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.

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[flewfromthecage]

Five months...

[Almost the length of time he'd been missing. Whether time moves the same way here as it does in Gaia or not, it still lines up almost perfectly... right?

Finally caving to the impulse, she shuffles closer to Zidane and puts her head on his shoulder, curling her arms around him.]

I was sure you couldn't have survived that. I...

[tantailizing]

[He doesn't say anything, waiting and wondering what she would do. The last he saw her, on the balcony, after gods knows, but it had been her birthday again. For him, that had been much too long.]

[He's surprised for a moment at her closing the distance, but he had wanted to do that too. At least he doesn't have to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her.]

I had to survive. I had to come home to you.

[He would say that to her as many times as needed just to make it clear.]

Even coming here, as long as it took, this wasn't going to stop me.

[flewfromthecage]

[Garnet just holds him tighter when she hears that; stubbornly, even.]

I'm glad... Thank you for coming back.

[She'd be content to just stay there with her head on his shoulder, but becomes a little too aware of how long they've been like that already, and so draws back, only reluctantly. She lets out a breath, and then gives him a look that attempts to be stern, but she's too elated to manage it fully.]

If you ever do anything like that again... Honestly...!

[tantailizing]

[He rubs her back. Hey, it's not like he plans on going anywhere - not if he can help it.]

Don't thank me. I worried you.

[But at least she's not punching his chest. Feeling her draw back, he lets go to look at her, and sheepishly grins at her attempt to be stern. It's the best he can do to not laugh - she's too cute right now.]

Oh no...! I guess I'll have to stay by your side forever then.

[flewfromthecage]

You will!

[Spoken with all the royal authority she can muster. As punishment. Definitely not with a slight falter in her voice, and definitely not because she wants that very badly.]

This situation is not unlike the one we faced before, but that is why I'm sure we'll be able to fix it. And when we do, I'll lock you in the dungeon for the crime of-- of worrying me!

[By that hesitation, she was definitely about to say something else there, only deciding against it at the last second.

"Stealing my heart"...

Too dramatic. Or is it not dramatic enough?]

[tantailizing]

[Okay, his tail might be betraying his amusement as it wags, but it’s so hard. There’s something more he wants to say, but to break this right now? No.]

But the dungeons would be pretty far. Can’t I be somewhere else?

[Oh what would she say now? He leaned a bit closer.]

[flewfromthecage]

[She hesitates, just briefly. Acting is far easier when there's no emotional investment involved, honestly. Eventually, her lips twitch into a slight smile.]

Is there somewhere you would sooner be held prisoner?

[Does he dare take the bait?]

[tantailizing]

[Could he be so bold? Well, no, he always can, but should he? The invitation is right there… He takes a small step closer.]

Maybe next to your room… or share the same one? I’m not picky, but considering it’s my heart captive, I should be near.

[His tail curls a bit and he looks at her, a little anxious for her answer.]

I’m sure you’ll keep me well under watch.

[flewfromthecage]

[Her gaze shifts off to the side. She should scold him for that, she knows it. And if she doesn't, there's no one else around to protect the Queen's sanctity.

But...

She re-focuses. Her expression is hard to define, and that mirrors the way she feels right now, too.]

You'd still have to sneak past Beatrix and Steiner.

[Or would they do her a favor and pretend not to notice if she asked? It's not as if they're blind to the two of them. Even if nothing's "official" at the moment... but could it be, in the future?

For now, maybe she just wants to make it a little bit hard for him, to keep herself from looking too needy. It definitely reflects in the smile she gives him, which can only be described as coy.]

[tantailizing]

[He wouldn’t push that hard, and if she needed to scold him, she was free to do so. Her answer, however, makes his tail still, and he blinks.]

[But then, a grin.]

I think I could pull something off.

[But at the same time, if things were different? Maybe sneaking around wouldn’t be necessary. But speaking of sneaking around, besides Eiko, he hadn’t seen Rusty or the General.]

Neither of them are here right now… I could take advantage of their absence.

[flewfromthecage]

Ah-- Let's not get too excited just yet.

[On that note, Garnet casts him a slanted look, faltering briefly. It's not like she isn't still a bit nervous to approach the idea. Maybe he'd be fine jumping right to it, but she thinks she might need to... build up to it a bit. Yes. Something like that.

(They've not even kissed yet.)]

Though in their stead... I don't suppose you'd be willing to take up the mantle to protect me?

[She does smile at him, though, as if to try and soften the blow.]

[tantailizing]

Too much? I'll pull it back.

[He didn't mean to suggest... just cuddling would be fine with him. They hadn't even kissed yet which was something that should be corrected. His tail wags though at the thought of getting to kiss her if he could...!]

[But maybe not right now? Gah, when would be a good time??]

I swore on my life I would, Dagger. That's not about to change.

