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

[impostorsyndrome]

Ugh, come on. I know I just told you you don't owe me shit, but I don't have to like being condescended to when I'm just relaying what he said himself. Amazingly enough, I do have more than one friend here! I know, I'm in shock myself.

[He can't even snipe at her without attacking himself a little, but it is also true. He has friends, a decent chunk of them even, and that's still pretty incredible to him. When's he ever been afforded that before in his life?]

He decided to follow me because you weren't here, and because Medea told him I was trustworthy. And he was pretty clear that any Master and Servant aspect to that was over once you got here. It's got nothing to do with being friends with each other.

[fujimaru]

I'm not being condescending, I just literally don't know what's going to get through that walnut brain of yours.

[ If he's going to be suspicious of literally everything she says, she might as well be as blatantly clear as possible, and if that's condescending... oh well. He can take it however he wants. ]

I don't know the context of what's been going on with you guys here. I didn't even know Asterios was here. All I get is you throwing stuff at me and getting mad when I take you at face value. Do you wanna set up some kind of signal so we never have to run into each other again, or what?

[ She doesn't actually want that; it goes against almost everything in how she relates to people, but... she's still tired. She's so tired, and right now, she's willing to take the risk that he'll say yes.

(Probably, even if they agree to this, there will be something that throws them together, because she knows how these things go. But the offer is there on the metaphorical table.) ]

[impostorsyndrome]

I can't believe you just said with a straight face that you weren't condescending to me and then called me a walnut brain. Weren't you supposed to be good at this social thing?

[It's supposed to be an insult, and it is one, but the end of the "question" gets softened some by Kadoc actually . . . considering it as a question when he comes out with it. Is she? Maybe she's not, not nearly as much as he took for granted she must be, considering her success with things throughout the Singularities and his Lostbelt? But that's the thing she has, isn't it? Isn't that supposed to be How Fujimaru Ritsuka Can Still Win?

Why is she so weird and normal and awkward and tired instead?

Well, so is he. Kadoc sighs in a huff, looking at a spot on the ground somewhere to her left, arms tight.]

But anyway, that's not gonna work out. Sorry to disappoint you.

[There's a safe answer. He's confident in it. It isn't going to work out, due to the nature of this place and the natures of their respective relationships with the Servants here. This is honest enough, and it's a bonus that by giving it, he doesn't have to think about whether or not he would actually want to draw that boundary if he could.]

[fujimaru]

You're the one who keeps saying that, not me.

[ Ritsuka's greatest strength is in her inability to give up. Knock her down, beat her up, whatever it is, she can and will just get to her feet again. It applies to people around her, too--once she's invested, she doesn't give up.

But it's different when it's another human, and not a Servant that she has to work with or else. She wants to get along with him--she's had a lot of time to think about the what-ifs and whys in regards to Team A and how that could have been. She can't just browbeat him into being friends with her. Her Servants did choose to answer her call, however roundabout; he's never chosen anything to do with her. ]

I'm not trying to condescend to you. Don't you have to feel superior to someone to condescend to them? I'm insulting you flat-out, because for a smart guy, you're being really stupid about this.

And since you're a smart guy, I know you know that's a cop-out answer. It's not about whatever weird stuff is going to happen here. It's about intent.

[impostorsyndrome]

. . . You're not pulling any punches.

[There's some mild surprise in that. Maybe even some admiration. If anything, this reminds him just a little of his recent conversation with Gawain, which had left him similarly discombobulated: the combination of insulting, honest rudeness right to his face, along with the stated desire to be around him and see him well, and for him to have relationships with their loved ones. How is he supposed to deal with this? It's so . . .

It's honest, is what it is. It's impossible to read anything else into, and Kadoc's brain doesn't know how not to read into things people say to him. How is he supposed to infer resentment and distrust into the caring comments when the insults are right there out in the open in the other remarks? Fujimaru, it would seem, is entirely willing to be an asshole to him, and yet she's still putting this decision on his shoulders.

Goddammit. Fuck!]

Fine. Lemme ask you something before I answer that. Wouldn't you rather not have anything to do with a walnut-brained raccoon yourself? Why am I the one making this choice? You're within your rights to tell me to screw off forever. Sure you don't wanna do that and save yourself the trouble of giving me the choice to say no? What if I don't?

[fujimaru]

Because I want to be friends with you.

[ Honestly, she both is and isn't surprised that he'd turn the question on her. It feels incredibly obvious to her--why would she be sticking around, otherwise? Why would she be here talking to him, when he's given her multiple openings to simply walk away?

