May 2022 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

MAY 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

[ 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. You can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Each TDM will provide a scenario for how characters arrive in-game that particular month.

Playing 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 allowed to have in-game characters react to TDMs via the Network or make a log with the prompts. Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

A PLACE IN THIS WORLD

Content Warnings: Possible insanity via cuts by thorns. Temporary nullification of abilities.

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

The world comes into focus in one sharp, overwhelming rush. You are laying on the ground surrounded by staggering walls of flowers of all types and colors. Their sweet scent fills the air and the sky above is clear, blue, beautiful, and endless. It would be easy to be lulled into a quiet nap in such a peaceful place. You can even hear a soft, disembodied voice singing songs from some unknown place all around you. After some time, this siren song creates an intense yearning that will eventually bring you to your feet and pull you forward. You are filled with the urge to find someone important. You may know who or you might just have some aimless, faceless person at the forefront of your mind.

All you know is that when you finally find them, you'll know. Is it love? Is it a friend you have always needed? The perfect enemy? Only time will tell, but for now, you must find them. The flower maze is dense and for now, it doesn't seem like flying out and above them is an option. If you try, you just wind up vaulted back into the maze. Nope! This trial is about using other means of exploration. Maybe you can destroy the flowers, but you will find that this flower field is apparently endless. If you get cut by thorns along the way, you will become increasingly hectic about finding this mystery person. Some have been thrown into insane desperation just looking for their People among the flowers.

But once you finally find them, you're both filled with relief and the flowers around you blossom wider. You can then treat the flower maze like a solvable puzzle and get your way out of it. However, some people spend a bit more time in the maze since once you do find your person or people, you will be stricken with the urge to talk to them, to "open up" about your yearning to find them...even if you've never met them before!

OUT OF THE WOODS

Just outside of the flower maze is a little festival set up just on the edge of Willow and partway into Epiphany! Little stalls of food and drinks have been set up - and we mean little! The good folk who set up these stalls are magical cats standing upright and wearing clothes like little people! All the stalls are cat-sized and so are the dishes and food - which means most of the people walking through will likely be quite a bit bigger! That's okay, the cat folk seem happy to serve you bigger or multiple helpings of their yummy soups and bread. None of them seem able to really communicate with the new arrivals, but that's okay, their cute meows are fun to listen to anyway.

The music is a bit more pronounced here and a handful of cat couples are dancing around. Don't be surprised if they encourage you to join in the dancing! Maybe you didn't actually find someone in the flower maze - if not, the cat folk will encourage you to dance with another new arrival to get to know them! Because apparently dancing with someone you don't know is a good formal introduction? Ah well. Sometimes it's just the idea that counts.

There will also be some supplies to help patch people up who have gotten a lot of cuts from the flower maze. Some of the bouts of insanity are probably still going a bit hectic, so you might want to lay down in the recovery area until you feel a bit more stable. Talking to people apparently helps with the stability, so maybe strike up a conversation with a fellow newbie?

ENCHANTED

Content Warnings: Optional selective amensia and/or altered sense of self, possible monster/creature violence, temporary enchantments, forced relocations.

LONG STORY SHORT

You're in a very unusual, specific outfit and in a place you might have seen once or twice in a storybook or in the imagination of your childhood. For some, you might pick up on what's happening immediately. For others, you might be so immersed in the role that you don't realize it - but you're featuring in a classic fairy tale. Maybe it's Sleeping Beauty or Little Red Riding Hood or Tale of the White Snake or The Mirror of Matsuyama. Either way, you're the main character or the main antagonist and it looks like you're going to have to play out the story with whoever you're stuck with!

The other person in the trial can either match up to the other side of the story or just arrive as themselves and have to play along. Trying to just abandon the trial is quite literally impossible! You're stuck in the weird woods or high tower and trying to "leave" just results in you going in repeated cycles until you wind up where you started. You have a role to fill and you might as well get used to playing roles in Folkmore! It's time to understand how these trials work. What lesson are you supposed to take away?

