TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. There is a small earthquake during this (shaking, some things may fall off of shelves, but no structural damage) that upsets the normal arrival creatures, limiting cliff-falling rescues and sliming the water. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. In the middle of the new arrivals, there is a small earthquake that shakes the island and makes the waters choppy. The jellyfish are startled and release a glow-in-the-dark slime that may dye your characters' hair and skin until they can get a proper bath. The Lady of the Lake seems disquieted by the earthquake, but there isn't much to be done about it where they are now besides make sure that everyone is outside of the water as quickly as possible. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, as the earthquake has scared the cliff beast into hiding, meaning for July's arrivals, there is no safety net. They may need some serious help if a fall occurs! *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones, sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with nip bottles. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk. C ⦿ The Red Spring The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there. SUMMARY: Camelot throws a carnival to combat the warming up weather featuring "cool" foods and contests, Queen Elphame sent gifts of aquatic mounts to practice in gratitude for the offering and peacemaking with Celliwig, and the clean-up for the carnival goes haywire as cleaning implements magically seek to clean everything. Thankfully, not every minute of Avalon is adventure and trials and rituals. There are moments of respite, and moments to have fun. This July, for example, locals have decided to invite everyone to what they're calling the "Cool Down Carnival"! A ⦿ Cool Carnival, Bruh Vendors of all kinds have taken to selling cooling goods throughout the carnival grounds. Shaved ice, frozen yogurt, gelato, ice cream, iced tea and boba drinks are everywhere, and each and every vendor is vying for the attention of customers. Whether it's coupons for free snacks if they fill out a punch card for all three days of the carnival, or trying out their new, more magical recipes of frozen slush that make you temporarily behave like a penguin and try belly-sliding down a slip-n-slide that's been set up to occupy the unfortunate victims of that slush (It wears off, don't worry.) Perhaps most notably is the Margaritaville Pair Challenge. If you and an acquaintance can down a giant schooner of frozen margarita in less than a minute together, you'll both get a free happy hour item once a day for the next month from the restaurant and they'll do you a solid and teach you (Recipe) Hangover Moveover, a recipe that instantly cures hangovers. The brain freeze caused by downing that much frozen drink is yours to deal with, unfortunately... B ⦿ Surf New Turf In the evening, the fae folk of the carnival crew lead the way to uproot the party off toward the docks near Camelot. The Elphame Traders came back this past month with good tidings from Queen Elphame, who was impressed both with the gift of a ship and the winning over of Celliwig's people. To this end, a second ship was sent with the Elphame Traders to provide a means of transportation to the faery Kingdom of Elphame without passing through the Forest of the Felled: aquatic mounts. However, they aren't exactly easy for anyone who isn't an animal mage and will require practice before anyone can set out. You'll need at least one person to steer and one person to act as a combatant, as the lake north of the arrival point is more than a little treacherous but that will be a journey for another day. (Maybe the 20th? Stuff seems to coincidentally always happen around then, huh... Weird.) For now, the fae who stayed behind from the Elphame Traders this month are sticking around to help you find a partner and an aquatic mount that gets along with the two of you. Most of the creatures who have agreed to be mounts are hanging out alongside he beach near the old docks, so you can go around and check out the different kinds of available mounts: Alpacapies: Cousin to the much more violent water horse fae the Kelpies, Alpacapies have been mistaken for baby loch ness monsters on more than one occasion given their penchant for sitting with just their hump and long neck above the waterline. They can be ridden in the water and tend to bond with people who are polite to them upon greeting. They will assist in combat by spitting water at their enemies or kicking with front legs, but they may shake you off if they need to deep dive to gain speed for an attack. They do not have back legs, only a dolphin-like fin. For some reason, they're really impossible to take photographs of. Mossatees: You're familiar with the mossatee already. A special breed of manatee that grows flowers and moss on its back like a miniature garden. They blossom in the spring, and their backs can be very comfortable. They're a little clumsy and tend to run into things, both accidentally and on purpose, so it may be a bit of a derpy ride if you and your partner choose a mossatee. They also just had a lot of children, so part of riding with them will mean protecting their young on the journey. They're not good in combat and will prioritize defense. Deinosuchus: A Cretaceous crocodile that gets up to about 10 meters long. It's huge and carnivorous