TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10

[avalonmods]

{ 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. 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. 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, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *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 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 recently 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 whole coconuts filled with tropical drinks and topped with tiny umbrellas. Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, mai tais, and more... all frosty and in the spirit of keeping you cool during the sunny month of August. (Naturally, virgin editions are available for the underaged.) 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: The first attempt at using the mounts to travel en-masse up to fae territory is filled with problems: mandrake sprouts caused by recent murders drumming up requests to dig them up, two titanic creatures face off in the lake and catch characters in a maelstrom, and a mysterious underwater town with a strange curse being good neighbors with a last minute save... at a slight risk: becoming a merperson, naga, or cecaelian for a little while. With communications with Elphame in Celliwig disrupted by specters and Arthur temporarily decommissioned, the Hall of Mirrors is temporarily off limits for cleansing rituals. Celliwig has encouraged people to return to Camelot for the time being, which is just as well with all the newcomers flooding in. Last month's new arrivals through the old guard got an introduction to the new aquatic mounts and there are now plenty of people versed in how to handle and work with the magical alpacapies, mossatees, and deinosuchus. As scout parties head out further, there are a few problems that they've run into that need a helping hand from Camelot's otherworldly population. A ⦿ A Mandraconian Task Just as volunteers are asked to bring supplies for the journey to fae territory, a series of grisly murders involving strung up corpses appears around town (see this month's quest, "Not-So-Good Morning" for more details), and the dripping blood and fluids of these corpses seeps into the ground to give birth to strange, leafy plants that sprout leaves in all directions at once. They're small, and the locals seem weary of them, but ultimately they're breaking up pathways and making them into trip hazards... the locals recognize these plants as mandrake root, which is known in different cultures for... very different things. The mandrake root is a cursed plant that screams in a way that curdles blood enough to kill small creatures if they're too close and make a grown person go deaf. The reason anyone would pull them up however... well, their magical properties are astounding. It is said that Joan of Arc carried one in her possession to give her the power to take control of her own fate. Some religions claim that it has the ability to restore a person's fertility, and before clever manufacturers started using the name for tomatoes, Islamic tradition called the "apples of the jinn" and cause strong bouts of lust. Needless to say, a good many people are cautious about pulling them up, but more than willing to offer a fair sum of money to a newcomer who can get them out of the ground. The cause of their sprouting may be tragic, but there's no way that you're going to make it through town center with trip supplies without getting pulled aside and asked to help harvest the mandrake roots for a pretty penny... or maybe you're interested yourself. Either way, it may behoove you to practice a little magic with a friend to try to get them up. B ⦿ Clash of the Titans Finally everyone has gotten going and a mixture of brave Camelot citizens, Celliwigians, and otherworlders have headed back to Albion's White Cliffs to take off with their mounts (and partners... you're going to have to ride with someone, there aren't enough mounts for everyone to get their own!) and things are going well. It's about two days into the waters of Lake Avalon that things start to send a chill down your spine. Back on land, even for the first two days there, the weather had been hot and sunny, a beautiful summery start to August, but as the party starts to approach the southern banks of Dinas Emrys, they see a gargantuan beast run at bewildering speeds off the land and straight across the surface of the lake. The creature appears to be some kind of centipede formed of black clouds and lightning that illuminates its exoskeleton from inside of its body in deep purple and blue hues. Each of its legs kicks up a titanic wave headed straight for the party of explorers as it charges towards its target, what appears to be a tsunami wave containing a dark, shadowy figure emerging at least twenty stories above the water. The only part of it that isn't black are the blank, soulless eyes. As the lightning bug monster charges what some may recognize as an umibozu, it crashes into the tsunami wave and all three fall asunder... which is bad news for the traveling party, as the waters are now extremely choppy and lighting up with charges of the centipede's lightning. The result? As the two monsters dive down below the water, a maelstrom forms in their path and starts sucking everyone down! C ⦿ Fresh Waters Anyone who manages to escape the maelstrom will find that their mounts aren't moving forward this time around and are heading back where they came from, even with lost supplies. You may find yourself having to switch mounts with others nearby or talking to a strange beachball on the back of the alpacapie that's carrying your ass back to the White Cliffs... Or if you weren't so lucky, you may find yourself waking up on a slightly different shore. An underwater shore. An underwater town, in fact. After the initial panic of realizing that you're not