[He smiled back. No hard feelings whatsoever.]

[flewfromthecage]

N-- No, I just...

[Garnet flushes. Clears her throat, turns sideways to him. Well, this is awkward -- to want, and want more than a little, yet be unable to admit it for fear of pushing things too far too fast.]

A-Anyway, where have you been staying? I understand they provide for us at first, but I suppose I will have to find a way to earn money for myself soon...

[tantailizing]

... Dagger?

[She's blushing so he can only think... things. And maybe scratch his cheek a bit. Did she really...? No... no, it's a bit early for that, isn't it?]

We outta try kissing first before anything else.

[Just a suggestion...! But, could they?]

Ah, I've been at the Inn. I was doing some house hunting, but someone put a bounty out on animal mages that I haven't been about to look.

[flewfromthecage]

[The flush deepens, but for a split second, the look in her eyes is... beyond being embarrassed as a matter of course, it's speculative. She's weighing her options, by the pause in her response.]

Zidane... maybe we should move this conversation outside. Into the garden, perhaps. There are still a lot of people around.

[Indeed, the show has since ended, and the crowd hasn't fully dispersed yet. But the garden should provide them adequate shelter, right? It's not full privacy, but unless he has a better suggestion...]

[tantailizing]

[Catching her eye, he turns redder. Yeaah, this conversation is probably better not around so many people.]

Sure. [But calming himself down, he smirks a bit. Playful, he can play this off.]

May I have the honor of escorting Her Majesty to the gardens then?

[He holds out a hand to her.]

[flewfromthecage]

[With a smile, she places her hand in his, curling her fingers slightly. Truthfully, it feels like her heart is going to spring forth from her chest in its excitement, but she does an admirable job of hiding it, returning to the rose garden and feeling mildly calmer by the time they find a shady area to retreat to.

But now that they're here, the question lingers: now what? She doesn't know how to even begin to approach this...]

I...

[Of all the moments for words to fail her... Garnet closes her mouth, takes a breath through her nose, and tries again.]

Zidane, I... I really missed you. All that time gave me an opportunity to think, to find perspective. I had thought it all came too little, too late, but now...

[Her fingers flex at her sides, itching like she wants to do something very badly right now.]

Thank you... for coming home. And for so many other things I could not even begin to list off.

[tantailizing]

[It's nice... to have and hold her hand after so long. He's missed it - missed her, and he doesn't want to hide that fact. Even after they reach the gardens, he's still holding her hand, but if she wanted him to let go... that might be hard, but he would.]

[Squeezing her hand gently, he waits for her to find what she wants to say.]

[Listening to her words, taking note of how her fingers flex, he takes a step closer to her. He takes hold of her other hand.]

You don't need to thank me for that. I'm sorry I took so long... and being away, I had time to think too. It's why I knew, no matter what, I had to come back.

[He gives her a slight smile.]

Y'know, Dagger, people don't know you're a Queen while you're here.

[She's being a bit right proper, but it looks like she wants to do something.]

[flewfromthecage]

[The dam is close to breaking, but she's not quite there just yet, still in the process of scolding herself from somewhere outside her mind for succumbing to nerves at a time like this. An opportunity like this may not come again for a while... or it may be plentiful. But she has no way to know. Does she?]

Yes, but...

[After all, she hasn't even said those words yet. And though his interest has never been a secret, neither has he. It's her that seems to be holding everything back...]

How-- How do I...?

[Garnet loses steam for the full question halfway through, hoping he can catch on with just her hands landing on his upper arms.]

[tantailizing]

[It may not be, but he wouldn't mind sneaking away with her. If she wanted to maintain her poise, that was fine - it was her, and he... well... those words are really hard to say.]

[Her hands out of his grasp and on his upper arms, he feels a bit bolder - and hopes he's not overstepping her wants.]

Like this...

[Cupping her cheek with a hand, he leans in slowly, and softly let's his lips touch hers. He hopes this wasn't wrong because it feels right.]

[flewfromthecage]

[It's not wrong; in fact, she makes a noise that sounds almost gleeful as her guard drops for good. It's a bridge she couldn't quite cross on her own, at least not yet, but she'll get there in time.

With a tightening of her fingers, she pulls him a little closer still, tilting her head a bit to make things easier. She may have needed him to initiate this first time, but she seems to have no qualms about reciprocating wholeheartedly now that he's started things off. By the way her hands start to creep up towards his shoulders and neck, she's enjoying it, too.]

[tantailizing]

[That little exclamation just makes his heart hammer and he's so glad he wasn't reading things wrong.]

[She's closer, and the kiss becomes so much more with her reciprocation. And just as her own hands creep, he moves his own to her back, combing through her hair, and bringing her body a little closer. They are gonna have to do this way more often.]