But also, she might not know him, but she knows enough about him. She isn't actually surprised he'd be suspicious, or that he would either not notice, or completely dismiss that obvious answer right there. Any immediate fierce anger she had for him withered long ago; now, it's not unlike the way she's felt towards former enemy Servants summoned to Chaldea.

It's just again--he knows. He actually remembers. That matters a lot. ]

I don't mind working with you. I'd rather do that than the alternative. But I'm not gonna strongarm you into it, either. Something like this has to be a mutual decision.

[impostorsyndrome]

Ngh.

[A little grumble of sound that he doesn't mean to be audible. Ugh. She's not going to budge and let him turn this on her, is she? He had a feeling, but it'd still been worth a try—and it was a legitimate concern, of course. It's not like Kadoc wants to be the only one here with the right to set boundaries.

For one thing, he's fucking terrible at that.

Because here's the thing: he could do that right here and now, and she'd listen. He can tell she would. Fujimaru would back off entirely, leaving a gaping hole where their extremely awkward relationship currently lies. And Kadoc isn't used to that kind of person. Leave me alone already, goes the script, and Pepe's return dialogue goes, Oh honey, I know you don't mean that! Or maybe Beryl sneers at him before clapping him roughly, insincerely on the back: C'mon, you know I'm only saying it because I care about you! It could be them. Or it could be Anastasia, refusing his childish whining with a crisp You must think twice before speaking to me that way again, Kadoc. Do you think of me as a mere Servant?

It's always been so easy. He's never had to think about how much he means it when he says it. It never mattered.

And now, if he says it because it's the easy thing, the thing he always says, leave me the hell alone—and he doesn't mean it, what then? He just has to live with that?

Ngh.

Okay. This is like any problem. You start with the easy parts and keep going, taking it apart bit by bit, and then the hard part is done before you know it. So the easy part first:]

I know you know being friends isn't the same thing as working with someone. Or maybe it is, for you. But it never has been for us. Just ask Kyrielight . . . she knows.

[After all, Fujimaru hadn't been thrilled with how Kadoc had treated her in Russia. May as well remind her of that right now.

Now for the next-hardest part. Kadoc watches her warily, gaze steady now in meeting Ritsuka's, but his posture is still protectively shuttered.]

But working together here only makes sense. I'm already doing that with your Servants. As you pointed out yourself, that was their choice. They'd probably stop if you ordered them, but I know you won't, and neither will I. As of now, there's a truce between me and the others who've shown up that's not going anywhere.

. . . So I'm not gonna withhold my cooperation.

[fujimaru]

Okay.

[ She meets his gaze without flinching or blinking, her expression calm. Her own posture stays upright, not defensive, but not relaxed. Everything she's built has come as a partnership, not one side making a concrete decision over the other; even on the battlefield, she only directs where it seems necessary.

But she is, on a small private level, relieved that he hasn't just immediately flounced off with the offer she's made. It's a start. As long as there's some foundation, however shaky it is, she can work with that.

So she takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly, and lifts her chin as she looks at him. He's taller than her, but she's not going to back down. ]

That's still not the same thing as what I'm asking... but okay.

So I'm going to assume you mean you'll extend this "truce" to me? But what about the rest of it?

[impostorsyndrome]

You're seriously not gonna let me off the hook.

[He wheedles half to himself, but absolutely loudly enough for her to hear without difficulty. What else is he supposed to do?! He can't just have this conversation without complaint! Perish the thought. Whatever he says or agrees to here, let everyone know it was begrudging and whiny! It's just so easy to fall back on. She may not be treating him the way his colleagues back home ever did, but he can still kinda act like she is anyway, and it makes things feel simpler. It makes Kadoc able to meet her eyes, despite her overwhelming sincerity.

He takes a breath too, in echo of hers, if less dramatically.]

Are you actually asking me if we're friends now? Of course we're not. If you're really masochistic enough that you wanna try . . . I'm not the boss of you. Try, if you've decided you want that. We'll see how long that lasts.

[Buried under all of that bluster, that is permission.

Fujimaru isn't good at giving up on things, he knows, but surely this will be the exception, right?]

[fujimaru]

Why would I do that? Wouldn't that be worse?

[ She raises an eyebrow at him. While she doesn't know him well enough to really have a solid bead on him, she can at least recognize a come at me challenge from him when she hears one. There's the temptation to keep needling him on that, but honestly, this seems equally reasonable to point out. ]

If I said all that, and you were complaining like this, and I just said, yeah, okay, you're right, it's not worth it, you'd be just as mad, wouldn't you?