drowning when you wake up settles in, you'll realize that you seem to be able to breathe underwater just fine. In fact, the real panic is probably about to start when you realize that like the fine people of this town that saved you, you've been temporarily gifted gills and a bottom lower half of either a merperson, a naga, or a cecaelia. Your caretaker, a nurse of the local town, offers the explanation that the only way to save everyone from drowning was to pull them into their territory, which is cursed to turn them all into sea monsters. Not to worry though, as long as you leave before the sun sets on the third day, you'll turn back to normal just fine. ...Though, they're not really sure when that was or if they battle is over, so you should probably find your friends and any possessions you had with you and start heading toward the surface. Not too much time to explore this strange, underwater town... especially since you don't have much practice not having legs to get you up to the surface. Don't worry, if you don't make it out in time, the Lady of the Lake will come fetch you... though perhaps not in time, so you may need to spend some time back in Camelot seeking out someone to break a curse. SUMMARY:After the recent event, people need to recover and heal. So Camelot's castle opens its doors for an open house, a swap meet and poetry battle auction, and a healing circle ritual. Arthur is injured and recovering, and news has spread on social media about it. There are lots of well-wishers and gifts being sent to the castle... enough that there's just too much for Arthur to do anything with it. He needs time to recover and rest and not be bothered, and as such declares that all those who need it shall share in the wealth and generosity of those wishing him well. The abundance (Especially from guilty Celliwigians who didn't realize what was happening right under their own noses) results in a few things happening... A ⦿ Open House Camelot's castle halls open up to all those who would like to come. Invitations are sent and a feast is prepared. A huge table with all manner of foods from different cultures is prepared. The only thing they ask is that you stay out of the wing of the castle that Arthur is resting in, as he is not available right now. Try new foods made from recipes from all around the different worlds or invite yourself to use the castle's royal public baths, remodeled from more ancient styles to include cool things like old architecture mixing with jacuzzi jets and waterfall shower rooms. There's even a water slide. It's more a water park than anything... Explore the library (except for the forbidden section, which has a very powerful magical barrier preventing entry-- even trying to tamper with it could result in your character glowing colors by their mood as punishment for messing with the magic). Those are dangerous texts in there! There's even a live show with a magician! Which sounds lame, but he's more or less showing off his skills in tricks, knife skills, and has a mean comedy routine to go with it. He's even willing to teach lucky volunteers how to escape death-defying stunts... hopefully. You may want to bring a buddy for backup. Or perhaps you're more interested in heading out to explore the rose gardens or finding a place to stay for the evening... don't worry, if you've had too much to drink or simply tired yourself out, you're welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms during this open house celebration. B ⦿ Swap Meet Not interested in exploring the castle? Well perhaps you'll enjoy the open-market bazaar that seems to have set up in the courtyard. All kinds of oddities are being exchanged in the castle courtyard and you may just find something rare.. or maybe it's a piece of crap. It's hard to tell, and the chances of getting swindled are just as high as the chances of getting an antique masterpiece. There is an auction for those willing to pay more for authenticity, but auctions in Camelot go a little bit differently... to win art, you must first prove yourself worthy of art-- all bid submissions must be performed in stanza. Haikus, rap, short poems-- all are valid, as long as they follow the rules of your chosen form of poetry and express why your bid deserves the win. The last person to falter wins their right to pay their bid, with at least 10,000G upped with each poetic rebuttal. C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party It's good to take care of yourself with a little fun, but if you're still stressed, hurt, traumatized, mildly upset, hung over, or just want to feel better about yourself, consider joining in some of the local witches and wizards in a meditative healing ritual. Step one: Gather herbs from the castle gardens. They've got all kinds, but you're looking for things like yarrow, apple blossoms, cinnamon, and lemon balm. Once you've gathered your herbs, join in the silent meditation circle with an available partner. Anyone is fine, but once you've entered the circle with someone, it's very important that you do not make any noise. Silence is important, and as you burn each of your herbs with your partner, you'll find that the smoke forms a barrier that surrounds the two of you. Put your hands together, and focus on the source of your pain. You will share your emotions with the person you're performing the spell with. They will feel everything you feel in that moment, and be able to share the burden without having to speak of or share what caused this pain. With the pain lightened, you will find that the smoke lights up and dissipates up at the top. Whether or not you choose to share with your newfound partner... well, that's up to you, but they sure are going to know how you're feeling right now, and that definitely wasn't warned about when you were asked to join the healing circle. 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

