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Entry tags:
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 ]
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.
All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.
🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.
and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.
🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.
Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.
Content Warnings: 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.
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.
🦊 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.
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 freereal 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.
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
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.
🦊 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.
no subject
Without an accurate nav reference to guide us we couldn't do a hyperspace jump, and without that we wouldn't be getting anywhere fast. Even a Jedi couldn't fly blind like that, and I doubt there's many outposts out this way.
[ As much as he doesn't like admitting that he can't hotshot his way out of this situation that's exactly where he's at now. Whatever mystical way they were all brought here that seems like the only option back out. For now. He's aware that he might have to play the long game here, and just hope that things aren't going downhill fast without him. If he hadn't met Finn he'd be more worried about that, but Finn's genuinely been through so much without anyone back in their galaxy being any the wiser, so maybe it's fine.
The idea of not being needed there at all...that's not one that he's faced head on yet.
By comparison that whole mutiny thing is easier. He's mulling that over as Steven makes him chuckle. This specific predicament could absolutely be a whole hell of a lot worse, they don't seem to be under threat from anything except boredom and that's a lot less likely with a man who's both friendly and fascinating. There are obviously a lot of questions he wants to ask, but they should focus on getting out of here. ]
Fire away. Mine might take some explaining.
no subject
[Steven doesn't enjoy lacking hope but he used to be much more stubborn about finding a way out, up until recently. It isn't that he thinks it's impossible but he's come to accept that the way around returning home is seemingly random, or at least at the whims of Thirteen and whatever she accepts as their personal growth, and to Steven that seems very arbitrary.
He sighs quietly again as he mulls over his reason for being here, and even though that moment when he kissed Layla feels like a lifetime ago, apparently it's something Thirteen is still clinging onto. What does that mean?]
Before coming here I may have... kissed... my sister in law. [He wrinkles his nose, knowing how bad that sounds.] Although, to be fair, she tried to kiss me first, and we were in a very dangerous situation - our lives were on the line! Of sorts...
[His face is getting a little heated because he doesn't know how to explain the reality, least of all to a stranger. He can't just blurt out the fact that he shared a body with her husband.]
Anyway, I realize in retrospect that wasn't my most brilliant idea, though it felt brilliant at the time. I swear I'm not a homewrecker.
no subject
So magic. Like the Jedi stuff, except even more mystical and seemingly obscure to him. Great.
That's something to brood on later. A brief, colorful gleam flashes through his eyes but fades just as quickly as his attention is drawn away from it by Steven's deliberation over how to explain his own reason for being dropped in here, and while he's trying to be serious about it the way that the man drags himself through the explanation alone is enough to tug at the corner of his mouth. He's so flustered, and once he's gotten through the crux of the issue Poe understands why, it's honestly fair not to want to blurt that out, he just can't help but think that he'd take that 'crime' over his own predicament in a heartbeat.
Then again he doesn't have any siblings, so he might be missing some critical perspective there, though at least he has some insight on the whole thing, which has the smile returning as he waves a hand, reassuring. ]
Things like that can happen, right? You get caught up in a moment and go with it. I've been there. I don't have a brother, or a sister for that matter, but I've gotten into some compromising situations before. On accident. Post-battle celebrations can get a little... enthusiastic? You know? [ Does he wink? Yes, he does. ] But hey, she was into it. Have you've worked that out with him since then?
no subject
He keeps all of that inside too though and instead focuses on the specific example at hand, flashing Poe a sheepish smile, especially at that cheeky wink. He can tell Poe is trying to relate or at least make him feel a bit better.]
What if it was a pre-battle celebration? Not even. More of a... pre-pre-battle. [Steven chuckles.] I suppose we have. It's not like we've talked about it directly or anything because he isn't much of a talker to begin with, but we've both... grown and changed a lot since then. She's here too, actually, and they're working on their marriage and all which is for the best, and I'm just-
[He cuts himself off, fiddling with one edge of the paper nervously, eyes flitting down to it instead of the man sitting across from him.]
I'm happy for them. I'd be lying if I said I'd completely moved on but she's more of a friend, anyway - was never "mine" or anything to begin with. Not that I'd consider her Marc's either, of course she's her own person, but you know what I mean. [Another nervous laugh.] Or maybe you don't.
[Somehow, admitting his complicated feelings to a stranger is a lot easier than saying it to a friend, or Marc, or Layla herself (even though she also knows). After a few beats he lets out a long sigh, shoulders relaxing as he makes eye contact with Poe again.] What about yours, then? It can't be more embarrassing than pouring bits of your heart out to a stranger, yeah?
no subject
But there's a part to this that he does understand, and it sobers his smile just a fraction — and, unknown to him, if that wasn't obvious then the flicker of iridescent color to his eyes would probably imply some deeper feelings stirring, if just for a moment. Even assuming that Steven was curious enough to ask, explaining his own last sort-of-serious situation would require a lot of explaining.
"Moving on" was never a Poe Dameron specialty. ]
I think I do. You can't just turn off those feelings that you had, but it sounds like it's not holding either of you back. That's good.
