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

[sos_pilot]

[ Atta boy. ]

Please, hang on, baby! I promise you, I'll find your daddy! Just please don't give up! Why, gods, why? WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN MEEEEEE?!

[ While some of the shopkeeps may be backing up, there's also a good handful who are just filled to the brim with awkward. Oof. They didn't ask to be a part of this scene!

One of them, at least, clears their throat. ]

Uhhh. Not for nothing, but some of that stuff of mine he took? It is broken...

I see, I see... Please! Allow me to pay for this dear little child! It's all the money I have*, but if it'll pay for this innocent baby's mistake, you can have it all! After all, what's the value of a poor** single mother**, compared to your lost wages?

[ *on her person. Still has plenty back where she's staying.
**poor by her uncle scrooge's richest duck ever status.
***single by choice. Her children aren't even here, dammit.

Geez. But at least she does mean she'll pay for the damages, if her shuffling out coins from her pocket means anything. ]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto is keeping up a good act, looks pitiful, but when she shouts "Why couldn't have been meee?!" so dramatically, he hangs his head in his crossed hands, hiding his face... so no one can see him smirking uncontrollably. Who the hell is this crazy seagull(?) lady...? Whoever and whatever she is, she's helping him out. He peeks one eye from the crook of his elbow to watch a couple shopkeepers shaking their heads and waving the pair off as they leave the scene... It's too much hassle, they have a stand to run. Half the stuff he stole was trash they were trying to swindle people out of anyway.

But of the very few shopkeepers he'd actually stolen valuable items from... A couple stick around. Glaring. Skeptical entirely. Another shopkeeper, a shrewd-seeming older woman, has her arms crossed over her chest, and speaks up, too. ]

My items were valuable rarities — those crystals there are enchanted with high level fae magic, and that alchemy set is hundreds of years old! If what you say is true, ma'am, then you surely can't afford all of this... with all due respect.

[ The way she speaks... seems like it's without much due respect, though. Glowering like that. Alberto sits up, looking to the woman who spoke. ]

Signora, please, my dad can pay! He's a rich man— he's close friends with the king! I don't know where he is, but I'm sure if we just go find King Archer—

King Arthur... [ The woman corrects, even more skeptical now. ]

Arthur. Whatever. That's what I said. I'm saying, the king will help. I know he's just inside...!

[ He lapses slightly out of his pathetic state when he's corrected, but slumps over once again, tilting his head to gaze up at the couple of grumpy shopkeepers with pleading eyes, which then drift back toward the castle gates. This lie is snowballing quickly... ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Uh-oh.

As Alberto starts the whole 'dad knows the king' angle, Della swiftly tries giving him the 'cutting hand at neck' gesture, a.k.a, NO NO NO STOP STOP STOP. When it comes to lying, you NEVER go bigger than you can afford! You keep the size reasonable!

She takes a gulp of air, then gets to her feet, grabbing Alberto by the cheeks. ]

OH MY GOODNESS! He's so ill, he can't even remember the name of the king! I didn't realize the heat was that bad, unless... unless... this is something far worse than heat...

[ Then, with one hand behind her back, rubbing her fingers together, she begins using her Dark Magic. It's a simple spell, merely to make some of the broken bits glow spooky colors, but hopefully it'll work for the ruse. ]

Don't tell me... don't tell me... those crystals were CURSED!

[prontissimo]

[ The woman gasps, seeing the glows begin to emanate. She can't recognize a glamour from the legit deal, either... and when Alberto notices Dela's new angle, he's just as quick to try and keep up, and even if he's not too great with his light magic yet, he's figured out essentially what he can do — and sheer creativity is a magic all its own. He sits up once more, and leans over the box to try and shove the rest of the strewn things back into it. The only couple stragglers who'd had the patience to stick around, left swiftly at the mention of a curse. ]

Even if they're cursed... I— I should do what's right, I'm sorry...