[daintydemonqueen]

[It reminded her of someone, but she is unable to depict the memories from her mind. They are fleeting, as they always are. One by one, slipping away but with the hand physical and something for herself to hold onto. The woman keeps to, attempting to remain out of the realm of fantasy and dream.]

....I see... His name is Oda Nobunaga...

[daintydemonqueen]

.... You had fallen... The rapids.... Death was calling....

[Broken had been her explanation, but she waited patiently and gently until the other asked of her the question. Prosed with a want to understand their predicament, from one who was dainty in figure and often with dazed thought. Nothing seemed so simple, but she knew had she not acted out. As the voices had spoke to her, lives may have been lost. When those had fallen into the whirling pools, she took forth rearing them back to the shores. Any curses that may have effected others or himself. Afforded them to the ghosts that haunted her, as payment for helping her own lost soul within the lands of Avalon.]

.... You are safe.....

[daintydemonqueen]

... The curse... Was very strong.....

[Had been the first mention of what had occurred before she had met the other. When the familiar moves about, Oichi had not noticed the dragon that had nestled itself upon its master. When it grows, it had drawn the lithe woman's interest. Her own eyes color with awe toward it's enamor. The only 'dragon' she knew of had been the man named Dokuganryuu - the damiyo whom roar'd across the battle field in lightning.]

... A dragon.... How lucky... A blessing...

[daintydemonqueen]

... Do you wish to be safe...? Ichi... Ichi can make you safe....

[The eeriness of the statement would not make up for the fact she had meant what it is she spoke. Perhaps beneath the enclosed tree branches, as the light from the sun trickles down upon them. Was the place where safety existed, but not for the two whom were living beings upon their realm now. Soft small voices began to chirp, stay. They tell them both, stay. They say once again, softly, gently, as if humming them to sleep.

Oichi seems content with this, as if unable to make her own decisions or rather that. She surmised, what would occur in this small secluded place. Was an instance she very well deserved to happen to her. ]

... Okay... Ichi will shall stay... Will you stay...?

[She looks over to the one who she had not learned his name of.]

[daintydemonqueen]

... No... They cannot hurt you... Only if Ichi lets them...

[Her words are made with a sense of eeriness, but they are a genuine attempt at helping him understand that he is safe. Even if how she choses her words, and how they are said. Make it perhaps seem otherwise.

Oichi's eyes linger toward him, but they move downward looking back upon the floor. As if placed into rest mode, or paused. Uncertain or unable to know where to direct a conversation.]

[wolfhunted]

Alright.

[Robyn wonders if this boy will ever give her a completely straight answer about anything. He seems pretty evasive about some things...maybe once they get to the surface and they're clear of this curse, they can talk more later on.]

I hope it's not too far to the shore from here...

wanna end after your next tag?

[pissoffbook]

[No hard feelings about it... Maybe not from his end. Even if she knows she shouldn't get close to people, she's still really lonely.

Kainé snorts a laugh of her own when the water almost shoots out his nose.

Still, she's not really sure what to say now.]

[invalid_data]

Sounds like you've been through a lot.

[Of very silly things, he leaves unsaid.

And he shrugs at the next part.]

Maybe, maybe not. It's not something I plan on dwelling on for too long, especially while on these stairs.

[prontissimo]

Hehe, yeah, it can't be far! C'mon! Go as fast as you can!

[ He takes her in tow once more, this time hand-in-hand, rather than his hand on her wrist as the other two times before, and starts shooting off and up. His mood shifts are hard to keep up with, in itself, as if he can just disguise anything with a burst of energy and bravery. The ultimate distraction. Like a switch he's learned to flip on and off.

