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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[avalonmods]

Hazuki Azuma | Yami to Boushi | Alchemy/light

[yamibo]

The Caravan

She sat quietly next to a wagon by herself, clothes dried and sword next to her. Her leg shook, heel tapping against the ground; the girl with the hat wasn’t here (Lilith if she remembers the name right), neither was that noisy bird. A pensive look came over her, she didn’t care about any of this, knowing only that Hatsumi wasn’t here, most likely. And had probably never been here; in Hazuki’s mind that all made this haphazard trip more than a waste of time.

Here eyes closed to keep herself cool. Though the grip on her sword’s hilt tightened ever so slightly. Just remain calm, she’d eventually find her way out of this world and into another. For now, though, she needed to remain by herself, to collect her thoughts, and later learn a bit more about the world she was in.

Who knows, maybe she might get lucky and find herself a lead.

Red Spring

One

She couldn’t take being inside with strangers for too long. She couldn’t get over the pit in her stomach that she was wasting time, precious, precious time. A reminder that the longer she wasted in this universe the colder the trail became in her search for Hatsumi. Slowly she sank her naked body into the warm waters, trying to get herself to relax, even if just for a moment. She had to calm herself, not to completely resign her mind to the evident task she was stuck with alongside the others. More to calm her nerves before she vomited, to keep her mind clear.

Slowly, more and more, she sank into the warm water, feeling tension leave her shoulders. Idly one of her eyes cracked open at the sound of footsteps approaching. She wasn’t alone anymore it seemed.

Great.

Two

Hazuki sat on her own bed, phone in hand, thumb quickly flicking through page after page of information. Her sharp eyes absorbed in the information flashing over words, pages, audio, and videos. Nothing at all, no trace of her at all. She knew that already, but that still didn’t stop her from looking.

With a sigh she fingered the sword she kept near her bedside. A troubled, annoyed look flashing over her face. Before flopping onto her back, phone clacking down onto the nightstand beside her. Eyes staring up at the ceiling, not quite regarding the person in the same room with her for the moment. She was lost in her own thoughts for the moment.

Swap Meet

Her eyes look around at the stands around her, keeping a tight grip on her sword; a precaution against any potential thieves. There was so many different people here, selling and buying a myriad of different things. It was all kind of overwhelming, the noise, the smells, and the constant movement of the crowd around her.

Soon Hazuki found herself pushed and cornered by one of the merchants.

"You look like a girl that could use a set of armor."

And:

"Please, please come take a look at these clothes! Made of the finest material in all of Camelot."

Through it all Hazuki didn't look all that interested. Eyes turning a bit more cold and annoyed as she silently looked around herself for an escape. Help?

[Wildcard]

[Interested in something other than what’s written? That’s cool, go ahead and write something else up, or pm me and let me know~!]

Amy Rose | Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW)

[pricklybloom]

Arrival

Amy had just closed her eyes for a moment; after finally getting some transportation off of Angel Island, she had just wanted to catch a quick nap before they arrived back at Restoration HQ, where she would inevitably have to tackle an endless pile of paperwork while worrying about the Zeti still at large, and trying not to think the worst that Sonic still hadn't returned.

It had just been for a moment, but she was quickly jolted awake as she was submerged underwater. Despite being disoriented, Amy managed to kick her way back to the surface, gasping for breath and coughing up water as she tried to get her bearings back.

"What in the...?" At first she feared that they'd been hit, that another disaster was happening that they would have to deal with. But realizing that she couldn't even see the shuttle was far, far worse.

Apprehension kicking in, she began swimming her way towards land, at least until she noticed the giant pillow jellyfish. Then it was a quick climb onto one before hopping from jellyfish to jellyfish to reach the shore.

Once the ground was beneath her feet, she took a breath before glancing around once again. There were other people starting to gather along the banks of the lake...but it was with growing trepidation that she realized that none of these people were the survivors that had been on the shuttle.

"Tails?" she called out, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Rouge? Vector? Anyone around?"

Training Grounds

After taking some time to dry off and get settled in one of the inn rooms, Amy took to the training grounds to blow off a bit of steam. She'd gotten as much information as she could from Archimedes and her own research online during the trip, and now she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

One of the first things she'd noticed when she arrived was that she hadn't been able to put away her Piko Piko Hammer like she normally would. She could still lift and swing it just fine, but she was now relegated to carrying it around everywhere, which certainly did earn a few stares from people.

