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avalaughs2021-08-01 12:44 am
avalonmods) wrote in avalaughs2021-08-01 12:44 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10
 Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ 
A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
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
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
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. 
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.
B ⦿ Clash of the Titans
C ⦿ Fresh Waters
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. 
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...
B ⦿ Swap Meet
C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party
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. |
no subject
Andiamoooo!
[ With the magic of Avalon, "let's go" registers in any language, but something about the passion and intention with which this boy speaks these phrases of his resonates stronger than usual, so much conviction and excitement and pride in just knowing a word somehow built into his language itself. Fearlessness, confidence, excitement, it's all contagious. Enough to remind kids like Izuku that they're still kids...!
No matter, Alberto comes crashing down in his cannonball just in the cradle of the Cliff Beast's extended fingertips as another hand jets out of the mountainside. It, like, barely caught him. What's more, a translucent, iridescent sort of net appeared from under him as he landed, breaking his fall somewhat, and he rolls off of it effortlessly into the palm, still hugging himself in a cannonball just as he'd landed. But with a relieved laugh, more airy than before, he chuckles as he releases himself and lies down again. He definitely almost didn't make it. Every time the magic rainbow net has appeared, it's thrilled him.
And its maker, as if on cue, flies up to meet the boys finally — a winged tabby cat, floating midair above the fingertips as the boys land. It looks a little perturbed? Just barely. But it's not like Alberto notices. As soon as Izuku lands in this hand, too, Alberto's sitting up again and reaching out to slap at him excitedly, drawing his attention to the cat. ]
Look, look, did you see that! That's the magic cat! Hah!
no subject
He honestly does feel a little silly with all of this. But there is a smile on his lips as he heaves a breath in. He hasn't felt this carefree in a long time. It's kind of nice to just goof off.]
Ahahah... What...?
[He looks up at the tabby cat and gives it a little wave.]
I'm still sure that it's your familiar. [He's still wheezing some laughter.] That's what we have here...! Magical partners.
I can't believe all of that worked too... Ahaha.
no subject
[ He says with utmost confidence, despite having admitted a few moments ago that they very well may have fallen, fallen, fallen... But his reliance is placed in this cat he barely knows already. He turns his bright grin from Izuku and to the cat again, leaning back with his arms straight out behind him, palms pressed flat against the palm of the Cliff Beast, comfortable as can be, as if he's certain the Beast's hands will just hold them indefinitely... He heaves a big sigh laughingly, painted with amused relief just like Izuku as they come down from their adrenaline high. ]
Magical partners, eh...
[ He muses more to himself than anything, locking eyes with the cat as it lands on one of the Beast's fingertips just as comfortably as its partner looks. Alberto turns back to Izuku, his grin softening into a just genuinely friendly, curious smile. ]
So what's your magic partner like? Are you from here?
[ It's a lighthearted as can be question, as much as it's a heavy and revealing one for all the resonance of its ignorance, if Alberto had any clue where he is right now. It's clear he didn't even make it past these stairs to figure out anything if he's unfamiliar with familiars and... is assuming this guy is a local. That this odd, energetic boy apparently stopped off to do, uh, this, in the middle of his cosmic crisis, is revealing in itself... ]
no subject
Eh- No. I'm not from here either, I was brought to this world months ago. I'm the same as you. [What does he even call it...?] I'm a... visitor?
[But he's been here for almost eight months.]
My familiar is a goat that can use the same sort of alchemy magic as I can. But he's at my house right now, he's ahh... a little lazy sometimes.
no subject
[ Alberto's sitting up totally straight now, attentive, a confused scowl starting to tug away at that casual smile he's worn this whole time. Yeahhh, he definitely stopped off to do this before even making it up the stairs. This is news to him. ]
So— we're not just, eh—... out-of-towners? We're out-of-worlders? Where exactly are we, anyway? I just thought— maybe, um— another city...
[ He trails off sheepishly. Like he was kidnapped or something, he'd really not wrapped his head around what caused him to suddenly find himself plummeting into the sea and arriving in an unfamiliar place without intending to... That's pretty sus, but he figured he could just figure that out later. Maybe a sea monster hunter poisoned him which made him forget what was happening, or knocked him unconscious or something, and then cast him away into the sea far away from Portorosso. He'd thought of that. He'd kind of landed on that. And in that case, there wasn't an immediate solution. Nowhere in his vast and active imagination did he consider he'd been spirited away to another world... He has no concept of outer space, or aliens, or alternate dimensions... He's a simple boy from the sea. He had no idea of the astronomical gravity of his situation here. But— he will soon... ]
no subject
This is... the world of Avalon. We're not in our homeworlds and in instead we're in this one.
