avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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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

behave like a penguin

Margaritaville Pair Challenge

giant schooner

(Recipe) Hangover Moveover

B ⦿ Surf New Turf

aquatic 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.

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

B ⦿ Of Wards and Worms

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ (Un)fortunately, the one who's suddenly attacking his head is the one who was on Monika's head! On the bright side, that means her problem is now solved. On the down side, that means he is now the one with a problem. Perhaps it recognized him from last time and decided it was more important to finish unfinished business rather than bother a new target?

Regardless, Monika's very grateful for that boy's intervention. Not a conventional method though. Taking someone else's issue onto yourself? That's very brave. She wasn't sure she would do it, she was too selfish for that. Still, thanks were in order. ]

Oh wow, thank you for the help! [Because he had totally purposefully helped her, right?] You sure it's a good idea though?

[ That sudden F-bomb is kinda worrisome. ]

[ Nope. The help had been purely unintentional this time around. He had been wanting to steer clear of those things because they definitely try to gel down and flatten his hair much like Jeanist had attempted. It's not going to work, of course. It'll stay that way for a couple of moments before it springs right back into spikey place.

Only this time? When he catches the comb? ]

Imma 'bout to show these things it's not a good idea.

[ BOOM! ...Sort of. Bakugou can't explode it. But he can burn the thing to cinders with Elemental Magic! ]

[ Monika's eyes widen at the comb spontaneously combusting. Her first thought is that this was just like some spell you'd see in a video game, but no. Magic was real in this reality. She had to accept it, or else she would never be able to move on.

Still, that's pretty impressive for her to see. Her magic isn't anywhere close to her level. ]

Um, wow. [What if he'd done it while the thing had been in her hair? She feels her stomach turning at the thought.] Just don't do that if you ever find one in my hair, ahaha!

[ Magic is very real in this world. For a while it had even been hard for Katsuki to accept. Or, rather, he had a hard time getting over it because it's so ridiculous. Because of the fact that it's magic just like some damn rpg. The actual application is too much like Quirks for him to actually struggle to adapt to it. ]

Do I look like the sorta guy that would set your hair on fire?

. . .

[ As a matter of fact? Yes, yes. He does absolutely look like that kind of guy right now. Well, she's tactful enough not to say that, alright. He's probably just still on the anger kick from that thing having attacked him. Right? ]

No no, of course not! [She gives him a sweet smile. Confident facade: activated.] It was like, rhetorical you know. More of a way to get conversation started, ahaha! But I guess that was pretty awkward.

[ Oh he knows that he does. People have been telling him about his self image for a whiiiiile now. Though in his defense, Bakugou is someone that would blow up someone's face, sure. But cause actual harm? Nah. The people he does that to can usually take it and they don't actually end up with any severe injury.

Somehow.

Though she can take that bright, cheerful schoolgirl bullshit right out the door. It's not going to smooth over Bakugou anyway. ]

I'd think you'd be more concerned about additional enchanted objects heading our way. 'Cause they ain't gonna stop coming after you unless you destroy them. That's a little more important than striking up a conversation.

[ Hey, it's not bullshit! That's genuinely who she wants to be. That's just a bit hard when you've gone through an existential crisis and suffered living hell in a psychological horror video game, so she has to force it a bit. Mhm. Maybe she ought to tone it down a bit... She'll have ample time to think about that later. ]

You make a good point. Well, I'm not seeing any around here... I think we may be safe for now...

[ Okay, time for a bit of assertiveness! ]

And, um... You don't need to be that rude, you know.

Edited 2021-07-12 13:17 (UTC)

[ For now, yes. It's not going to be long before some kind of broom or mop comes along and decides that these children are dirty and need to be cleaned, you know? Or perhaps it is a trash can that agrees with Monika about Bakugou's manners and wants to "take out the trash" so to speak! Really anything can happen in the next couple of moments and it puts Bakugou on edge. He can feel the need to crack his knuckles rising, even if it won't result in an explosion. ]

Definitely new around here if you think that.

[ But his eyes turn sharply on her for the comment about being rude. It's not the first time that he's heard it. Not going to be the last either. It is something he's continuously going to be working on, but he also doesn't think he said anything wrong. ]

You're right. [ Wait what? ] I could have been ruder.

[ Oh yeah. That sounds closer to something he'd say. Yupp. ]

That's right. I've been here for like, a week or two at most!

[ And then— Oh. Oh. He's one of those.

If she was a little bit more assertive and less hesitant about confronting people, now would be the time to put him back to his place. Something along the lines of "that attitude isn't making you look tough or strong, nor respectable or superior, it's making you unlikable." Unless he was purposefully trying to get people to avoid him. In which case... Yep, he was doing it right.