He's grinning, rather than smirking, as they dash upwards. At least he's more encouraging of her, the closer they get to the surface, his eyes lighting up as he sees more and more sunshine. He's ready to go back up. He doesn't want anything to do with some curse that might trap him in the sea again. He glances back at Robyn over his shoulder again, holding her hand tight between his webbed fingers, observing her swimming as he helps tug her along, whether she needs it or not. He shoots her a toothy grin with his sharp sea monster teeth, letting out an amused chuckle. ]

Ha! Yeah, that's it!

[ She's made progress in how to wiggle her fish-butt right since he first tugged her down! ]

[notcethleann]

I am Sothis.

Flayn's hands fly to her mouth, her eyes widen. She trembles, and feels that her legs may not support her for much longer. How can that be? There are people here from the same world who come from different times, but...could this possibly be Grandmother as she was when she was a child? But that would be thousands and thousands of years!

One thing Flayn does know is that it isn't some coincidence. Her manner, her dress, her eyes...peering into her eyes, Flayn can see it. A spark of what Grandmother was when she was alive and whole. Tears are already running down her face by the time she brings her hands down and flings her arms around Sothis instead.

"Grandmother...can it truly be you, after such a very long time? Oh, but we have all missed you so terribly for so long! Father and I, and..." And all the things Aunt Seiros has done in Grandmother's name, to bring her back. A yawning pit opens up in Flayn's gut; could this Sothis be from a different timeline, one in which Rhea's awful plan for Byleth succeeded?

"But how is it that you do not quite remember me?"

[theskyaccepts]

You could have given me some warning though.

[It's a half-hearted protest since he's, unfortunately, extremely used to this kind of situation by now. Still, that last comment manages to get a skeptical look.

He's a lost cause when it comes to swimming really.]

I'm fine. I'll just float the surface or something.

[prontissimo]

Nah, nah, nah, you're fine, I got this— Just... sink.

[ Alberto does something unclear with his body and his posture, scrunching himself up into a loose ball, and starts descending very slowly, smirking at Tsuna as he drifts down. ]

Ehh~?

[ Like that's supposed to help... ]

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn's swimming has steadily improved throughout this whole ordeal, and the motivation to get to the surface helps to make her swim faster. And to be fair to Alberto, his encouragement is also helping.

She takes a deep breath before her head breaks the surface of the water, but she finds she's able to let it go once she's in the open air. She lifts the hand that isn't holding Alberto's...and sure enough, it's not webbed anymore.]

Ha! We did it!

[Of course, she hasn't noticed whether or not it's worked for Alberto yet.]

[prontissimo]

[ They can feed off each other's energy. He breaks the surface first, and yet... remains a sea monster, his head bobbing above water as she comes to, even as her hand transforms back to normal. He doesn't let go of her other one as he peers around them, then points with his free hand as soon as he spots land. ]

There!

[ Then... surprisingly, perhaps, tugs them both back underwater, knowing he's able to swim faster when submerged, but shoots horizontally off in the direction of shore. Grin still in place, though, he spins around and finally releases her hand again. ]

Hey— check this out!

[ And dives a short zip deeper, just to gain speed and distance to shoot out of the water at a greater height, leaping through the air above. Through the ripples he causes, there is a vague... change, as he'd alluded to, as he's flying splayed out overhead, but it's hard to see clearly, and when he crashes back into the water, he's a sea monster just as he's been all along. But he's laughing. ]

C'mon, you try it! Jump! We're almost to the shore!

[ As in— this is your last chance to play around as a sea monster! Him? Not so much. He seems fine... But hasn't he acted as much this whole time? ]

[flame_emperor]

"Yes, but it is in our best interests to give aid. Fódlan has been swallowed up by a calamity, as have all other worlds besides this one. The calamity has frozen them in time, but by learning to harness the magic of this world, Avalon, we may yet be able to turn back the Calamity and restore our worlds. There are facilities at the Red Springs which will help determine what native magic you have affinity for."