and very well could eat you if you piss it off. It is fast, but has to take a lot of breaks. It will also terrorize in a fight. The fae recommend bringing it a goat or some other similarly sized meal to get it on your side if you want to go for this one. This pack is the only one left, transported by fairies to Avalon long, long ago, so you'd better not let them down. Once you've found a mount that seems right, try to practice balancing on its back. They don't much like saddles so that may be a challenge, but if you hold onto your partner it might be easier! Once you're settled, try racing against another pair or going through a Survivor-esque obstacle course with your mounts. C ⦿ Clean Up Chaos As people head out for the second day of practice with their mounts or recover from a crazy carnival experience, things around town... seem a little off. It seems like someone tried some experimental magic after competing in the Margaritaville challenge feeling particularly benevolent. All around Camelot, cleaning utensils have taken on a life of their own. Brooms are sweeping customers right out of restaurants, sponges are scrubbing up dishes and chasing down patrons for the most public sponge baths of their life, and the local woodland creatures are assisting in picking up and taking away anything that touches the floor that ought not to be there. Some are even hopping up on residents to do their hair! Whatever the source is, the only solution is to either destroy or scare the cleaning supplies off to the woods before they take over the whole town! A little magic should help, so why not test out the magic you've been working on since arriving in Avalon? SUMMARY: The earthquake busted some of the Land of Rot wards and zombies are attacking Camelot's farmland. Save the farm, restore the wards, fight a giant worm, and then find a mysterious marsh before getting transported back home just as mysteriously. The earthquake on arrival day was a little frightening, but ultimately didn't seem to cause too much trouble around New Camelot. That is, until a few days later when the farmlands seem to be under attack.. by the undead!? It seems like the wards surrounding the Lands of Rot were disrupted by the earthquake near Camelot's northeast farmland. ' A ⦿ The Farming Dead Step one is to fight the hoard of zombies spilling out into the farm and stop them before they contaminate Camelot's food source. Use whatever means you can to dispense of the undead, keeping the following in mind: death mages are going to be the most effective combatants against the undead, but anyone can follow the basic rules of zombies to clear a path. Loud noises attract their attention, they shamble during the day and can move more quickly during the night, they don't feel pain so if you hurt the they won't be deterred-- you have to kill them, and always double-tap if you aren't sure. Just be careful not to set them on fire. Flaming zombies can spread fires to buildings and other surroundings and are just generally worse than regular zombies! Once the zombies are cleared out, farmworkers will bring out gifts of fresh lemonade and some extra mixed herb seeds they gathered throughout the year. They're still good, please take them as a thanks for helping save the farm! B ⦿ Of Wards and Worms After searching the perimeter of the Land of Rot, sources have found that the wards were damaged on the west side, so the zombies haven't fully penetrated any areas but the farm. Pair up with another person to draw the attention of the zombies away from wards while the other person resets the wards. While doing this, you'll find the earth is rumbling again-- a little heavier this time since you're much closer than back in the Bay of Avalon. Rather suddenly, a huge sinkhole opens up in the desert landscape of the Land of Rot nearby... and out leaps a thousand-toothed worm, flying through the air and diving back toward the ground teeth-first... with your character right in its target location! Maybe you're lucky and get out of the way only to get knocked down by another huge tremor, or maybe you've just been swallowed whole by a giant worm and really, really need to find a way out for you and your partner! Maybe you'll find something interesting while you think... Is that a broken boat in here? Hopefully you find your way out (or.. if you don't, you find someone to resurrect you, but that would really suck if you just arrived!) C ⦿ Wake Me Up Before You're Go-Gone First zombies, then a giant worm... today's been exhausting! And now you're.. somewhere in the middle of the Land of Rot and you seem to have run into some kind of marsh that you don't remember passing on your way in. The water itself is murky and the only creatures around seem to be bugs, bats, snakes, and frogs. Everything seems sickly, rotting, and is pretty awfully stinky. But none of it is quite as terrifying as when you and whoever you wandered into the Land with stumble upon what appears to be some kind of old hag. What happens next? Who knows. She screams and both you and whoever you're with pass out and wake up snuggling in an inn room. You were definitely in that marsh though, because your pants are still sopping from trudging through it... Well, enjoy the panic, maybe interrogate your neighbors, and try to find out where in the Land of Rot you were! It sure doesn't seem to be on the map... What a mystery! MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