[ Which means it's his turn now. He sighs too, lips pressing together as he considers how to broach this one. There's a lot of context that will be missing from this too, he's just going to have to do his best. ]
Mine just says 'mutiny.' Which sounds bad, I know, but we were in a really bad situation and we didn't have a lot of options. Or any options. At the time I thought we only had one way out that wouldn't get our entire crew killed, so... I briefly commandeered the whole fleet to make it happen.
no subject
Does that mean he's going to be stuck in this annoying detention forever?]
I'm glad it isn't, yeah. She's my best mate nowadays, you know? Other than - Other than Marc, of course. It's different. [He fiddles with his paper more, crumpling one corner between his fingers out of nervous fidgeting, but then he's happy to focus on what Poe explains more, his eyes widening at the explanation. Yes, that sounds far more serious.]
It seems like you had a good motivation behind doing so. Did it... work? For the best, I mean. Did it help?
no subject
He exhales a breath that's almost a laugh, despite the fact that it's not actually funny at all. At least he's had some time to go over all this, and more time after that to realize that dwelling on it wasn't going to do him much good. He probably would have anyway if he hadn't been preoccupied with much more current threats that kept his attention. He didn't need to dwell on the past when he had plenty to brood over in the present. ]
That depends on your point of view. The immediate aftermath? It was bad. It was going to be bad either way, but that plan didn't work out the way we wanted it to at all. We've had... a lot of losses. [ It's clear from his tone that he takes those personally, a lot more than he used to. ] That's what happens when you fight a war against a military that's ten times the size of what you've got, obviously. These days we're hanging by a thread and hoping that we'll get backup in time.
[ He smiles, apologetic this time. He almost wishes he could lie and say something less... dire? But that would definitely defeat the whole point of this exercise. ]
But hey, I knew what I was getting myself into with all this.
[ Kind of. He knew enough. ]
no subject
It sounds like you made the tough call. At times it's... probably necessary, but it can't have been easy on you. [His expression softens with empathy, wondering what kind of toll such decisions weight down a person. He can only imagine.]
You don't regret it then?
no subject
Then again, since when has he actually opened up to anyone about the fact that it is hard? Juggling all this, taking on that responsibility, trying to keep things going when their situation is bleak, it just... feels selfish to complain. So being offered sympathy makes him smile even though his air of confidence seems to take a slightly awkward hit.
But it's nice of him, which isn't surprising since it lines up with that first impression he had from Steven. ]
I don't. [ He eventually decides, after mulling it over. ] If I could do it over I would do things differently, but I did what I thought was right, that's the best we can expect out of anyone, right?
[ Hopefully this is enough penitence for the Kuma Lisa lady, if not they'll just have to think of something else, won't they? It does make him chuckle though, despite all that, considering what's been said. ]
Maybe we're bad at this.
no subject
Retrospect is always sweeter, innit? [His smile softens and then he's nodding in agreement.] Your intentions were good and you couldn't have known how things would eventually be. You took a risk.
[Sometimes those are needed.
The last comment pulls a laugh out of Steven though who leans forward against the desk, leaning his face into one hand as he sighs out heavily.]
Or we're intelligent people who have learned to embrace ourselves as we are, flaws and all. We can note the bad of our decisions while also still defending them.
no subject
Yeah. Standing around and doing nothing is what got us into this mess in the first place. Sometimes you just gotta take a leap of faith and hope for the best.
[ Hope is their big tenet, now more than ever, and no matter how cynical he might be feeling about their odds after a bad day he does, honestly, refuse to accept the situation as impossible, whatever that says about him. He wouldn't be able to look his people in the eye these days otherwise, they've all sacrificed just as much as he has, if not a whole lot more.
He glances over at the clock, curious, and it does seem like time is passing which... is a good sign? ]
Have you been here before? In this library, I mean.
no subject
At Poe's question though Steven looks around and nods, sighing out through his nose.]
Oh yes, pretty much every day. You'd think I'm part of the staff at this rate. [He smirks some, gesturing to an area near the back with smaller, one-person tables.] I've got a nice setup back there somewhere. The spirits have learned to leave me be but they're all nice... when I'm not asking too many questions, that is. I've gotten the silent treatment more times than I can count. I'm afraid I'm a bit too nosy for their liking.
no subject
The Relic has been helpful, but not nearly as extensive as he would have liked, plus it's hard to know what he's looking for when vague prodding seems to come up with a notable lack of answers. It makes sense, given the whole emphasis on being social. Well, he can do that too. ]
Well, we're stuck in here for a while anyway, maybe you could show me some of the more interesting things you've found in here? We're not chained to this table, are we?
[ Not literally, obviously. And she didn't say what they had to do before or after their personal reflection, so... ]
no subject
Yes, of course! There's lots of books from other worlds here and even a handful about Thirteen, though the information is limited. Still interesting if you ever want to read though...
[And then Steven is standing eagerly, completely ignoring this apparent self improvement task that was set upon them to give Poe a tour of the library instead. Steven is clearly passionate about it, or at least very enthusiastic as he points out some of his favorites along the way.]