[ But as he starts to pick up the items Dela has made glow, as if he's collecting them to give them back, he drops the crystal abruptly (conveniently into the box, though), and it looks as if there's blood all over his hands suddenly. He looks confused, but his brow is knotted in resolve. He reaches for another glowing crystal, and the woman gasps once more, crying out for him to stop, concerned about him getting potentially cursed blood on it... But it's done. Once again, he drops it to the ground — or, uh, throws it down, rather, as if it's shocked him — which shatters it. Alberto shrinks back, crying out in pain and holding his hand before him as more blood appears from his palm — and a glowing dark spot that begins to spread... His eyes grow wide looking at it, and he shoves his hands out to the pair of persistent shopkeepers, wild, terrified eyes pleading for help as he exposes his mysteriously bleeding hands to all these adults, even to Dela for extra believability... It really is unnerving, actually. His best performance yet? ]

Wha—! What's happening!? Aah!

[ He cries out again like a hiss of pain, wincing and curling his fingers stiffly like claws. This took a surprisingly dark turn, but uh, seems to have... done something? If not exactly worked? To get him out of this.

The older woman gasps again, pressing her hands against her mouth. This may be a thieving child, but still a child! A bleeding child! And it could be there was a curse against thieves placed on it, it's entirely plausible...! ]

Wait! Wait here, child! I'll get someone with siphoning magic! You— you keep watching him! This is dark magic, dark...!

[ The woman has much drama in her voice herself, now, and after addressing Dela, she motions to the other shopkeeper to follow, and darts off toward the palace gates. As soon as their backs are turned... the act's up. Alberto takes those seemingly bloody, cursed hands and frenetically collects what remains of the spilt goods, even the broken crystal, shoves it in the crate, and stands to his feet with full gracefulness. His chest is out, and while he's able to keep a calm, nonchalant look on his face, he makes direct eye contact with Dela for a quiet moment. Then, so casually: ]

Hey. Thanks. ...Ciao!

[ And with his stuff in tow again, starts to make off with it once more, walking quite a bit faster now, no longer stopping for more. He's clearly making an exit. He's not sure if this seagull-lady will follow him or not, and he doesn't mind either way if she does or doesn't, but he certainly thinks it's best for him to get out of this place now while he still has a chance to keep the stuff. That woman really should have told that other shopkeeper to stay there to keep an eye... Her own dramatics blinded her of some criminal logic. Not that Alberto is a criminal — he's just opportunistic. And a fine collector. But if someone is coming back to break a curse that he doesn't actually have on him, uh... That's not good. He's smarter than that, at least. Likewise, if they're coming back and Dela's there and he's not, and neither is all the stuff... That's probably also not good for Dela, either. Oops. Sort of threw her under the bus making off like this if she stays, didn't he? As usual, roping other people into his chaos... ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Da-yum. This kid should go into showbusiness. He'd earn himself a shelf full of Oscars!

But now onto the real problem. She dusts herself off, then very quickly jogs up to his side, clearing her throat loudly. ]

Yeaaaaah no. You're going to put down that box of stuff you stole, and then I'll see about getting you a healer for the scrapes I caused, before those guys realize we were more full of ham than a wagon of bacon.

[ After all, she wasn't going to forget why this all started in the first place! ]

[prontissimo]

Ha, yeaaaah, no. It's not like they'd even want it back now, anyway — I mean, it's cursed.

[ He mocks her tone, raising a brow at her quizzically as she speaks, looking at her from the corner of his eye and he goes on. He keeps up the pace, undeterred, slipping out the palace gates, and though he's turned many heads... no one else comes after them, thankfully. The confidence this kid has is— either amazing or annoying, it's hard to tell. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ No, it's annoying. ]

The minute they find out we were lying, you think it'll be safe to show your face around the market again? They'll wanna lock you up and throw away the key! At least you if you leave this stuff behind, they'll go easier on you they next time they see you.

[ This isn't just Della's voice.