Though at the moment, that was probably her own fault. She probably didn't need her hammer at the training grounds, but she felt better bringing it with her anyway. And while she knew that the training grounds were meant for people to practice their magic (and she was planning on doing that...eventually), it also just felt good to do some training by hitting targets with some old-fashioned whacks of her hammer.

Open House

(A) Receiving the invitation felt a bit odd, but Amy wasn't about to pass down the opportunity. And honestly, she was glad that she decided to come, because seeing the tables lined with food reminded her that she probably hasn't eaten a proper meal in...gosh, she couldn't even remember.

So, despite her efforts to pace herself, she was determined to try a little bit of everything.

(B) After eating so much, Amy decided to take a walk outside and explore the rose garden.

"It's so pretty!" she couldn't help but remark, kneeling down to inhale the scent of one of the blossoms. Of course she had seen how green and full of life Camelot was. But seeing these flowers blossoming...it certainly did lift her spirits.

Healing Circle

Amy hadn't been sure what to expect when she'd been guided to join the healing ritual, but she figured it couldn't hurt. She'd been a little hesitant when it called for a partner, but she did as she was instructed anyway; gathering the herbs, finding a partner in the circle, burning the herbs together, joining hands, and focusing on the her troubles and pains.

Her pain...it was only a moment, but everything she had endured recently came flooding back to her - the stress of war and organizing first the Resistance, then the Reformation; the fear of the world succumbing to the virus, of trying to keep her friends, allies, and the alarmingly dwindling number of survivors safe; her love and worry for Sonic, seeing him push himself so hard, only to disappear without a trace right when they had won; her own exhaustion, pushing herself to fight and carry on, to be strong for everyone and to help whoever she could.

And as the smoke barrier continued swirling around them, there were other emotions too...but after a while she realized that not all of them were hers.

Still, she did feel her mind a little more at ease, a heaviness she hadn't noticed until now lightening in her chest. When the smoke dissipated, though, she dropped her hands, glancing away in some embarrassment.

"So, uh..." she said hesitantly. Because she was sure that some of those emotions she'd felt belonged to her partner. And if that was the case, then they probably had felt hers too.

Wildcard

((Want to do something else? Go for it, or hit me up at usamichan13))

century egg × food fantasy × dark / death | warrior spirit

[fellsound]

— a mandraconian task.

( he says yes to joining the volunteer efforts because there's no reason to say no. these kinds of things were Food Soul duties, though none of these people were called to be Master Attendants and nor does Century Egg feel his Soul Power present within him in this strange place. (it isn't right, but he's been here for a couple of weeks now, long enough to accept it. shackles don't weigh his wrists down, and there's new magic in its place. bizarre, but managable.)

but, most importantly, doing something could be the answer he seeks, the path which will lead him back to Tierra and his light. something to keep his hands busy and his mind focused away from the darker thoughts which keep forcing their way in.

(he was always going to betray you. why didn't you do it first? protect yourself. this is just another tomb.)

new, and without any connections, Century Egg defaults to the only thing he knows for sure: following someone else with supplies is the right way forward. even if that person is walking right towards a field of corpses and living, screeching plants. )

... Where are we going?

( hope you didn't think you were travelling without company, person, because Century Egg certainly didn't. )

— swap meet.

This is... for me?

( the bazaar is bustling, busy in a way that Century Egg still hasn't readjusted to. and being stopped by a random salesperson who holds out a sparkly, but poor quality, stone decoration to him startles the man, his hand reaching out for the offered item as the salesperson starts an obviously over the top pitch of why this piece of tat is actually a rare antique. )

Is it a gift?

( he's being given it, right? so it's a gift. )

— healing circle after party.

( the circles smell good, and Century Egg recognises a lot of the items people are grabbing, but nevertheless, he stands outside of any of the goings on, watching people with unnerving, unblinking, silence. this strange, foreign magic wouldn't be out of place in Tierra, sold to people as cures for miasma or the like, but more than anything, Century Egg aches as he watches these partnerships form. people with friends or strangers, finding their own light in some sort of darkness.

he blinks as one of the witches addresses him — why don't you find a partner, join in! — and looks around, as though her question were a command.

uh... anyone nearby? )

— wildcard.