If you're grumbling about it or are left confused, don't worry! Thirteen will appear to those struggling and explain the situation: "You need to play out the story! C'mon. Everyone knows this story...Right? Well, whatever, it's obvious! If you play your part, I promise I'll give you something you want." Can you really trust a fox though? Especially the fox who brought you here? She laughs before you can really pester her for more information and vanishes in a burst of red dust. Foxes really are mischievous, aren't they...At least most fairy tales are incredibly short, basic, and straightforward so most people should be able to figure it out!

In theory.

DAYLIGHT

At least the Fox wasn't lying. When you complete the task of the story, the fairy tale world will melt into one of the settings in Folkmore and you will be brought back into the current reality. You will be left in the weird clothes, but fear not! A mystery trunk has appeared in front of you and whoever you completed the trial with. Inside the trunk, you will find some of your canon clothes and a few canon items. Nearby, there will be some weapons sticking out of the ground: basic swords, guns, shields, etc. These items might not be enchanted, but at least you have something to work with!

Better yet, you don't necessarily have to complete the Long Story Short prompt to find these trunks either! They seem to be dotted around Folkmore and you might find them just by virtue of exploration! The trunks seem to mysteriously know who is opening them so you won't find someone else's stuff by accident, but you might have to fight over who gets the sword in the stone...

A word of caution to those who grab the weapons...You will immediately be tested on how good you are with them. As soon as you have pulled them out of the ground, the ground will begin trembling and a serpent-like creature will form out of the ground. If you're in Wintermute, you have a sizeable icy creature to deal with. If you're in Cruel Summer, meet the fire-breathing snakey nightmare that's going to try and roast you alive. Don't think Epiphany or Willow will have gentler creatures! They might be covered in moss or flowers but they will hit just as hard. You have to defeat the angry creature - or try running for your life. They are relatively easy to beat and people without powers can manage if they are highly skilled or...really lucky...Or if someone far more capable finds them! Good luck. As a pro-tip, maybe don't pull weird swords out of the ground in the future.

Comments

Kokichi Oma | Danganronpa | Legend

[violetlies]

[t h o u s a n d c u t s]
[Kokichi's eyes snap open in an instant. His breath, albeit shaky, steadies. Think. Where is he now? He's...somewhere unfamiliar. He hears a song on the breeze - and for a moment, his hazy mind considers Maybe this is the afterlife. Maybe that's Kaede. But then he notes that's ridiculous. That has to be ridiculous.

He hasn't quite noticed his halo and wings yet.

Still, he knows one certainty: whatever this feeling is, it's...longing. He can't imagine for who - for what reason - for how - but he knows that's exactly what it is. He begins walking, almost as if caught in a daze. Maybe it's longing for Shuichi, or Rantaro, or Kaito, or Kiibo, or...

He can't pin down a face, much less a name. He stands there, looking lost for a moment, before his eyes click onto someone.]

I think I might've been looking for you...?

[O U T O F T H E W O O D S]
[So that was a mess, but at least it ended in...the most illogical way possible. Some kind of..cat festival? Kokichi's brows arched as he walked through the festival, his skepticism getting the better of him. That was about when he noticed the feeling of wings on his back, and...

This was such a weird afterlife.

That was about when he was looked at by a few of the cats expectantly. He glanced at one, they glanced towards a group dancing, and this went on for a couple of seconds before he tossed his arms up.]

Alright, fine, I'll join in the whimsy! I'm whimsical. I'll do the dancing.

[Cue someone else's hand being put into his. He looks up, puffing a breath out his nose, before he gave his new partner a wry smile.]

So. You leading, or me? If you lead, y'better be confident. Neeheehee.