This is MOM voice. With MOM tone. ]

How would you feel if someone just strolled up into your place and took whatever they want? This is NOT a safe place to pull that kind of nonsense! The actual King is ill, tensions between the neighboring kingdoms is at all time high, and EVERYONE is on edge! You do not want to be the last match that lights the kindling!

PUT. THE. BOX. DOWN. NOW.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto stops and looks at her with a blank stare as she speaks, a frown tugging his lips as the look becomes increasingly dismissive and derisive. That Mom Voice with a MOM Tone might work on other kids... who, y'know, had moms. Or dads. Just— adults around in general. Alberto, though, just shrugs, and spins on his heel, continuing on his way. His only father figure in his life now would take a completely different approach with this, and is so intimidating just physically, it would be Massimo's silence that's more terrifying than anything he could say. Plus Alberto's personally invested in not disappointing him. This lady? A stranger. A kind stranger, who just helped him sort of, but, y'know, that's on her. ]

Look. If there's a sick king and all that, then whatever I'm doing probably isn't that high on their list of priorities. I'll take my chances.

[ He doesn't know what jail is. The mention of being locked up doesn't really make sense to him. He, uh, also doesn't know what a key is. Even though he had several back home. Like, several. The whole threat is lost on him. ]

[sos_pilot]

... You asked for it.

[ She doesn't plan on hurting the kid - gods, no! But a little humiliation can go a long way. She stops walking, but holds out both hands.

Her second magic is Dark. Her first magic? Kinetic.

The box begins to wiggle, a slight warning, before beginning to head slowly up into the air. She's never lifted something this heavy before, so it IS a strain, but she's willing to keep it up to get it away from him. ]

... Y'know, in hindsight, I probably should have done this first before we went all theater troupe on the townfolks.

[ To be fair, this is the same woman who thought she could jump off the moon. Plenty of intelligence, absolutely zero wisdom. ]

[prontissimo]

Huh— What! H-Hey! That's my stuff!

[ Alberto is not letting go of that box. He is reaching out as far as he can, fingers grabbing onto the bottommost plank of wood to each side of the crate as tight as he can manage. If this means that he'll float up in the air with it... Then so be it. But maybe he's big enough to at least weigh it down, he figures. He's not at all sure what's happening, but he does. not. like it. He also doesn't know what to do to fix it... He's a bit shy on both wisdom and intelligence, frankly. He has his own brand of smarts, but it uh, has a few holes in it. Clearly. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Dagnabbit, she was sure he'd let go! She's not sure how long she can hold the weight of the box AND him!

Sweat breaks on her body, trying to wiggle the box (gently) to get him off. ]

It's NOT your stuff, and you know it! Why didn't you just ASK if you could have it? Shoot, even I could have even bought you some of this stuff if you were just nice enough about it!

[ Brief pause, guessing the amount of wise-ass in him - ]

And asking NOW does not count!

[prontissimo]

[ She absolutely was right to guess that amount of wise-ass in him. He even opened his mouth in that brief pause to say just that before she took the words out of his mouth. Her apparent mind-reading (non-magical at all, of course, just mom magic that's even further beyond his comprehension) just makes him pout, scowling at her, hanging in the air with his arms fully outstretched above his head. This is ridiculous. Even when she wiggles it, he just dangles limply beneath it. Alberto is nothing if not tenacious. ]

I wasn't not nice! You tripped me — I know you did! What's your problem, eh?! It's not like it's your stuff, either, why do you care!

[ He's never had an adult take this much interest in what he's doing — never had anyone take this much interest in what he's doing — much less a stranger. His short time with Massimo just felt... fun, and exciting. He wasn't doing bad things. He doesn't even consider what he's doing now bad. He doesn't even consider it stealing, in fact! Stealing involves sneaking. He's just taking. He doesn't know how to use his phone to use the cash app to pay for this stuff, barely understood the concept of money when he first learned about it a couple weeks ago even back home... In his mind, these lines are pretty blurry. ]

[sos_pilot]

Tripping you was wrong, I'll admit that! And I am sorry for it, even if you don't believe me! But I don't want to see you get in trouble or get hurt even worse for a moment of bad judgement! You can't take things that don't belong to you! Now let go!