( hit me with anything! message me at exits#8071 / exits if you wanna chat about stuff. )

training grounds

[sos_pilot]

Must not use Hammer Time joke, must not use Hammer Time joke, must not use Hammer Time joke...

"Those are some impressive moves, girl!" Della calls out after a whistle, standing a bit back as she watched Amy swing. "Must be one heavy hammer!"

[songstressedout]

For animal mages turned into mermaids (or any of the other options), how will their animal magic work in terms of changing forms? Could they potentially turn themselves back into a human form as a temporary solution until they get the curse removed?

Raihan | Pokemon SwSh

[draigon]

I. Arrival - The Bay

[When Raihan is dropped unceremoniously into the Bay, his first priority, even underwater, is his Pokemon, and he reaches into his hoodie pockets to grab them. Upon realizing that his pockets are empty of them, he swims upward to take a deep gulp of air, then dives right back down again to find them.

It takes a bit of wrangling from the Lady to get him to stop trying to find his Pokemon (and his phone!!), and as she points to the cliffside, it dawns on him that she's trying to tell him that his things are up there, somehow.

The knowledge that his precious Pokemon and phone are safe relieves him enough that he doesn't make the trip right away, instead helping pull ashore some new arrivals who struggled in the water, as the Lady can't seem to touch dry land. When said new arrival is aware enough to look at and acknowledge him, he gives a reassuring smile and a wave.]

Alright, mate? Come on, we're almost there.

[Once everyone is out of the water, he has his headband off to let his dreadlocks dry in the air and sun, and as he makes his way to the cliffs, he runs his hand through them with a sigh.]

'Least we still look good. [The Shiny Applin that had greeted him at the shore seems to agree, hopping once in the hood of his jacket to let out a chirp. Raihan pats his pocket for his phone to take a selfie, then lets out yet another sigh, this one louder, and tips his head back after feeling nothing there again.] What utter rubbish.

II. A Moment - The White Cliffs

[When Raihan opens his Shit Box, his Rotom housed in his phone immediately comes flying out to press against his chest, and Raihan drops down on his ass both from relief and the force of it. About a hundred happy selfies later, Raihan finds three Ultra Balls that he knows contain his Pokemon, and he spends a moment sitting there with his forehead pressed against them. The joy of finding them is tangible, even though it's not all of his team. He'll have to find the rest somehow.

Thankfully, he has a bit of time before everyone needs to get on the carriage, so he sets free the Pokemon to see which ones they are. Out come Duraludon, Flygon, and Goodra, who all huddle around him affectionately and protectively.]

Guys! [Raihan gets his arms around them as much as he can. Sure, he's found himself in a place he doesn't know, but he's got some familiar faces here, and that makes him grin toothily. The Applin moves from his hood to his shoulder to greet them all as well, and the three Pokemon look down at it curiously.] I'll explain everything later! Group selfie time!

[He turns around as Rotom flies up a bit to get everyone in the shot, and he as well as the three Pokemon pose and give big smiles. The Applin is a bit unsure, but it'll learn! In the meantime, come check out his Pokemon before it's time to get on the carriage!]

III. Worlds Apart - The Red Spring

[The knowledge of his world being frozen in time has left Raihan reeling. His Goodra sits in the spring happily, her stubby, slimy arms patting at the water, while Raihan leans against her back on the floor, not bothering to get in. Instead, he scrolls through his phone - his, not Avalon's - and tries to see if he can contact anyone.

'Bzzt! Cannot connect, Master Raihan!''Bzzt! No service available, Master Raihan!' 'Cannot send message, Master Raihan, bzzt!' 'I'm so sorry, Master Raihan, bzzt...'

Ugh. It either can't connect or can't send messages through. Figures. And his whole timeline has stopped entirely; no new posts, no new likes or notifications, nothing. Not surprising, considering.

He lets out a huff of air as he tips his head back, letting it rest on top of his Goodra.]

I'll figure out a way to save you all. As your future Champion, I promise you that.

[He's talking to himself, but can definitely be heard. And while Raihan might be brooding, his Goodra is happy to play and interact with anyone!]