She closes her eyes when the words "Blue Lions" come out of Sothis' mouth as they approach the foot of the stairs. Byleth won't like to hear that, but as Sothis says, her memory is incomplete. Perhaps she's simply mis-remembering things, though given Fódlan's...unique situation compared to most other worlds, she's not hopeful. "Perhaps, but perhaps not. It's somewhat complicated where Fódlan natives are concerned. You possibly remember Byleth teaching the Blue Lions, and Dimitri certainly remembers it. But to Claude and those, Golden Deer present—" Edelgard trips over herself slightly here. Flayn. Flayn will want to know about this...but she's not certain what, if anything Sothis remembers about her connection to the other green-haired girl. "—excuse me, the other Golden Deer remember Byleth teaching their class, not the Blue Lions. I am in a similar situation...and so is Byleth herself." She turns to look down (though not by much) at the Goddess.

"All our memories are true, because while we all hail from Fódlan, we do not all come from the same Fódlan. Our timelines diverged when Byleth took up a teaching position at Garreg Mach and selected which house she was to lead. Or he was to lead, in Dimitri's case. Do not doubt your memory just yet, at least until you and Byleth have had a chance to discuss things."

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn is about to protest when Alberto tugs her back underwater, just when the curse is broken, but seeing him jump out of the water like that enthralls her. She's immediately reminded of the night she first became a Wolfwalker and Mebh showed her how high she could jump as a wolf, and how thrilling it had been try that for herself.

She does still have her mermaid tail...it wouldn't hurt to try it again.]

Wait for me! [She swims a little deeper to get some momentum, and then moves faster towards the surface to launch herself out of the water. She doesn't get as high up as Alberto did, but it's still enough for her to let out a whoop of excitement. Though her tail does turn back into legs in the process, and she has to hold her breath before she goes back underwater again, she's still laughing once she breaks the surface again.]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's visibly delighted to see Robyn play along, and that condescension from before starts to dissolve into just... genuine fun-loving-ness. He does a more gymnastic zig-zag through the water to gain momentum, and on his way back up, grabs her by the hand once more, this time tugging her out of the water at the same time with him, releasing her once they're up. And just as her fishtail had disappeared before when she leapt out of the water... after a moment, Alberto's fins and gills do, too — and his scales — and his tail — and his... well... everything. He becomes slowly-yet-quickly— human. Her first clear glimpse of him as a human.

But that's to be expected, right?

He splays his arms and legs wide out as they can go, beaming at the girl he'd tugged up above with him, suspended in midair together before crashing back down into the water with a large splash. He's laughing outright this time, just— having fun. He's barely gone swimming since arriving here, for... many reasons. It's only natural there's something refreshing about it. ]

Yeah-hah! Avanti!

[ And erring away from the theatrics, upon their crash back down, Alberto shoots off straight ahead, not quite as fast as he can go, but pretty dang fast, just... excited. Ready to go back. Ready to have a cover to play with someone as a sea monster and not be scared or paranoid. But the shore is fast approaching, and he's frankly always low-key excited to get out of the water nowadays. Just now— high-key.

Even if he's much faster than her — even than most other sea monsters — he darts in a figure-eight or two for fun to kill time waiting for her to catch up as they reach the shallows. They're in this together now, seemingly; however dismissive of her he's been all along, he's also been... strangely loyal? ]

[sleepqueen]

For a moment, Sothis is incredibly startled by the reaction that her name gets out of Flayn - no, Cethleann - or is it both? She goes stock still for a moment, eyes wide as tears come and arms wrap around her. There's a spark in those words (grandmother) that rings true. It tugs at the haze inside of her mind she thinks of what she and Byleth learned before she merged them together. The realization of who she was and what she was. She doesn't quite have the heart to push Flayn away, as confused as Sothis feels.

"I - grandmother - am I truly...?" She murmurs, "But - no. I am Sothis. I am the goddess. But my memories - they have been faint and muddled ever since I first woke with Byleth and they haven't come back to me. I - I apologize, Flayn. I can't remember much of anything from before I woke. I believe you. I believe that I am who you say I am."

She doesn't remember, but it feels right.

"I have no answers. I only know that I was a part of Byleth's mind - that we were together - and I cannot remember anything before that - only bits and pieces."