[ shoot shoot shoot - for a noodle limp of a boy, he is heavy! She's got less than a minute left of energy left to keep this up! Her good knee is starting to buckle!

But therein lies another problem - if she drops the box now, she drops the kid, and he could still wind up hurt! And no rotten egg deserves that! ]

I don't think you're a bad kid! Please, prove me right!

[prontissimo]

I'm not a bad kid! No one's hurt! So what did I do wrong?!

[ His voice breaks a little when he raises it like that, his preteen anger growing at that comment. She's obviously struck a nerve. But he's revealed something softer about himself in that reaction somehow. It's more transparent than he's been acting up til this point — because, well, even if it's not over-the-top like before, he's still been acting up til this point. But now it's clear there's something wrong with this kid, himself — not just the wrong things he's doing. Why doesn't he understand this predicament he's in? Is his measure of "right" and "wrong" really this simple — did someone get hurt? He doesn't see how losing this stuff could even hurt someone's feelings, if they're trying to give it away anyway.

What's more... he's still not letting go, even though his hands are starting to slip and shake a bit. He is really tied to this stuff, huh? ]

[sos_pilot]

[ But before Della can explain the glory of capitalism, her magic breaks - and the two are gunna fall. ]

NO!

[ She is NOT going to let the kid be hurt again because of her! She can't stop the fall, but she can try to cushion it - which is why she dives for the ground, landing on her stomach, trying to make it so Alberto at least lands on her. It's like landing on a pillow of duck feathers... that also has bones and organs in it. So, not like a pillow at all. But it definitely has to be better than landing on the ground.

Somebody's hurt now, at least. ]

[prontissimo]

[ Lucky for Dela, Alberto has been practicing his magic since he's been here from the moment he first took the trek up the stairs off the shores. His familiar taught him a trick right away that he has since gotten a decent hang of... No, he hasn't, this is like the second time he's successfully done it. And just as he's about to fall, feels gravity kicking in as he usually likes so much, he shuts his eyes tight and thinks really hard about how to materialize a hard light barrier the way his cat had done for him when he jumped off the cliff.

Over. And over. And over.

Dela's worries are misplaced. He falls for fun — like, as an activity. So when a thin layer of translucent, pearlescent, iridescent magic appears between them, Alberto collides with that first, and is able to land on his bum in a heap just beside her, sliding off the barrier as it disintegrates. He opens his eyes and looks behind him, catching the barest final glimpse of his magic's shimmering mist left behind as it disappears, and his face lights up in glee. ]

Ha! I did it!

[ He even still has the box in his hands... However, with the fall, a lot of the contents did spill out again. And quickly enough, he's on his knees again, about to reach for whatever he can grab, but shoots a guilty look over his shoulder to Dela on the ground, who just sacrificed herself to break his fall... for no reason... What's with this lady? It stops his hand, hesitating, and he pulls it back, leaving the item he was reaching to retrieve untouched. ]

Uh— Are you okay...?

[ His voice is tentative, more for the emotional impact of what just happened than real concern for her bodily wellbeing, since, well— nothing fell on her. She's just lying on the ground, in the end. But... he knows he was supposed to fall on her, and it seems right to ask it. But the twinge of guilt finally sinks in with that action, clearly, enough to still his hand picking up his precious stuff again. And maybe that slight redirection of his attention is proof enough he's a good kid. Checking on her even when she's not hurt, just for the principle of it. She was ready to be hurt. Why's she care so much? He doesn't get it. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Della waits for the landing, hoping that she doesn't break or bruise anything. Boy, wouldn't that be fun to explain to her roommates? So she waits.

And waits.

And waits.

Finally, she opens one eye and sees the boy she risked her feathers for all fine and dandy. ]

Wha - Oh, come on! I used up a perfectly good bodyguard "NOOOOO" for that! Aw, phooey.

