful. No curses or cursed energy. That's what makes it so easy to find you guys. Gojo's here, but he's young which is totally crazy I don't know how that works, but Yuta's here too and he knew what was going to happen to me before I did. So. Guess the fox is powerful.

There's some trials, but they're not the same as our missions so it's really relaxed.

Nanami reads Inumaki's relic but again doesn't comment on Gojo being 'young.' It's quite possible Nanami could have arrived looking like his teenage self without being that age. While he would be open about it, he wouldn't be surprised if Gojo decided to pull one over the students. Might as well have some fun. It beats admitting he's dead. Yet either way it is, as Inumaki puts it, 'totally crazy.' Because Inumaki has shown no inclination that he knows Nanami dies. Then again, he might choose not to. Plus, what he writes about Okkatsu. If Okkatsu is from farther along, that's something.

"The fox seems to have powers over time," Nanami says. "I was in a trial before we met where she changed the way time flowed. That kind of power is something beyond the normal range of special grade." Altering the flow of time would allow her to counter any ability, even Gojo's.

"The trials," he focuses on that, "How dangerous are they? I've been in one, but I cannot trust it to be representative." One is too small a number. He trusts Inumaki to be honest about it. The kid is used to danger and doesn't think much of it. Unfortunately.

It's entirely possible that Gojo is pulling his leg, but having spoken to him a couple of times? Toge doesn't think so. He does know Nanami dies. Yuta told him. He wasn't there for the conclusion and the reports about Shibuya, but Yuta's heard them. He didn't think there was any reason to keep them from Toge.

It's sad, but unfortunately that is part of the life. Toge's probably too numb to it, frankly, but he doesn't want to go down that rabbit hole. He's planning on ignoring the consequences of Shibuya for as long as he can.

In response to the question, Toge waves his hand back and forth. So so.

There hasn't been a creature that's a curse, so we're talking grade 4-3 level, but that's deceptive. What we're usually facing is just something completely different. Powerful, but not a curse. Techniques have been effective.

Some trials have been introspective instead of battling creatures of some type. Those are uncomfortable, not dangerous. Sometimes things are just suspicious and there is no trial. When Tides appeared, it was like that. There was no trial, but we were all invited to check it out. Nice place. There's an adult club there with jellyfish dancers.

Because that was obviously the most important thing he learned there.

Powerful but not a curse. Nanami wonders how much of that might exist in the world outside Japan, the world that doesn't have to deal with curses nearly as much. If not that world, any of the others people seem to come from here. It's certainly different. He won't assume it's less dangerous. That would be a mistake. Anything can get people killed.

"The trial I was in was introspective," Nanami comments. "There was no danger beyond boredom or whatever antics anyone got up to trying to avoid the trial." Pointless, really. So long as directions given are not a lie, it's easier simply to follow them.

He does not bother to ask why Inumaki went to an adult club. He's a teenager, and that sort of behavior is to be expected. Nanami doesn't condone it, but it's healthier for him, probably, than many missions. "Do places appearing suddenly happen often?" Nanami asks. He'll figure out the minor details he doesn't follow later. They aren't worth Inumaki's time.

"Salmon." Toge agrees, he's familiar with those and he waves his hand a bit and holds up one finger. Then he starts typing.

There was one where we were living alternate lives. I experienced three different scenarios. There was one where I was focused on gymnastics and into sports and I was using sign language. Not the same I'm using now but some kind anyway.

The second I was running around, making graffiti and general mischief. That one I had a voice, so it was kinda the weirdest one.

In another I had a new family member, someone I know from here. He came to see me back when I was still living within the clan compound and he was my kindest family member. My uncle. Even though the trial has ended, I still have those feelings of affection for him. He feels the same way. We are closer that way. That might be a strange thing to consider. You could form attachments to people synthetically that carry over.

Well not really. I always liked Jedao, he's great. But now he treats me like family and he got a good look at what the Inumaki clan is like. It's not great and he's not willing to expand on that.

As to your question, no, I don't think so. That was the first time a place like that showed up since I was here.

Inumaki types a great deal. In return, Nanami takes the time to read it all and a few more moments to process each paragraph. Alternate lives. It's so tempting to imagine a life where Haibara lives, where they get to— Nanami stops himself. That's not possible, and this is not the time or place. He's chosen to look forward instead of backward for once. His attention should be on Inumaki and Folkmore, this place he now resides in to do better than his final moments.

The first two alternate lives sound far healthier for Inumaki. Nanami hopes that time and the memories of them give Inumaki something he lacks from growing up in the world of jujutsu sorcery, something none of the kids from the clan get. Not even Gojo. The last one, however, pulls at Nanami's heart the most. A life mostly like the one Inumaki has lived but with a family member, an adult, looking out for him from before Gojo started doing so. That's... huge. It can be a huge help to Inumaki. It makes Nanami look kinder toward Thirteen. Those are ways of helping Inumaki that Nanami didn't think was possible.

"That is remarkable," Nanami says. An understatement. "I doubt I have fully realized on the extent of what Thirteen can do, what can happen to us here." As ominous as that could be, it doesn't feel ominous from these examples. Thirteen could easily create horrors and terrors beyond his imagination, but instead it's... this.

"I am glad you have found a strong, healthy connection with someone here, someone who supports you. I am not your family, not even your teacher, but I am here if you need anything," Nanami says. Whether Inumaki accepts or not, Nanami will look out for him.

"Salmon." Toge agrees with a nod. It was definitely remarkable and she's very powerful, he can agree with that. It's probably the healthiest thing that Toge has ever encountered in his life, short though it is. Yet, he's not a small child, he doesn't feel like he needs something like that. It's a little concerning to discover that he does. It's like being torn between two extremes, but ultimately, he's decided to lean into it. Jedao doesn't mind and he...well it makes him happy.