Thankfully, Monika had sworn to herself she wouldn't judge people too harshly and too quickly. But urgh... He was one of those who weren't going to make it easy. ]

Um... I didn't mean to offend you. [She was no longer smiling so at least that was that.] Words have power, the way you use them can make people uncomfortable and unhappy. And in turn they'll use them in ways that can hurt you, too. I just think it's important to be mindful of that.

[ It's a bit to push people away, yes. A touch of a self defense mechanism coupled with the fact that Katsuki just doesn't always express his emotions in a pro social way.

Monika can give her little spiel. Of course he already knows this. Already regrets a lot of things that he has said in the past. Just because he's bristly now doesn't mean he'll ever fall into those habits again. Words hold power... But he just doesn't always have the right words.

He also knows that it will, in turn, come back to bite him. Already has. ]

Should just mind your own damn business.

[ Well, that about reached the end of her assertiveness. There were two possibilities left: either she got angry and told him everything she thought about his attitude, either she walked away and avoided conflict altogether. There was of course a middle road, but she'd just tried it with no success.

Well, this was a no brainer. Maybe if she knew him, was in an environment she was familiar with and developed some more actual confidence, the former would have been an option. But with things being as they were, she just decided to let it go. ]

Ah, um, alright... [She looked a tad dejected and turned around. No point in staying with someone she obviously couldn't even talk to.] I'll go... Stop other comb-creatures I can find.

[ Don't think too harshly of him. Bakugou is quite literally an introvert at its peak. He just kind of gets defensive and no one really challenges him on that, save for a couple of people. Then his classmates have just adjusted to him.

But seeing that face has his jaw set. ]

Do you even know how to do that? You're new so your magic is still fresh, ain't it?

[ Despite how the words are coming out, he actually does have a... Good intention, if one can call it that. ]

[ She knows an introvert at its peak, and she's not being needlessly douchey. But she also knows different people react differently to the same situations. ]

Well, yes but... [She just hates conflict and the rare times she tries to be assertive it goes really poorly. But she can't say that, can she?] If you're, um, gonna be like that... I think I'd rather try my chance alone.

[ Well she's said it. She expects either a full explosion or disdainful silence to follow suit. ]

[ What she's going to get is neither. Look, he isn't going to force her if she's dead set against it. His attitude is a problem, but on the other hand? Who turns down help, even if you can't stand their guts? ]

Suit yourself. Stupid, but whatever. Something happens then it's on you.

[ Be it from all of these enchanted supplies causing problems or, well. Maybe using magic without practicing control over it could also become an issue.

Either way, it is what it is. ]

[ Well, she figures most people would turn help from someone who clearly cannot stand being in their presence. And what she's gotten so far seems to indicate he barely tolerates her in the first place.

She took a deep breath and pulled herself together, and then nodded. ]

I guess that's pretty stupid... [A (slightly too long) pause.] But... Would you accept help from someone who's done nothing but slight you since meeting you?

[ Well, he'd probably just insult back, huh... So maybe that's a poor example. ]

[ That's a really bad example because - ]

I would.

[ Bakugou is always serious anymore. That's just how he is "built" so to speak. There's a lot of shit that has hit the fan. It's made him reconsider a lot of things. ]

Just because someone disgusts you doesn't take away from the fact they could be of use. Their personality doesn't always translate to their capability.

Edited 2021-07-17 19:24 (UTC)

You do not disgust me.

[ She wanted to clear up that misunderstanding before he took it any further. ]

But... Ever since we've started talking, you've just replied to everything I've said rudely and with no consideration, even though I treated you fairly the entire time. [A sighs.] So what's even the point? If you help me, you're just going to use it as an excuse to put me down even more.

[ She turned away and took a deep breath. Gosh, that felt good to say! She didn't think she'd be able to do that all the time though... ]

Probably because that's the first honest reaction I've gotten out of you.

[ Her saying all of that and actually speaking out says more about her character than refraining before. Of course the fact that she didn't just come out and say it at first from the start also tells Katsuki a lot. He doesn't have time for games and guessing what's really going on in someone's head. ]

I'm here to fix shit and deal with problems before they get out of hand. Not to hold your hand while you adjust. You can interpret that as putting you down or whatever but at the end of the day, I'm not gonna leave someone hanging either.

My first honest reaction?

[ She sighed and remained silent for a moment. So that was what he was after, huh? But she wouldn't call what she'd just said a honest reaction at all. Sure, if you push anyone far enough, you'll get an emotional reaction. But calling this honest would be implying people are their emotions. And that's not it at all. ]

I've been honest since the beginning. Of course, if you keep pushing and pushing, you're gonna get an emotional outburst out of people. But what makes this more "honest?" [She tried smiling.] If you were to murder someone's beloved in front of their eyes, odds are they'll try killing you. Does that mean this is their "honest" self? That they're truly a murderer? [She shook her head.] We're a lot more than just our emotions.