[ Unaware that THIS was what finally pushed the guilt button, Della wobbles as she tries to sit back up... dang. That loosened her prosthetic up a bit. ]

Hang on, lemme just...

[ She reaches down, shifting her metal leg back and forth a bit. Upon closer inspection, it looks like it's odd pieces of metal with bits of gauze and gum holding it together - if he even has any idea what any of those things are. But she seems satisfied after a few seconds, sighing with relief. ]

Oh, good. If I busted this up, Fenton would never let me hear the end of it... Then I'd get the lecture, and the puppy-dog eyes, which is so weird when he has an actual puppy-dog...

[ But she's rambling, and it's time to focus on what's REALLY important, as far as she's concerned. Time to face the boy, and give him a good look up and down. He looks okay, for the most part, but she still has to ask. ]

You all right? You didn't get hurt, did you? ... Well, anymore hurt than what I caused, anyway.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto can't keep his eyes from her prosthetic as soon as he notices it, watching her fidget with it. He'd been so focused on their theatrics and his stuff that it hadn't stuck out to him, even when she tripped him. But now, unknown to her, even this struck a personal nerve. He wasn't going to say anything about it, but when she mentions it herself, relieved it's not harmed... he figures he can ask? Maybe? Maybe he shouldn't. But... this strange seagull-lady has already been so forward with him. This is hands down one of the weirdest interactions he's had in his life. He shakes his head no when she asks him if he's hurt. ]

No, I'm fine...

[ His voice is a little distant, eyes trailing back to her leg before glancing to meet her eye awkwardly. ]

...Um— ...Is that how you came into the world?

[ It's an interesting way to phrase that question. Better than "what happened," but as always, Alberto has a tendency to mimic those in his life. Of course he can't help but think of Massimo. Massimo, who was so completely undeterred by having only one arm, who was not disabled by it in the slightest, the best fisherman in the village — and most respected. At least by Alberto, that's for certain. Whatever this weird seagull-lady did for a living... She seemed powerful enough to him as it is, just by her sheer chutzpah. He's never seen a prosthetic before, either, and the way it's sort of cobbled together with odds and ends, well— also strikes a personal nerve, still unknown to her. This has definitely softened him a bit. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Well, that's good - that he isn't injured, and hasn't run away with the box. Maybe she still has a chance to smack some sense into him - not literally.

The question makes her blink a few times before she realizes what he meant. She's had 'this' leg for so long that she sometimes forgets it's not normal for others. ]

The short version is "yes". The long version is too sad, scary, and gross to tell someone whose name I don't even know.

[ Hint hint, there. ]

And I know it's gunna sound like I'm making it up to make you feel bad, but I did wind up getting this because I also took something without permission. So it's not like I don't have some experience with rule-breaking myself.

[ True, the rocket-ship was technically made for her, but... oof. But maybe this can be another Learning Lesson for the kid. She shifts around to stick her leg out towards him, showing it how the 'knee' bends. ]

You wanna touch it? I made it myself, it won't break easily.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto gets the hint, but doesn't take it. He'll exchange names when he's good and ready. It's not so important to him. He's far more interested in what she's saying. And what she's saying has an impact far more than anything else she's tried with him. He's not exactly scared of the consequences of stealing or even necessarily Learning His Lesson, but finding commonalities with her in any capacity is... strangely stirring? The mention of rule-breaking — one of his many expertises — and that she made a false leg for herself, in particular, kind of make a "click" in his mind. His guilty discerning, compassionate look on his face shifts a bit, though, as his eyes light up when she asks if he wants to touch it. He doesn't smile, but he can't quite hide an eagerness and wild curiosity inside him. He's a kid. Even with all his acting practice, his masking has limits. He faces her fully, leaning forward at the invitation without hesitation. ]

You made yourself a leg...? Seriously?

[ As offered, he reaches out to touch it, albeit with kid gloves, but he goes to move her knee again as she'd done. He's examining her gauze and gum and all its mechanics more closely, and it's clear as day all over his face how he's amazed and impressed, no way an act for pity on her. ]

How'd you make it? Out of just a bunch of human stuff?