calanthe × original × elemental / green | changeling

[floralisse]

— on the road to camelot.

( sure, the carriages are slow, but it certainly gives her time to take in everything around her, even as a bunch of boring words about worlds being in danger and time being frozen wash right over her.

why would she concentrate on that when there's an almost perfect mirror image of herself sitting right next to her? a few inches smaller, and the hair isn't quite the right shade of stark white, the smile is a little too crooked, with too many sharp teeth, but it's a good imitation nonetheless! )

Are you going to stay like that?

( the other Calanthe — her familiar — shrugs, and laughs, a girlish ringing that fills up the space around them. not exactly an answer, but the real Calanthe looks delighted nonetheless, and turns to the carriage at large.

ahem, excuse her! she has a question! )

Rate my twin's impression of me!

( and with that, they both tilt their heads to one side, sleek bobs bouncing with the movement, and smile. )

— aol; the land of rot / un: floralisse.
CW: zombies, green magic horror, undead killing?

( it's hard to tell what the purpose of this video is, as there's nobody on screen, and no words coming from behind the camera. it's just... a blur. the land of rot, filmed at speeds which make it impossible to pick out any key locations which might be indicated without slowing the video down to a frame by frame shot.

of course, doing that will only reveal that this area is pretty nondescript as far as the land of rot goes.

so what's the point of this all? well, that's only revealed a minute into the spinning, blurry film, when the camera finally settles on a single rose somehow growing in the middle of it all. it's quite the beautiful specimen, with regal purple petals and vibrant green leaves. healthy, almost too healthy for its surroundings. anyone with experience with green magic will probably realise that this is not a naturally growing plant.

but whatever message it's supposed to be sending is quickly cut short by the rotting, half-bone foot of a zombie as it carelessly steps in frame, crushing the plant beneath. there's a moment of nothing but that foot in frame, though the more observant among people may notice the slight jiggle of the camera, as though it's moved from two handed to one handed operation, just seconds before snaking, spiralling thorns burst out from under its foot and wrap all around the rotting flesh, digging into skin in a way that would be excruciatingly painful for a living, breathing human.

the feed cuts out. and for those who may be in the land of rot, there's always a chance to come across this scene — a small young woman, her white dress stained with rot and dirt, hair disheveled and expression a far cry from her usual bright smile as she closes her hand into a tight fist and the thorns move in kind, squeezing the zombie into a pile of chunks. )

— wake me up before you're go-gone.

( Calanthe would have gladly talked to the old woman she ran into, but it seems she didn't want to. which is quite rude, really, how many visitors does a place like the land of rot really get? she shouldn't be chasing off the ones who just want to talk.

hmph. well. never mind that, you're here for the awkward moment your character wakes up to find a peacefully sleeping Calanthe, her dress still ruined by the jaunt into the land of rot, turned to face whoever's in bed with her but otherwise silent. at least, until she twitches, just a touch, in her sleep, and the shift of her dress drags soaked fabric against her calf. )

Mmph... Ick. ( she opens her eyes reluctantly. this was so nice up until that very moment brought her back down to earth. ) We can lie in a little bit longer, right?

( and continue snuggling? maybe? )

— wildcard.

( don't like any of these? hit me up via PM or at exits#8071 and we can chat! also yes i know technically secondary magic doesn't come through until you've mastered the primary but it's a TDM and i wanted to. )

wake me up before you're go-gone

[peninhand]

[ She'd tried to believe this place was real and not a video game. It was far larger than her own reality, she couldn't sense the fourth wall and in spite of all the weird stuff, she was ready to believe this was a new reality of some sort.

But this? Is exactly the kind of setup you get in cheesy romance games to force two characters to get together. That's too convenient. And she's not going to let herself be a slave to some silly script once again. ... Even though the company and warmth is admittedly nice. And then Calanthe wakes up. Ah, this is probably the good time now to get up and have an excuse to put an end to this charade, except...

Lie in longer? ]

Ah, er... Ahaha. [A pause.] Y-Yeah, I suppose we can.