IV. Feeling Blue - Castle Grounds

[The library of the castle is massive, and Raihan wastes no time perusing the books, reading all of the spines and seeing what they have to offer. Of course, the area that's sealed off piqued his curiosity as well; how could it not? Telling someone not to go somewhere just makes them want to go even more!]

What do you say? [He looks at whoever's with him with a fanged grin.] I've had more than my fair share of breaking into places.

[But of course, later, it all turns out to be for naught, and Raihan instead sits at one of the tables, about ten books around him, glowing an odd radial gradient of red and green. Calm and otherwise content, but irritated. He tips back in his chair and takes a selfie before anything, his smile coy and confident even as he glows these unnatural colors, and posts it to the network.]

Can't start a party without me, the living glowstick!

Garnet til Alexandros XVII | Final Fantasy IX | Animal + Healing

[flewfromthecage]

1) A Mandraconian Task

[Mandragora are not unfamiliar to Garnet, being a native plant not far outside of Alexandria. The matter of their screams, too, are... unfortunately true, at least as far as she is aware. Though it seems to be known slightly differently here, she quickly makes the connection, and decides she may as well give it a try. Her magic doesn't appear to be very helpful in this situation, as they are plants rather than animals, but... how hard can it be?

Very hard, as she soon learns, having to drop the roots to cover her ears at least three times the second they start screaming bloody murder in her hands. There must be an easier way, right?

...Wait. Didn't they get some sort of device that goes inside your ears when they got here? If they put on sounds to mitigate the screams, perhaps...

She pauses for a few moments to fumble with her smartphone again, and then hesitates, turning to her nearest neighbor for help.]

Ah-- pardon me, but how does one make music play through this device again...? I think it may help to drown out the sound.

2) Open House

[Having taken deep interest in Camelot's castle right from the start, Garnet is eager to explore as much of the grounds as she can. She samples foods; she examines the various rooms; she browses the library's stock... she even peers in on the baths, though seems to hesitate to actually join in herself, as they are not fully private. Not to mention the time she spends in the rose garden, feeling at ease, like her mother is there watching over her.

When she finally encounters the magician, she is captivated by his movements in a way that is hard to describe. Reminded deeply of Zidane, of the things he was capable of doing... Maybe if he were here, he'd be able to pick up some of those tricks, too. Though her heart aches a bit, she asks to be shown some more, and the magician is more than willing to oblige her.

...So much so, in fact, he somehow talks her into assisting for his next show! He does notice how comfortable she appears to be on stage, despite not having a script to follow, and is quick to rope her in for some demonstrations.

But he requires another volunteer from the audience for this one. Given the task of choosing, Garnet scans the small crowd to look for any eligible faces...]

3) Swap Meet

[Being a fresh arrival, she has little in the way of resources on her. Even if she did try her hand at the verses the auctioneers requested, she wouldn't be able to afford anything. Despite being royalty herself, she is more than aware of her status right now, where that means essentially nothing; so in order to cover the expenses right now, Garnet decides to address someone who may or may not be looking on with a glimmer in their eye likewise. Perhaps if she's shrewd about it...]

Excuse me, but were you eying one of the pieces? If you would like to work together, I am quite good at poetry and verse, but I've no money to afford any of the things on offer right now...

[OOC: Wildcards also more than welcome! If you want to plot something specific, PM me or hmu at crystalzero.]

iii.

[floatsaway]

[Well, it's no shock that Ochako is at the Red Springs Inn now. What with so many of her friends having left this world so suddenly, she was forced to leave the house she had shared with the other girls - she simply couldn't afford it on her own - and move back into the Inn proper. Not only that, but Ochako just wasn't prepared emotionally or mentally to look after Eri herself, and...frankly, it's just not something any of her young classmates should do - they're only young teenagers, after all. They shouldn't be attempting to look after a small and rather dependent child. She left the girl in the care of other, very kind and capable people, but it's still left Ochako feeling...kind of gross. Like she just gave up. Yes, she knows she shouldn't feel that way, but with everything happening in so little time. the weight on her chest and shoulders has gotten heavier and heavier.

She was in the process of making arrangements to move back in, finally secured a room and a key, and began moving boxes to and fro from her house to the Inn, but it's coming to take a while yet to clean everything out. Hence why a relaxing dip is in order - it's hard and sweaty work, after all!! Sighing, Ochako heads to the pools with her things, her bathing suit under all her clothes, then squeaks a bit when she sees someone else there. Oops, did she go to the men's section by mistake?! O-Or is this a shared pool and she didn't realize??]