[ An odd way to phrase this, um? A first hint for her something's even more odd about this boy than meets the eye. ]

But it's metal— how'd you make it, uh— [ He glances to her other webbed foot. ] ...foot-shaped?

[sos_pilot]

[ There's a small eye-roll when he won't give up his name, but, fine, it'll come about eventually. But he's really not too much older than her own boys, so she knows in the end innate curiosity will always win out. So she allows him to play and fidget with the leg all he likes - shoot, if using it as a weapon to bludgeon monsters won't break it, him tweaking her foot up and down sure won't.

And yes, definitely noticing the 'human' word there, and that's both a surprise and a relief. Humans outnumber non-humans wayyyy too much here! It's weird! Where's the sense of balance? Though it does make her wonder what he is, if not human. ]

It was more out of desperation than anything else. Let's see how I can put this...

[ She's come to find that space travel is such a rarity in other worlds that she doubts very much this kid would even know what a rocket-ship is. So, she'll stick to simple terms - no sadness, horror, or gross. ]

Many years ago, I went exploring in a "ship" that didn't belong to me... but, as it turns out, I didn't know how to steer it right, and I crashed. I wound up having to make my leg out of parts I could spare from the ship. I had to rip apart some parts, connect others, basically make it up as I went along. It took a lot of attempts... those first few legs were not a pretty sight, I can tell you that. But I wasn't going to give up.

I can be pretty stubborn... but I'm gunna assume you already guessed that by now.

[prontissimo]

[ He stops fiddling with her leg for a second and just stares at her when she says she had to make her leg out of parts from the ship. There's obviously some emotion drawn across his face as he listens, but it's not quite a look of amazement, twinged with some vague sadness, a look of clarity, perhaps — it's a complex and mysterious feeling he must be feeling, to watch the way his face shifts, so expressive without words. But when she says she wasn't going to give up, a soft smile twitches the corner of his mouth, and quickly turns into a smirk at her next comment, his eyelids lowering a little as his smirk develops. It's the first time he's smiled since meeting her, and even if it's soft, and smarmy, it's endeared — and maybe endearing, too. ]

Heh— Yeah, I kinda figured that out.

[ He leans back, letting her leg go, curiosity clearly satisfied, and props himself up by his hands flat against the ground, arms straight back, crossing his legs comfortably. There's something very loose and comfortable in general about how he moves, truth be told — nothing stiff or self-conscious, even when confronted by a group of angry shopkeepers, pretending to be bleeding. The casualness this kid exudes can't be all fake; and in this unexpected moment of transparency, trying to acknowledge this sense of commonality he's feeling out loud by offering far more personal information about himself (in his eyes) than his name, that's pretty clear. He's made himself comfortable in all situations, acting or not. ]

...Y'know, I built my own Vespa like that. I mean— it's not a leg, but uh, it took a lot of attempts! And I found all the parts myself! It worked, too— well, pretty much worked. Most of them. We built several Vespas, technically. And crashed several Vespas, too, ha.

[ To him, that's amusing, and no big deal they crashed, even had fun crashing — but suddenly it occurs to him that maybe the comment is... a little insensitive, and that smile drops again, apprehensive, apologetic. ]

S-Sorry. I mean— No one got hurt. Whenever we crashed. It was just for fun.

[ However he tries to hold himself like he knows what he's doing... he's still just a kid. Having fun. And again with that "no one got hurt" being the measure of okay-ness. It's the only measure of okay-ness he's ever known. But if she looks closely herself, stretched out like he is, he's got faint scars of his own dappling his tanned arms and legs to prove how he's made that measure all by himself, too. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ There's a bit of a pause as she absorbs this information. An eyebrow raise, a faint tone of disbelief...]

You built a whole Vespa?

[ ... that turns into delightful laughter. Not mocking no way laughter, but amazed, happy for him laughter. ]

Dude! That's so awesome! Most kids I know would just try for little boring go-karts, but a whole VESPA?! That is so amazing! I would have loved to see it!