[ Gosh, she's such a pushover. ]

[floralisse]

( what a nice new friend! Calanthe smiles, sleepy but warm — eyes crinkling shut to hide the way the sweetness doesn't reach their molten silver. )

Great! ( she yawns, once, with an almost theatrical stretch that ends with her arm draping over Monika's waist, and lets herself sink more deeply into the pillows. ) Yesterday was exhausting, wasn't it?

( she's just gonna happily talk away with her eyes closed, as though she doesn't have a care in the world. )

[peninhand]

[ Oh gosh. Enjoys sleeping in? Easily engages in talking to someone she barely knows asides from having shared a mission? Hungry for hugs? That's Sayori 2.0 right there.

Well, maybe she should... Just enjoy the moment? Not so long ago, she'd have killed (quite literally) for a chance at being in that sort of scene. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a moment of peace and comfort. ]

Yeah it was... Something, ahaha. [Awkward laughter.] I thought we were gonners when that old woman came at us.

[ She slowly and tentatively moved an arm of her own over her companion. ]

[floralisse]

( life with Central doesn't exactly give a girl much chance to enjoy the simple things like this. lie ins? sure, occasionally. but she can't exactly bring a cute girl back to her single room at headquarters and enjoy a lazy morning. and the one time she tried to enjoy a night out, her phone was blowing up at 6.30 with missed calls.

gosh it's nice to bask in the silence, nothing but a soft voice breaking through her thoughts. )

I was hoping she had cookies. ( the line's delivered so lightly and earnestly that it might almost seem serious until Calanthe laughs. ) Wouldn't that have been nice?

( after all, they worked so hard getting rid of all those zombies. )

[peninhand]

[ Monika froze with surprise when she heard that line about the cookies. She looked so serious and then— She laughed? Wow. She's very good at keeping her facade up, huh? Or was that even a facade and she was genuinely that way?

She wished she could keep her own facade up that easily. Not that she was bad at it— She's pretty good at it, actually. But that? Was on another level. And a bit worrying. If she remembered her tropes... Hm. No, she'd told herself to stop thinking like that. ]

I, um, y-yeah...! Ahahah! [She managed to pull off a more genuine-looking smile.] But um, I'm sure they have something good for us to eat here. ... Do you want me to see if they have breakfast?

[floralisse]

( Calanthe couldn't tell you where she ends and the facade begins, really. she's kept this mask up since Central became her home, wild joy that helps unsettle people so easily.

and it seems to do the job here, as well. she smiles at the change of subject and shifts onto her elbow, halfway to sitting up. )

... You might be right. ( sleeping isn't bad, but food is delicious. maybe there's muffins! ) Oh! ( before she forgets... ) Can I get your name? After all, we did sleep together.

[peninhand]

[ Thank goodness! Monika doesn't wait a second getting up, with an ever-so awkward laugh accompanying her as she does so. It'd be comfortable, she'd dreamed for so long to have someone near her— But somehow, the context mattered a whole lot more than you'd expect.

And then the question... The question itself wasn't that bad, but the way she worded it... ]

Um, I'm Monika...! [A better smile.] It's nice to meet you, in spite of the circumstances.

wake me up

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Oh, it's awkward alright.

By the time, his visor flickers back to life, he can feel a soft weight on top of him. An arm, visor following to see it belong to a human woman he hasn't seen before. ... What is this? He remembers everything that happened yesterday, but nothing that leads to this after some old woman screeched at him. Regardless of the when or how he got into this set up, Soundwave wanted to quietly leave the room but the other girl stirred awake before he has the chance to stick his leg out of the bed.

Lie in longer...?]

No. I'm hardly comfortable to... snuggle with.

[Because that's the problem, isn't it? Metal and organic don't quite mix, usually. Although he only knew a few organics who wouldn't mind, and the snuggling is nice. At least he's warm. And the bed doesn't show any sign that it's about to break, despite a mech lying on it.]

[floralisse]

( this is truly fascinating. Central's tech is nowhere near this level, at least as far as Calanthe knows (she has never doubted that Central have spilled little more than a fraction of their secrets to a newbie agent like herself, to think so otherwise would be woefully naive). her silver eyes glint as she takes in her companion, suddenly shifting into wakefulness as the realisation of who she's with settles in. )

Maybe you should get some padding. ( but the comment she gives is very flippant, delivered as she grabs her pillow and holds it out. ) Like this.