[sleepqueen]

"That shouldn't be entirely beyond me - I had the power to turn back the hands of time and fate to a certain degree. So perhaps... Byleth chose differently each time and each time something made us wind back. It's not impossible. But I cannot say."

And that frustrates her, more than she can really express, and it shows in her expression. She has spent so much of her time feeling helpless and unable to act and now - what? She is helpless again, tormented by her own foggy memories and lack of knowledge. Her frown deepens as she continues to climb the stairs, attention finally return to Edelgard. Something's wrong (beyond the obvious) but she can't put her finger on what.

"Such a thing may be possible. I look forward to speaking with her... even if our memories may not exactly align. It will still be good to see her. I-"

I've missed her, she's about say, and then she clamps her mouth shut with a little 'hmmph'.

[flame_emperor]

Her "hmmph" is met with a chuckle and a small smile from Edelgard, not that Sothis can see that. "I understand. For what it's worth, Byleth has missed you a great deal. She still speaks of the time you spent together fondly." There's a pause. She's fairly certain given what Sothis has just admitted about her memory, she doesn't know of the war, or Edelgard's aims...what she succeeded in doing in her own world, with Byleth's help, no less. She has no way of knowing how Sothis will react to hearing about all of that, but it's something she deserves to hear from Byleth, not her.

"And, I look forward to the chance to get to know you better as well." Another strange thing to say, but she has no interest in knowing the Goddess. Just the person walking the stairs with her. "Byleth has become very...dear to me." The words are carefully chosen. "I hope we can spend more time together once you are settled in."

lmfkjshdg he's doing his best, i'm sure...

[zarude]

[ that's an interesting name, considering there are few pokemon that go by anything other than their name. their species name, that is.

koko scritches under its chin before answering, a little confused. ]

Um... Skwovet? He hasn't told me otherwise, so...

[ noticing the dog and switching his attention to that — gosh what a cutie. but he doesn't recognize its species at all. ]

Hey, is he a friend of yours? What kind of Pokemon is he?

[ he says this, as he leans in toward him, inspecting each part of him to no avail. ]

[laodicean]

Oh, good. That was lucky the.....uh, hand? was there.

[Laphicet breathes a sigh of relief. At least they seemed okay. That they hadn't gotten hurt falling all that way down or anything. He blinks, glancing over to Alberto when the other asks about the hands.]

I don't know? Wait, you're not going to -- you're not going to jump?!

[It isn't that Laphicet hasn't done the same when escaping some situations back home. But. Still. It's still pretty risky. He isn't sure what the story is with the cliff beast and what activates him to help or not. Laphicet's green eyes widen and he raises his hands in front of him as if telling Alberto to stop, shaking his head.]

[sleepqueen]

"Has she?" Sothis shoots Edelgard a glance - perhaps a knowing one, despite her being from a different timeline, and then she shrugs, still climbing barefoot up the stairs. It's a long walk, she's finding, and she misses being able to simply levitate where she wishes.

"Then I will have to get to know you as well as she has," she decides after a moment, "After all, I have to know you or else I won't know if I approve of the two of you."

There's perhaps a sly hint of amusement there. Or maybe she's being entirely serious.

[madcuriosity]

Goodness! [She leaned in close to look at Alberto's drawing. It did indeed look like a sort of bicycle.] That's lovely! You don't have to pedal? And it's faster?

Maybe you shall find one here! All sorts of things are about in this place! Though, I've never ridden a vespa... or even a bicycle. I don't think I would be very skilled at either.

[loyalbreed]

[ Gawain does not have much to say from that, and from their exchange he is wrought some thought. As if to say without someone commanding him, his emotions had regained freedom upon him. Causing him perhaps to make bad decisions that he would have on other occasions. Done otherwise, on the other hand. His free speaking especially toward Kadoc. May have been precisely the sort of self realization, that ultimately he could never change.

Eventually the silence brings them to the Red Springs. Gringolet ceases it's movements and Gawain is first off of his steed. Offering a hand toward his master so she could come down off the horse. ]

You may stay here for the time being, the inns are provided to us for free. There is much here to take as well, and from it perhaps you can find your next choice of action.