[He says this softly, trying to bring up the truth easily.]
It's ... It's not so bad, the magic we learn here is useful and there is a sense of community here since we all come from other places. And soon, once we can help King Arthur, we'll be returned home.
no subject
...So... we can't go home? We're... stuck here? Who do they choose — why me? I mean— what I mean is...
[ He looks back to Izuku with a more worried shade of hurt in his face now, but a sudden focus, his voice tempered and more intent, more intense. ]
Do you know if a boy named Luca is here? Or a man named Massimo? Luca's short, with brown hair, big brown eyes... A-And Massimo's huge with one arm and a mustache...! Have you seen anyone like that?!
[ There's a hint more desperation as his situation sinks in. He was happier with his "hunted and poisoned and kidnapped and tossed overboard in another ocean" idea. At least then, he could return to Portorosso, or run away to Genova, whichever was closest. He's not really invested in a place. He's not really invested in much in his life back home, in fact — only two people. Otherwise, all he'd ever dreamed about was leaving, seeing other places, and if this had happened a month ago, it would have been a totally different reaction. It would have been an escape — he would have felt freed.
But now... he feels loss. Loss of his hopeful future he'd only just built in the past few weeks — loss of his only friendship, loss of a man who'd been a better father to him in less than a month than his own father had been in years, loss of a newfound safety, loss of acceptance by those around him that was long presumed impossible, loss of some semblance of structure in his life at long last... But just as soon as he'd made this new life for himself, only able to do so with the help of these two men he's asking for, two individuals who changed his life and soul forever in only two weeks' time — just as soon as they'd promised him this horizon he'd never been able to reach on his own, it's gone.
If he's alone again... without them...— He needs to know that first and foremost. Anything else Izuku could tell him would only be useful if he knew how he'd have to approach it. He's never trusted in "a sense of community," he doesn't know what that means; so for him, it's a black and white "alone" or "not alone," depending on if Luca or Massimo are here — or neither. But somehow already— the voice of doubt is louder than the voice of hope. ]
no subject
If I'm honest, I think they picked all of us for something... I wonder if it's because we're meant for something here. Like picking up to be a hero.
[Izuku has come to terms with it. And he wants to help where he can in this world. Even if it isn't home.]
I haven't heard of those names before but don't worry. If we head into the city we can start looking for anyone you might know. Luca and Massimo might be somewhere there or someone might have heard of them. What do they look like? I'll help you try to find them.
[Because he can relate to that desperation of not wanting to be alone in a strange place after having been seemingly "kidnapped". Alberto has been a bright kind person and he wants to help keep it that way if he can.]
no subject
Well... Luca is shorter than me, like— here. [ He gestures to about his eye-level. Alberto's fairly tall for his age, where he's from, and Luca's a little short, so saying "short" doesn't mean much without illustration. ] He's skinny, nice but kinda nervous; he's got wavy dark hair and a round face, big round brown eyes— like a fish, but cute, um—
[ He catches himself at that word, glancing to the side and losing his sentence midway, as he takes his first step back up the way he should be going. He pauses to wait to walk alongside Izuku, though, which is nice, and more consideration than he's shown thus far, even if it's ultimately still kind of self-serving. Who can blame him in this moment, though? ]
Massimo— he's, like, the biggest human ever.
[ He spreads his arms as far as they can stretch, vertically, knowing even with his arm at its full length he still wouldn't be able to touch the top of Massimo's head if he'd tried. But— who would try to do that to the biggest human ever, allegedly? Oddly specific that he's human, but seemingly just lighthearted, maybe? ]
His arm is like as big as my whole body! [ Which, granted, isn't saying much, Alberto's very svelte... But the man does sound pretty huge. He folds his left arm behind his back, waving his elbow a little at Izuku as they walk. ] He only has one arm, like I said, with a sea monster tattoo on it. Dark hair, flat cap. And a big bushy mustache! With big bushy eyebrows. Quiet. Scary. Nice...
[ "Scary" and "nice" in the same description is probably a good tell. If anyone, Massimo'd be the one who's easy to pick out in a crowd — he sounds hard to miss, frankly. ]
Oh, uh— and he'd probably have Machiavelli with him... Grumpy fat cat that looks just like him. White with one black front leg and a black mustache. Sits on his shoulder. Have you seen a cat like that? If Machiavelli is here, then Massimo is definitely here...!
[ Desperation drives him to detail. With descriptions like these, there's no room for mistaking these guys, surely. They certainly both sound like a couple of characters. ]
no subject
Izuku makes his way for the pathway up towards the main road again where they can catch a horse-drawn caravan ride back into the main streets of the city. Along the way Izuku is listening carefully to every word and seems to pull out a notebook and pencil out of nowhere and starts to jot down these details word for word. Even that Luca has brown eyes like a fish but cute. Because every detail counts!!]