( just wrap the guy in a few pillows. that would totally work. )

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Huh. Not quite the reaction nor the comment he was expecting, but it's better than having this woman freaked out at him. His head tilts down ever so slightly at the pillow she's holding, red visor staring at it.

There's the faceplate that completely covers his expression, but there's a sense that he's linefacing at her suggestion.]

I suppose it could work, but... Do you really want to?

Land of Rot

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[You know, Darin was beginning to think that maybe Avalon had a bit of an undead problem. The forests were filled with ghosts, and everything about the Land of Rot made him just go 'NOPE.']

[But zombies encroaching on farmers' lands was definitely not a good thing. He'd personally gotten to know a few of the farmers having serviced and forged their tools and shoes for their horses. Now, he was being called upon to help deal with the scourge and help heal anyone who might have been injured.]

[So, imagine his surprise when he watches this young woman brutally crush a zombie with some incredibly powerful plant magic.]

...Looks like you're in your element what with all of these plants at your disposal.

Remind me not to cross you.

[floralisse]

( dead things, and people, really should stay dead. it's annoying to deal with them, and makes her work far less effective.

but mostly, they're too stupid to realise that they shouldn't step on the beauty she's trying to create. the message that only a stoic coworker could understand. but the offender is dead now, squeezed into pieces of mulch, and it'll finally be useful when it rots into the rest of this doomed forest.

she exhales, and when the voice catches her attention, Calanthe turns with a smile. )

It's awfully rude of them to destroy an innocent flower, don't you think.

( to crush a rose like that... unforgiveable. ) But you... I don't think you'd hurt a fly.

( whether that's because she thinks he's nice or because her smile is more unnerving than normal given the zombie splatter that's marred her usual pristine appearance, is hard to say. )

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[...Hoo boy was she unnerving. Darin subconsciously begins shifting his weight awkwardly from side-to-side.]

Me?? I-I mean...it depends on the fly...

...What I mean to say is, I don't like hurting people! Or...anything...really...

But sometimes you just swat a fly and...you know.

It...gets swatted.

... ... ...

So hi, I'm Darin Altway and I definitely love flowers.

[Nice save!]

[floralisse]

( huh. it really takes so little to get this guy rambling, huh. she takes a few steps away from the scene of the rose murder, moving so her skirt swishes with each step, and brings a hand to her mouth as she reaches Darin (she'll keep that name in mind).

it would be so easy for her to reach out and drag flowers out of his skin. she's thankful, at least, for Avalon providing her original power set along with the new elemental abilities. )

Good. I'm Kara. ( the lie is more out of habit than anything else, a story told so many times when Central let her loose that she doesn't think twice about it. ) We'll get on.

( and then: ) What's your favourite flower?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin normally doesn't care for personal space...but when he's being looked at like a plot of land he starts to get a little antsy. He couldn't quite put his finger on why this woman was freaking him out, but he was feeling very uncomfortable.]

My...favorite flower??

[The kind that doesn't get me killed?]

W-Well...I always liked lilies...my mom apparently liked them too.

[cooperatively]

[Kitten also isn’t paying much attention - they have more important things to do, like looking through their phone and checking out this AOL thing. (AOL kind of rings a bell, in the way they think they’ve heard about it in history class? It’s weird.)

They’re content to ignore Calanthe talking to her familiar, at least until she asks them a question. They squint at the two, raising their hand to their chin.]

Seven out of ten.

[floralisse]

( seven, huh...? )

That's better than I thought. ( Calanthe — the real one, with the bone white hair — smiles once more and tugs her familiar's hair. if she lightened it a little, they might even get to an eight. how thrilling.

but never mind that... )

So! Did you get a twin, too?

( is she being serious about this conversation or not... hard to tell. she's smiling a lot, her tone bright as she glances around. no one looks like this person... hm. )

[cooperatively]

A twin? Nah, nothing could ever try to replicate me.

[They motion over to their familiar - it looks almost like a statue, but there's seams at the joints and the face is blank and featureless. Wings that look like they're made of tinsel are folded behind it, and it looks blankly ahead.]

Got stuck with this thing instead. Looks pretty cool though, right?