I have met many people here, that I like. I think they underestimate me, or don't actually understand cursed speech, but that's alright. Sometimes people leave, too. I'm not in that much of a rush to go back, even if it's my duty.

Thank you. I'm not going to turn down having someone in my corner.

He doesn't know what that looks like to Nanami, but he can't imagine it's the same as Jedao. His acceptance is more of an allyship than a fully formed connection, but perhaps in time that will change. It's a shame they didn't know each other well, or that Shibuya didn't happen like it did...

Then again, being too close would likely have watchful eyes turned upon them back then. The Elders were such a pain.

Nanami doubts Inumaki has had to make full use of his cursed speech here in Folkmore, so it's natural that many people would underestimate it. Only a cruel person would go about forcing people to do things against their will for kicks. It also would have seen Inumaki killed back home. No, the teenager is well trained and self-aware of the way things can turn against a cursed speech user, no matter how good. There are also two special grade sorcerers here and whoever else.

"People must have all kinds of misconceptions about each other's abilities here, leading to both underestimating and overestimating people. However, I do not believe you are under any obligation to rush back. Thirteen's control of time shows, should she will it, she can return you to the moment you left. Your time here, then, would be extra time. The longer you stay the better. It's a rare advantage to have," Nanami encourages Inumaki. He hates the idea of the kid having to go back, but given what little he knows, the world may very well depend on it. On all of them.

Their food arrives. Nanami thanks their waiter and looks back at Inumaki. No one took issue with his mentorship of Takuma, but Takuma isn't nearly so controversial a sorcerer. It's not Inumaki's fault, and the Elders take full advantage of his abilities. He's glad for this chance. "You're welcome. I'm glad to be there."

Despite what people think of him, Toge has never been overtly cruel. He's been pragmatic, and done what had to be done, but not cruel. He's never really wanted control over other people, he just has it. He's very very careful. He always has been since anyone at school met him. Careful. Deliberate. He chooses his words carefully.

He's had to use them, but it's true, he hasn't snapped his vocal cords anytime recently. He has no desire to harm himself unnecessarily, although he's not worried about Gojo or Yuta. He thinks they'd be on his side because they are. If he was cruel, they probably wouldn't hesitate to stop him.

It is extra time, I'll agree with you there. I'm not sure if it's better or not, but it's different. It's not like I know a lot of people at home since I am kind of tied to the jujutsu world so that's all I know.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm enjoying the lack of adult supervision. You should see the massive sushi platter Yuta and I ate.

It's a very silly dream, but it's their way of having fun. Toge's too wary of mind altering substances to take that step in a situation where he could lose control with someone who can't handle it.

He responds with a smile and lowers his mask so he can start eating.

The jujutsu world being all Inumaki knows only make the time he spends in Folkmore better for him. It makes Nanami wish he has years and years so that he fully knows what life can be like away from the stifling threat of violence and deadly mission after deadly mission. They should all know what else is out there and decide for themselves what kind of life they want. They deserve the time to do so. The freedom.

"This place obviously isn't like home, the jujutsu or non-jujutsu societies," Nanami says. "It's still worth exploring what life's like without missions." Or threats of executions. Or the Elders always watching everything he does. No adult supervision indeed.

"Do you have a photograph? I hope it was quality sushi, not the cheap stuff." Standards. But most teenagers don't have those when it comes to eating enormous amounts of food.

"Salmon, salmon." Toge says agreeably, in an excited tone and flips through his relic. He definitely does.

He finds it, and Yuta flashing a little victory sign before they dig in and he turns the relic around so Nanami can look at it. Perhaps surprisingly, the sushi does look very high quality and intricate. The colouring is perfect, and some of the fish is the expensive kind.

When it comes to food, Toge doesn't mess around. He knows his stuff.

It's a really different place and I like it. I don't know what that says about me, I know I have responsibilities to uphold.

First, Nanami looks at the fish and the sushi as a whole. He almost whistles. It's far better than he expected of two teenagers. That makes him glance at Inumaki in a whole new way. The kid communicates with rice ball ingredients, something Nanami thinks was likely chosen early in his life and because they're his favorite food. That hardly promises food more broadly as something Inumaki cares about. What kid doesn't have a favorite food? To see sushi of this quality, even if it were eaten in one night, Nanami cannot judge. It's that good.

"That sushi looks of high caliber," Nanami says, "Did you purchase it here from a shop or directly with Lore?" If there's a place that offers sushi that good, that is important information. For his interests.

Okkatsu too looks happy and relatively free of care. Exactly the kind of life Nanami hopes they're both having in Folkmore. That's good. He meets Inumaki's eye after the kid expresses, what, guilt over enjoying life without fighting and death? Jujutsu has really gotten into his head and messed him up.

"It says you're a person, Inumaki. You're interested in more than fighting cursed spirits," Nanami says, "You're hardly alone. Meimei travels the world. Gojo enjoys having fun. Even Principal Gakuganji is into rock music to an incredible degree. You shouldn't feel guilty for that. You're perfectly in line with other sorcerers." And nonsorcerers. There's more to the world than jujutsu.

We were too lazy to go out, so just Lore, but there are restaurants all over the place. They're all really good.

Toge considers Nanami's words and avoids eye contact for a moment, and more than that he avoids a verbal response. He looks tired all of a sudden, like he's under an intense amount of pressure.

That's not going to be my future. They're lucky though.

He finally types out for him his answer. Toge knows what his position is. The Elders wouldn't dare let him travel the world. They want him where they can see him. To watch over him and to make sure he doesn't make the same mistake his ancestor did.

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