[l o n g s t o r y s h o r t]
[Kokichi, by this point, is getting tired of being jerked all over the place. It's this time when he gets aware of his surroundings again that he's in a short red dress with a brown apron, a red hood over his head, white long stockings on his feet, and black mary jane shoes. And he's also holding a basket filled with what he can assume from the smell of it were pastries.

The minute he clocks that, a visible grimace appears on his face.

No, maybe this was Hell. Maybe it was Hell. He sighed, smoothening out his skirt. Might as well play along.

Besides. Finding a wolf out here like this might be...fun.]

Mot-her said, straight ahead, not to delay or be misled~...

[A bit on the nose there singing that, but whatever.]

[W I L D C A R D]
[Anything else? I'm down for whatever. Hit me up at osomatsuniisan for other plans.]

thousand cuts

[anthropophagite]

[ kaneki is lost, trying to find someone among the flower field too. He doesn't know who, and he doesn't even know there are others in this maze of flowers also yearning and searching for someone... until of course he sees Kokichi.

In a way, he is glad he has seen another person, even if that's selfish. But when their eyes meet, it clicks and kaneki is very confused but very glad. Although he doesn't say it out loud, because it would be weird.

Kokichi, on the other hand, does say it how brave ]

Me? ... Why? [ why indeed, kaneki would love to understand what is going on ]

[violetlies]

[He doesn't know?]

I thought you'd know, really. I, um...can't explain it. I just felt like I needed to find you. I wasn't even sure it was you to begin with but now that I'm looking at you...yeah. It's definitely you.

[Hmmmmm.]

Not that I'm complaining. Not every day my instincts guide me to cute boys around my age. Usually they're not so reliable, but today seems like a lucky one, weirdly enough. I don't even know where we are.

[Maybe he should stop talking.]

[anthropophagite]

[ he says he can't explain it, but Kokichi is describing what kaneki was feeling, so perhaps they are not crazy after all?

Kaneki is about to sigh - slightly in relief, slightly because what is even going on - but then Kokichi calls him cute and Kaneki not only looks confused but also embarrassed ] W-what...?

[ oh god what- kaneki shakes his head because there are other pressing matters ] Do you know how to get out of here?

[violetlies]

[That...makes him regain some of his confidence.]

Neeheehee. I mean what I say and I say what I mean.

[Shy is even cuter. Kokichi has no problem with this, but when Kaneki asks him how they might get out of here...]

Well. I've got no exact ideas, but I've got theories.

[He glances around, bouncing on his feet. He points forward.]

This looks like a maze. Maybe if we solve it, we'll get out. 's like one of those garden mazes you see in travel catalogues sometimes. And, luckily, yours truly is an expert with puzzles and mazes of all kinds. So stick with me, and we'll be outta here together in no time, Cutie-chan.

...I'm Kokichi, by the way. Kokichi Oma. A pleasure.

[Overconfident little brat.]

[anthropophagite]

[ no, he didn't mean that because Kaneki doesn't think "cute" is a way to describe himself. Then again, he has little self-confidence and esteem. Thus he decides to move on from that, he is sure it can easily be forgotten.

Kaneki listens to the other's theory, nodding softly. Alright, maybe that is why they were drawn to each other - the point is to get out of there together ]

Uhm... I'm Kaneki Ken. It's nice to meet you, Kokichi-kun. [ and hopefully now that they know each other's name, he will no longer be called "Cutie" because... that's really embarrassing ]

Long Story Short

[xploud]

[Fun, huh? Perhaps for some, a funny little wolf, in funny little clothes, trying his funny little tricks, would indeed be amusing...but there are darker versions of this story all over. Katsuki didn't want a damn part of this nonsense, but the wily Fox had other plans for him and his insolence. He's been nothing but an aggressive and barking little dog since he arrived, so what better part to play in this story than the main antagonist, hm? But this wolf is not cute, he's not funny, and he's not here to play games.

The little song sung in the woods is all the noise that carries on the wind. Not a sound echoes through the dense foliage otherwise. No rustling of animals, no twitter of birds, not even the hum of a cricket or cicada. It's quiet. Deadly so.