Ah!! S-Sorry, I spaced out, I didn't mean to disturb you!! I'm going to go now, I--

[.......Wait.




Is that a dragon?

Is that a really sticky dragon splashing around in the pool??

Is that sanitary???]

a mandraconian task.

[judgementor]

[Red Wine glances sideways at Century Egg when the other Food Soul joins him. Of all Tierran natives to finally join him here, he never could have expected this one - a Food Soul whose name had been almost entirely lost to legend.

(And he's still angry about that, about what happened to him, because humans can be so cruel and he so often forgets this fact.)

He smiles kindly at his new companion, though there's an edge of seriousness and solemnity to the expression.]

We're assisting the locals in the removal of some unwanted plants. [And Red Wine, too, finds himself drawn to 'helping people' because despite everything, it was what he was created for. He can see the good in humans, having been lucky enough (and he knows... he knows it was lucky) to have been summoned by someone who loved him and treated him with respect.

What had happened to Century Egg, though... and so many others, it makes it difficult to continue to see that goodness.

But he looks up at the other Food Soul and he appraises him for a moment. He knows he could tell him to turn around and go home and Century Egg would likely obey the order. He does not, however, do that.]

If you're coming, I need you to stay by me. Understand?

Lisa Minci | Genshin Impact | Alchemy & probably Elemental | Electro Slime

[purplerosewitch]

Arrival



Ugh...

[Lisa pulled her rose hair tie from her hair, squeezing her hair to rid of the excess water as the rest of her was completely waterlogged and soaked. How horrible, she was wet. And electro mages such as herself really shouldn't get wet... then again, she was already feeling the distinct lack of her magic that would normally come from the Vision at her chest. Aside from falling into some random lake, whatever was going on was highly unusual.]

This just won't do... hm? Where's my hat?

[She looked around, did she lose it when she swam ashore? She retied her hair and began looking for it. Only moments later did she find it... hopping? Eh? Lisa carefully knelt down and pulled at the tip of her hat and found... an electro slime?! She backed away quickly, holding her hand in one hand and... wait, where was her book? Oh no, she really was without her magic! She frowned and then noticed that the slime wasn't raring to attack her. Just simply jiggled in its place, gazing up at her with rather adorably big eyes. She sighed.]

Oh my, just what in the world has happened now?

[She was tired already, this was too much.]

Red Spring



Mmm!

[Well, if there was one thing she would always be in the mood for, it was a relaxing bath! While the fact that it was public was a little different than she was used to, Lisa was not at all shy either. Besides, after the day they've all had, they could use the time to relax and gather their wits! Although Lisa could go for a good book and a hot cup of tea about now.

She might have to go look for some later. For now, she sighed in relaxation as she stepped into the warm waters. She was stretching her arms over her head when she heard the sounds of someone else coming in. Were they hesitating?]

Come now. Don't be shy, I won't bite~!

[A light giggle accompanied that, but she really did make no move toward the other traveler aside from lightly patting the water.]

Open House



[Oh-ho~ Did someone say library? Lisa was there, heels clacking on the stone ground as she wandered the room full of books. She tsked lightly, though. They did not seem to be in good order! Why, this book ought to be with these over here and...!

Rather than actually perusing the library, Lisa would be found actually reorganizing the place! Well, aside from the forbidden section. While she hadn't tampered with the magic, she had at least attempted to see if the barrier was legit or not by lightly tapping it. Well, she could get used to her new magic then she might have tried but even she knew not to mess with something without sufficient practice. Maybe she could get a test subject one of these days...]

Oh, darling~! No, no, you stay there, I can handle this. Or, why don't you find one of the other slimes to play with?

[Her little electro slime was attempting to help with the books but with its round, jiggly body and lack of a mouth, it couldn't really do much but drop the books everywhere. Lisa knelt down to pick up the errant pages and lightly shooed it away.]

Wildcard



[Or we can do something else? Just PM me!]

Ash Carbide | Trails of Cold Steel | Dark and Technomancy | POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR CS3/4

[switchaxe]

Arrival -- Caravan -- mentions of underage drinking because Ash is Like That

You're shittin' me.