[ Sometimes, she felt things she knew were wrong. Her trying to fight and change those emotions— She'd argue that was closer to the true her than those raw emotions were. ]

How we deal with our emotions, how we try to control them, how we judge them— That's what makes us who we are. [A pause ] I went on a tangent, huh? So, um, yeah. I'm not asking you to hold my hand. But if you cannot respect me because I try to not let my emotions take over...

[ She trailed off, she wasn't really sure how to conclude this. She was pretty proud of her little speech though, at least the idea was conveyed well. Or so she hoped, anyway. ]

[ So... It's just a fact of life here. Bakugou's going to end up tuning out any and all lectures from people that he, well, doesn't actually respect. If it had been All Might or Jeanist or maybe another teacher that he actually does give two shits about, he might have actually listened. But this is just some girl.

Blah blah blah. It's not really important. Er... Well that's what he had thought but goddam that's- ]

That's a huge fucking leap in logic. It assumes a lot of shit about this theoretical someone and that the default is to get revenge or kill another person on the spot.

[ It's not that she doesn't have a point. However Bakugou doesn't really see a point in hiding the ugly parts of him either. Change them, yes. Sort of. Some things about him just won't change. They are too ingrained to his personality. ]

You know what? How about this... You're so damn focused on how I present myself and you don't even know who the fuck I am. You try to "strike up a conversation" in the middle of a situation and call me rude for calling you out on how stupid that is? Just like doing this right now is! So why would I respect anyone who can't even put that crap aside to deal with the larger problem first, hah?

... We're talking about automated brooms and combs.

[ There was no small amount of disbelief and bewilderment in her voice as she said that.

She'd grant him that striking up conversation may not have been the best idea. But the way he spoke of it— "A situation," the "larger problem?" You'd think they were dealing with a matter of life or death. And she wouldn't back down on her example either. In the heat of the moment? Yeah, most people would do something stupid and get revenge. That was why justice existed. Because people couldn't be trusted to carry it out on their own.

Monika remained silent for a little bit. She'd not heard such a concentrated amount of bullshit ever since her days in the Debate Club. How had she dealt with it back then...? Oh right, she'd left and made her own club. ]

Listen. I'll concede I have difficulties making the best decisions when under pressure. Well, it would be more accurate to say I have difficulties when under pressure, period. [Okay, it takes a bit of effort speaking about herself, but she just. Doesn't want to keep this going. So she is going to say her part, let him win and be done with it.] Furthermore, I am not that great with people. I try to be, but this doesn't come naturally to me. It goes without saying, but dealing with aggressiveness makes it even harder for me. [By aggressiveness, she means you by the way.] If that's ground enough for you to disrespect me, then fine.

[ She doesn't have anything else to say. He thinks she's unworthy of respect? That's fine, she won't argue with his opinion. Does it hurt? Yeah, but she just doesn't want to argue any more. At this point she needs some alone time to unwind and relax. Situations like these really take a lot out of her. ]

[ And that's not a point that he's going to continue to argue either. "Automated brooms and combs." It's not just that though. There are animals also under some effect that are causing problems for people. WHo is to say some bigger automated processes aren't being disturbed because of this too which can have an even bigger impact on other things. Not to mention this does affect peoples' livelihood too...

But obviously no one else is thinking that far ahead here now are they?

He makes a growling sound as he puts his hands on his hips. It's not like he enjoys arguing either? Not really. Katsuki's defensive, sure. He doesn't like being embarrassed or shown up and yes. That makes him aggressive. But a lot of things do that... ]

So just say you struggle with aggressive people instead of giving said aggressive person a lecture on not being aggressive! At least then I know what I'm dealing with!

[ And he was still going at it. Gosh, was it that important to have the last word? She didn't really care any more at that point. He'd successfully drained all willpower out of her. The only way for her to continue this conversation would be to become as obnoxious as he was. Thankfully, it wasn't her style. Well, if he'd been a mindless video game character... But assuming he was a real person, nope.

Or maybe if the topic had actually mattered. Which, as far as she was concerned, this didn't. ]

Very well, I'll remember it... [The tone of her voice was what you'd expect from someone who'd just been hypnotized. Except in her case, she was just so done with it. She didn't even have the energy to be nervous about it any more. She tried forcing a smile, but it ended up making it look as though she was about to cry. Thankfully, she didn't actually want to cry but goodness. This had been a lot.] I need to go back to my hotel room... See you.

[ She didn't wait for a reply and turned around. She had a date with her bed and a poetry book to try and relax from that... Encounter. ]

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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