But one thing is for certain...as the story goes, a wolf is on the prowl.]

[violetlies]

[The quiet around him would be unnerving to most, but Kokichi, for one, is used to being constantly paranoid. He walks along, fully expecting something to happen...there's no noise. Just his voice. His lips twitch up into a smile, and he shifts in his shoes before idly twirling around as he continues down the path.]

I know someone's out there.

We're putting this off, but we both know we have to interact at some point...that's the only way I'm getting out of here.

[He feigns an innocent voice, though his expression lets onto his true personality quite easily.]

Do you enjoy a chase, too, Mi-ster Wolf~? Ne?

[He bats his eyelashes, looking around as he pauses for just a moment.]

At least make a noise. If you're going to make me run...I want to be aware of the danger. Let's have fun with this.

[This is what happens when your prey is a rat instead of a rabbit.]K/small>

[xploud]

[Katsuki knows how this story goes, sure. It's too popular a fairy tale not to, even with all the iterations of it. But Katsuki is barely maintaining his sense of self, too, forced into this form by the wily Fox who is punishing his, ah...lack of obedience in the worst way possible. By forcing him into a body that won't obey him. It's man versus beast in his head, and a dark shadow in the woods shifts and moves, a literal growl rumbling past sharp canines.]

If you run, you die.

[It's not a threat, it's a warning. The moment this guy acts like prey, the predatory side of him is going to take over. He hates that. He hates that he can barely hold onto his humanity right now, fighting desperately as long claws dig deep rivets into the ground as a lumbering beast shifts ever closer - towering above Kokichi but still keeping well out of arm's reach.]

You know...how this story goes, aa?

i am. so fucking sorry for him

[violetlies]

[That's when he hears that growling voice, and immediately, there's a shiver up his spine. If you run, you die. Warnings like that only make him want to take off in a sprint, but he doesn't.

And then the wolf shows himself.

Unfortunately, Kokichi's brain goes into chuggachuggachuggachugga AWOOGA. This is exactly what he wanted. It isn't phantom thief and detective, but oh, if that isn't an interesting sight...

He looks up, looking far less startled or scared than he probably SHOULD be.]

Of course I know. Everyone does. I head towards Grandma's house, you meet me there...and then you eat me up. It's a story to be more careful to young girls who don't know not to trust strangers in the forest.

[He's practically bouncing on his feet.]

I'm a bad example, though, that's part of it. Neeheehee...I guess that makes me perfect for my part. I'd say to be gentle with me instead, but I'm not in a position to make any requests.

i could EASILY say the same for mine HAHAHA

[xploud]

[Oh, great, Katsuki gets stuck with the fucking weirdos. There's an exasperated snort that puffs out through his long snout, tail swishing irritably behind him as he sits back on his haunches, massive hands digging deep into the the dirt as his pupils dilate and fix themselves as he attempts to reign in the beast that's tugging violently on the ropes of his control. That fucking Fox...if he's in this form when he finds it...]

Exactly, dumbass - I fucking eat you. Then that American paper towel commercial slides in and cuts me open. [Do you not get where he's going with this? If they don't deviate from the story, or try to improvise, then one of them is going to die. Namely, Katsuki, and like hell is he gonna let that shit happen.] Got any ideas?

[He knows the story, but not exactly how to...'fix it'. He's not creative with this shit, it's so far beyond Katsuki's preferred reading material that he's hit a wall here. All he could do is, uh...make it worse, probably.]

thousand cuts

[suchluck]

( the ensuing laugh is light and airy. )

Is that right?

( komaeda doesn't think that's right. it seems unlikely that anyone would be looking for him; he's not anyone special, really. he doesn't have any special ability or natural talent. he's just some guy. still, it's pretty sweet that this person seems to have confused him for someone worthwhile. this person...

something about this person seems familiar, it's true. have they met before? could they have met before? )

I'm sorry, but do I know you? Excuse me for forgetting.

soft gasp. nagito....