[ Ritsuka would be mad. Oh, she'd be so mad to be dismissed right when she thought she was being taken seriously. It's a gamble to think he'd feel the same, but it's one she's willing to take. ]

Anyway, I'm not saying I expect us to be friends now. But there's a big gap between--[ she pitches her voice lower, in a bad imitation of him ]--"I won't withhold my cooperation--[ and back to normal again ]--and actually agreeing to work together. Or just get along.

[impostorsyndrome]

Ugghh. Yeah, okay, if you're gonna argue semantics, I'm agreeing to work together. It's the same thing! But I can't promise getting along. That's not the kinda thing you can just control. You shouldn't be promising it to me, either. I might, and probably will, drive you insane. You'll probably drive me insane right along with you.

[It's already happening, isn't it! They've (he's) managed to make even this simple exchange of greetings and truce offerings into nitpicky bickering. Kadoc knows better than to think he can just promise to be a good coworker, at least in this situation. He'd promise that to Gundham or Crow. This is five thousand times more fraught.

But at least he feels on much more even ground than he did just earlier. This may be petty, but he can navigate it. Somehow he did manage to agree to work with her without the world or his head exploding, which had been a very real fear. His arms cross loosely now over his chest, less aggressively defensive and more . . . The Attitude.]

But I'm not gonna go out of my way to antagonize you, if that's what you mean. And if you'd sized me up and told me I wasn't worth it after all that? I'd know I deserved it, so I wouldn't even blink. I've heard worse that I didn't deserve, and I was fucking begging for it this time.

[fujimaru]

You're just...

[ He's a giant M, isn't he? An SSR M! It's almost impressive, if also exasperating. This isn't exactly being a tsundere, is it? This is just all tsun, no dere.

But she doesn't finish the sentence aloud. He can ask for it if he wants her to tell him that much. ]

...If you really think that you're gonna be enough to drive me nuts, you've never had to live through a GUDAGUDA phenomenon. Trust me, after you've been through even one of those, your patience level hits max rank. So I feel pretty comfortable promising you there's no way I'm gonna punk out.

So, hey, glad to be working with you... Senpai.

[ Will he even know the word? He's not Japanese, but it's popular enough, these days. Even if he doesn't, though, there's no way he won't pick up on the layers of sarcasm as she holds a hand out to him, offering a shake. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

What the hell is a GUDAGUDA phenomenon?

[Kadoc offers her this, and his hand. Let this be the phrase they shake on. He refuses to return the glad to be working with you sentiment, or to rise to the bait of the word senpai, which he does know. He makes a little face at her tone that isn't quite a literal eyeroll, but the spirit is there.

Shake shake. It's official: they're senpai and kouhai. Or at least allies. . . . Or at least kinda attempting it.]

[fujimaru]

[ She sees that face, and she makes one right back at him. ]

Honestly? "What the hell" is probably the best way to describe it.

[ Her tone is deeply, deeply long-suffering. What the hell, indeed. ]

It's just... a very special time of year, where people break the fourth wall right into your face, there's weird little mini versions of Oda Nobunaga running around, with added Shinsengumi? And friends? A couple of years ago, there were honest to god flying saucers zipping around. They've been back every year since.

...I know that all sounds like some kind of fever dream that I'm saying to get one over you, but for real, I wish it were just that.

[impostorsyndrome]

[This is more than a little hard to react to. Look, Kadoc was not given an Alien God Infodump™ about annual events like Summer and Christmas and GUDAGUDA, only about the actual plot, and while that had been plenty bizarre and eventful, this is another level. She says all of that and it feels like it takes him three times as long for his brain to actually hear it, as in, process those words in that order.

Finally,]

. . . No, if you were making that up, you'd have to have done it a while ago. No one could come up with that off the top of their heads and just spout it off without missing a beat. And if you did spend entire minutes of your day working on that in advance just to see the look on my face, I've got no idea what to say to that.

[fujimaru]

I really, really wish I could just say "surprise! It was all a prank, bro!" But I can't.

[ She doesn't resent GUDAGUDA--sometimes she's even grateful for the sheer rollercoaster that it is--but it is incredibly difficult to explain, as someone who's lived it. Not without sounding like she's the one with a Madness Enhancement, that's for sure. ]

If I were gonna make up a story to get a reaction, it'd be less "Warring States Period meets Meiji Restoration" and more...

[ ... ]

Actually, now that I think about it, I think most of my life is stranger than anything I can come up with.