[ She lets the laugh and compliments hang in the air a bit before sighing happily, observing him again. Louie's swagger, Dewey's confidence... but also Louie's selfishness, and Dewey's lack of self preservation. This guy needed a bit of Huey in him to balance it all out. He's not a bad kid, he just needs some guidance. ]

Listen, crashes themselves aren't bad - and neither is failing. You learn a lot from failures. If everyone got everything right on the first try, life would be so dull. Shoot, I know a guy who is proud of all his crashes...

[ But, yep. Definitely eyeing those scars. On the one hand, all kids need a little rough and tumble in their lives, it's a part of childhood and growing up. On the other hand, seeing any kid injured in any capacity just twists her insides. ]

... But... you know... you getting hurt, counts as someone getting hurt. I mean, you're out there risking your skin and freedom for... random stuff in a box? Do you even know what you grabbed? Shoot, I've been here for months, and even I don't know half of the junk that's on those shelves.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto looks a bit shocked and confused at first when he hears the trills of Dela's laughter, not understanding why at first, but hearing her praise — comparing him to "most kids," like he's out of the ordinary, someone else telling him he's amazing... It softens into a more genuine smile than the smirk he wore before. He already agrees about the value of failures, to try, try again, but he'd also learned this from just having... ample free time, excess energy, and no one around to help him figure anything out. But he does have a particularly strong aversion to life feeling dull. The comment keeps the smile on his face, listening closely now.

But her next remarks twist that knife far more successfully than anything else she's said to try to guilt him about this shoplifting shit. Him getting hurt doesn't count as someone getting hurt, in his mind; he's on his own. It's on him if he scratches himself falling or scrapes himself up running around, cuts himself jumping off a cliff — that's just rough and tumble, that stuff just happens. He's never gotten himself seriously injured. He doesn't think about the chances that much; the risk always felt worth it, even if he never did it again. Most bruises left him undeterred.

But when she draws attention to the fact that he doesn't even know what this stuff is, and neither does she, having been here much longer than him... that seems to be the kicker. He grabbed this stuff because he doesn't know what it is. It causes him to lower his gaze guiltily, looking obviously reflective, like his tail's between his legs. It takes him pause to respond, but glances up at her again when he speaks, at least still enough wind in his sails to make eye contact regardless, self-defense still intact in his tone. ]

...I like random stuff — especially when I don't know what it is! Why do you keep talking about my "freedom?" I'm fine...!

[sos_pilot]

Why didn't you just ask the people selling it what was? With your acting skills, you could have haggled them down to half price! You could have...

[ She begins to trail off as something dawns on her. Why didn't he haggle? Or even try for a ploy not to spend a dime? If he's so amazingly confident in himself, why didn't he bother with a simple ruse?

Does he... does he not know how money works at all? No, scratch that. Does he come from a world where there is no money?

Uncle Scrooge would have a stroke if ever heard of such a thing.

Della makes a long "hmmm" noise as she cups her beak, dots connecting here and there. Finally, with a clap of her hands, she comes to a decision. ]

It seems... I owe you another apology. Now, while taking stuff without permission is still super wrong... I shouldn't have assumed you knew the rules about this place. That's on me, and I should have remembered how... different we all are, and how different the places we come from are. I mean, you got the spiel when you arrived in the lake, right? That we're all from different worlds and yadda yadda?

[ She begins making back and forth gestures with her hands, indicating the very obvious differences between the two of them. ]

Like, for example, in my world? We don't have any humans. At all. None. Nada. Coming here was my first time meeting humans and even learning what they are. At first I thought all of them were some kind of... horrifying, hideous flesh monsters, ought to hurt me. But, as it turns out, most of them are just like me on the inside, and that makes them pretty cool. I mean, they're still hideous, but yeah.

[ Not counting the whole horrifying wish-genie ordeal Donald put them through, but BOY that was another ten stories and a half that no one deserved to hear. Focus. ]