[violetlies]

I think so.

[There's...something distinctly familiar about this guy, too. Kokichi can't quite put his finger on it, but he seems like he should know him. Some weird part of him wants to, anyway.

The next words escape him while he's not really thinking about it.]

...You're not an Ultimate, are you? ...My name is Kokichi Oma. Ultimate Supreme Leader.

he's here to cause problems and problems only

[suchluck]

( that has his smile, once easy, falling steadily until it crashes.

naturally, komaeda doesn't know every ultimate in history, but he feels like he should be familiar with most of them. they're banded together, what's left of them, reclaiming the world from where despair had nearly won. unless there's a new program that komaeda hasn't learned about, another neo world program, than this boy must be closer to an imposter than a true ultimate.

but what could his plan be? )

Oh.

( he's visibly wary now, politely slipping away. being polite, he feels, is something everyone should be privy to. but ultimate imposters with the potential to ruin naegi's hard work don't deserve that. )

And you have business with me?

i luv him

[violetlies]

[This reaction makes Kokichi arch a brow. He doesn't seemingly tense on his part, but it's curious. Why would someone react that way to an Ultimate?

...Unless they were a Remnant of Despair.]

I don't know. Maybe. Why do you suddenly seem so tense?

Not comfortable with the Ultimate Supreme Leader, Fluffyhair-chan? I know I have a lot of enemies...but it's unusual to meet one where I don't know the context.

[This was dangerous. If this guy was a Remnant, then he'd have to be very, very careful. Just in case any of his classmates were around...]

You don't have to be afraid. There's no mastermind to incite us into anything here, after all - wherever here is.

Unless you're one of them.

these two suspicious idiots

[suchluck]

Ah, you have enemies? You must have me confused with someone who cares.

( if that was supposed to be a threat, an endorsement of just how powerful this boy is, it's true that komaeda doesn't care. it's fine if he's powerful; there's nothing more powerful than hope. so if komaeda sees himself slayed at this boy's hands ( or placed in the line of fire between one of said 'enemies' ) in order for hope to prevail, he'd be more than a little honored to see his life to be put to such good use.

but if this person is an agent of despair... komaeda can't let him win. he can't even let him pass.

so this boy, ouma, knows. this isn't a fluke after all; ouma knows about the mastermind, about what transpired on jabberwock island, or has at least heard of it. that doesn't mean anything, komaeda knows. it doesn't mean he's a true ultimate. )

What's the goal of the organization you lead?

1/3

[violetlies]

[Kokichi looks fine, for a moment - unphased, even - when he hears that sarcasm. And then his face twists unnaturally into a smile that seems to not fit quite right on his face.]

Mmm. I remember someone saying once...do not let arrogance go to your head and despair to your heart. I don't say that to get you to care, Stranger. I say that to set a precedent.

[Then he asks what the goal of the organization he leads is.]

It's a secret organization, you know? If I told everyone the truth of all that...what would be the point? I'd be undermining my own platform. Making myself vulnerable. And I still don't know who you are, why you're so hyped up that I'm an Ultimate...

But I can only make assumptions.

[He raises his right hand, his index finger up.]

So. One. You don't know who I am beyond what I've told you. If you were truly aware of who I am, you wouldn't have to ask me what my organization is. We wouldn't be staring each other down like this.

[He strolls forward, but he has his arms at his side, apart from the hand holding up one finger - now two.]

Two. Furthering that, that means you're not directly involved with the Gifted Inmates Academy. You may have tangential awareness, but you're not directly involved. That makes it unlikely you were a hidden enemy in my game.

[He raises another finger.]

2/3

[violetlies]

Three. That means there are several possibilities as to who you are. You could be some kind of backup participant. Maybe someone they'd been waiting in the wings just in case that 'ritual' worked. You do have a bit of a likeness to Amami-chan, in the right light...did you not get briefed, since it never happened~?