Hmm. Hmm! Okay. Shorter...wavy hair... biggest human... sea monster tattoo...
[Nodding along as Alberto explains each thing, feet working to take them up the steps without stopping. He's a hero on a mission to do everything he can to try and help.]
With details like that, I think we have a fair chance. Or at least to find someone who's might have heard of them. We'll do our best to find out what we can.
[He does look up to smile at Alberto.]
And I don't think I've seen a cat like that before. He sounds like something out of a comic book.
[Fat cats are the best.]
no subject
Heh, yeah…
[ There’s a slight pause, his smile barely faltering as he looks Izuku dead on, completely serious despite how he may try to swallow his sheepishness in asking… ]
…What’s a comic book?
no subject
Well, with that last question Izuku looks at him and gives a smile.]
Comic books are usually action stories told with pictures compiled into one. If you're interested I could get you a few?
[But with that the two of them head into the city to begin their search... It'll be a long afternoon with a lot of asking questions. But they'll do their best.]
no subject
[ As if it's so obvious, that half-lidded smug smirk resting in place once more. ]
I draw pictures that tell action stories, y'know...~
[ Like he's so pro at it. He says it with far too much pride for someone who didn't know what a comic book was thirty seconds ago. ]
no subject
[That has Izuku perking up too! He looks interested, what can Alberto do?]
What kind of action stories have you drawn before?
[Izuku taps his chin.]
Comics are usually full of heroes that are trying to accomplish a goal! Like taking fown a villain or saving a city. Heroes are big parts of most comics, they tell their story but also tell the reader about a moral or point.
no subject
Well, I mostly draw pictures about, uh— my life and— stuff I wanna do— cool stuff that happened... Nothing about heroes, though! Or saving towns and fighting bad guys and stuff! That sounds so cool! I thought all books were boring. You'd really get me some of these comics?!
[ Alberto never thought he'd want to read a book... Luca would be proud of him, he fancies. ]
no subject
[Izuku smiles. More than happy to share some of his nerdy interests with others! Comics are really cool!!]
Comics can be about all sorts of things, so comics about your life and the stuff you want to do is good too. I wouldn't mind seeing your drawings sometime if you want to share!
no subject
...Heh! Y-Yeah~! I'll show you my drawings!
[ He does let his smile waver, though, trying to cover it up with a bit of humor. But there is a flash of a reminder of, "oh yeah... we're trapped here..." — remembering he's been spirited away indefinitely. It's still pretty distressing, even if he's keen to disguise his worries. ]
I mean— I'll have to draw them first, hah...! But I guess I'll have plenty of time, eh?
[ It's a bit of dark humor, a bit forced, but at the core he's still trying to stay positive even if that's also hand-in-hand with avoidant. One question hangs, though, as they continue their walk and throngs of newcomers come into view in the distance, the crowd around the Shit Box in sight now. ]
...What'd you say your name was again?
no subject
[Even with the flicker of dark humour there. Izuku does want to genuinely offer his interest. Sometimes it's nice just to have something simple here...
He smiles sheepishly when he realizes they haven't exchanged names again. After such a busy afternoon jumping around on magical hands together, too.]
I'm Izuku Midoriya. What was your name?
no subject
Alberto Scorfano.
[ And if Izuku takes his hand back, he'll find himself tugged into the weirdest handshake ever, where Alberto twists their hands, then yanks Izuku's arm back and forth like the slide of a trombone. And says... something, that even the linguistic magic of Avalon does not translate fully. ]
Piacere! Girolamo Trombetta~
[ "It's a pleasure," understandable, but the rest, uh— is that a... n-name? But not Alberto's?! The hell was that?! ]
no subject
[Izuku takes the hand and shakes but with that sort of tug and pull Izuku is pretty much exactly like Luca as he gets pulled forward and flopped back easily! He looks like a shaken bird! Then he blinks and tries to keep his wobbly balance while flapping one arm.]
It's- It's nice to meet- you too??
[Is that Italian? That's Izuku's best bet!]
Why don't get started asking around town about your friends?
🎀
[ Alberto's smitten with that reaction, absolutely noting some Luca-reminiscent something in it, and it endears him right away, of course. Izuku seems nice. And fun. And cool. He's excited about the comics, if he really is stuck here... but he's also relieved to have maybe made a friend right away, because that really increases his chances of finding Luca or Massimo. He's sure they're here. If he's here, they're here, right? So he waves Izuku along behind him, approaching the crowds and the caravans, and steps off in long strides in an almost comically over-confident strut, head held high and hopeful. ]