[He feigns a cute expression, tapping his cheek and tilting his head.]

Or. Or! You're someone who has been so gravely...misled. You're not an enemy, you're just someone who has gotten his head all mixed up. You might not even really know the Gifted Inmates Academy! We may be on entirely different wavelengths here.

[He shrugs...]

Most likely, however....you're one of them. You're a Remnant of Despair. On the lower-end of the power-chain, since you don't know all that you should. Poor baby! Neeheehee!!! We~eeeeelll;...let me make one thing positively perfectly clear:

3/3

[violetlies]

[And then his expression darkens again.]

I've now stared death in the face. I've seen innocent people suffer for your bloodlust and put up with your shitty mascots day after day after day, and I've had it! I won't be letting you get a foothold here, too! Even if it costs me my life again...I won't lose again.

Despair.
Will.
Not.
Win!!!!

[Might as well throw down the gauntlet now. No use pussyfooting around it.]

out of the woods

[defendure]

Well - I'm not too confident in my leading, actually, if you don't mind?

[ Izuku looks a little bit sheepish about it, but it's better to be honest about his skill level, he figures. After all, if he says he's confident about leading and immediately makes a mistake...Kokichi is going to figure out the lie pretty fast. That and Izuku tends to be pretty honest about things like this - the day to day things that don't matter too much. The only things he plays close to the chest are...well, emotional things that might burden other people. ]

[violetlies]

[So his dance partner was a boy with dark green hair. He looked kind of scrawny, but there was a bit of hidden muscle there. He spoke with a kind tone that was a bit shy... and he was honest. Wow.

Kokichi would be dumbstruck by how picture-perfect that description was if he weren't so naturally confident.]

Hmmmm. You know, that's a lot of work...but I'd rather not stumble, and the honesty gets my respect when you could've tried to get all bluster-y and bullshit it. [He hates liars, so nice call, Izuku.] So! I'll lead, then.

[Not that he was an expert, either, and he was probably the shorter of the both of them, but you didn't become the Ultimate Supreme Leader without a very honed adaptability at social functions. He easily took Izuku's hand, pulling him into the dance - gently, let him follow along and adapt first.]

...This is some pretty weird stuff going on, huh? I've never been anywhere like this before.

[Even if he is taking it all in stride. After you've been through a killing game, it's kind of hard for anything to phase you anymore.]

[defendure]

[ Glad you approve, Kokichi? Izuku doesn't seem to notice that there's anything like that going through the other boy's mind here, but instead seems pretty happy to take Kokichi's hand when offered. He's a little nervous, but with some gentle leading he does pretty well. He's good at learning quickly, so it won't take that much to get him through this? ]

It is weird...I honestly thought it was a Qui - sorry, a, uh, superpower? I keep forgetting most people don't know the terms from home...we call that a "Quirk" back there.

[ He needs to sort of ease that out of his vocabulary maybe but so far it's chosen pretty impossible. ]

[violetlies]

[Not bad, dancing rookie. So this is fine. Kokichi's keeping his gay thoughts to himself. For now.]

Huh? A quirk? Like 'quirky'? ...That's kinda cute. [It's not a bad term, honestly. He likes it.] So you're from a superpower world, huh? I've only seen that kinda thing in manga.

Do you have a Quirk then, Partner-chan? [He doesn't know his name yet...]

[defendure]

O-oh! I'm Midoriya Izuku. And...yes? I do. It's, er, mostly strength-based.

[ ""MOSTLY"" ]

[violetlies]

Midoriya-chan. Goooot it. Oma Kokichi.

[And then.]

....Mostly?

[Okay, well, when you put it like that...]

Is it like specifically turning parts of yourself into a rock or something? Or seeing moves other people can do and only being able to perfectly mimic them if your strength allows? Mmm? Am I hot or cold here?