[Ash just stands there, dripping from his unwelcome swim in the lake, and just staring at Archimedes.]

We're already trying to save our damn world, and now you're tellin' me that bullshit is happening because of the bullshit here?

[Maybe calm him down? Because this guy is ready to fucking go.

Eventually, though, he'll get in the carriage and hit up the mini bar, because Ash Carbide doesn't give a damn about drinking ages and he's pretty sure even Kurt would give him this one rule-breaking after dealing with that shit.]

Arrival -- Inn

[After not being allowed to fight someone over how to get home, Ash eventually finds himself in the hot springs. He's mildly disappointed that the springs seem to be sobering him up, but eh. At least that'll mean no hangover.

He'll stay in there for while, too, talking if his bathing partner seems inclined to chat or keeping silent otherwise.]

Mandrakes

[Ash is eying this patch of mandrakes like they killed his mother, eventually pulling the switchaxe of his back.]

If you can pull them out, I can shut 'em up before they start screaming.

[He pulls the trigger on his axe, turning it into a scythe.]

Wildcard

[Come at me!]

[draigon]

[Raihan tilts his head away from Goodra to see who walked in, his broody expression immediately clearing to an easy smile, one reserved for the cameras. He's gotten good at that, startlingly so. One has to be when they present themselves to the world like he and the other Gym Leaders do.

Goodra also looks up from her play time, pausing in her splashing to give Ochako an endearing smile, eyes bright and sparkling. Raihan himself gives a little wave.]

'Lo, lass. If anything, we're the ones intruding, so don't mind us.

[draigon]

What sorts of books can be found in the library, other than the forbidden texts?

Reko Yabusame | Your Turn to Die | Alchemy, Blood + Raven familiar

[musicaldemon]

SOAKING IN YOUR ARRIVAL;

[What a magical trip! Reko first finds herself immediately plunged into water -- no 'hello', no warning, no nothing! Just boom, splash and now her whole body is wet. She's not a great swimmer but she doesn't exactly outright drown which is pretty nice all things considered.

At least until she's thrust out of the water but someone. Who? Reko doesn't even begin to comprehend because in the next second she's thrown up onto one of the pillow jellies and the force of it is enough to send her bouncing to the next one while tries to get her feet under her.

She yells a few times through all of this but now bouncing like she is on the jellies it's just an outright primal yell.]

THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!

CARAVAN TO CAMELOT;

[By the time she gets to the Rent-A-Ride Reko is an absolutely soppy mess. Her short hair has half-dried and goes back to it's typical puffy glory but there are just these long streaks of black running from around her eyes, over her cheeks to her chin. With her dark clearly punk clothing and the general aura of intimidation around her she doesn't look bad so much as... kind of metal?

The running eyeliner leaves smudges on her cheek even after she bums a towel off of someone or other. In the middle of wiping it off this raven just comes and casually settles down on Reko's shoulder. The moment it's claws make contact is the moment Reko jerks away from that direction, causing the bird to flap away in a flurry of croaking calls and aggravation.

Reko herself boggles at the bird, just...]

What, is the wildlife gonna start chewin' on me now too?!

[Once someone makes her aware of familiars and the caravan actually gets to moving one can find the woman clutching a drink and looking exhausted, raven preening on her shoulder.]

SWAP MEET;

[To be honest Reko doesn't give a damn about most of the art. Or rather it's more like she doesn't know enough about most of it to really get it's intrinsic value. All of the paintings, the furniture, the sculptures... yeah, it's a little over her head.

That stays true until she gets to this thing that looks like a guitar but not really and she just stares at it trying to make heads or tails of what one does with it.

And then she's just smitten. She'd been looking around the bazaar in interest before but now she's just lit up like she's come across the best thing ever. It's up for auction though and with that comes special rules, rules others might find more than a little tedious. Performances performed in stanza, eh?

Reko gives the most savagely enthused and toothy of smiles. In reply she throws up the horns.]

Fuck yeah, that's what I like to hear! Bring it, I'll wipe the floor with the rest of ya!

WILDCARD;

[Feel free to hit me up with any other prompts you like! Reko is a singer-songwriter with a distinctly visual kei style who likes to sink punk and heavy metal music. "Kind to the weak, harsh to the strong" aptly describes her personality and she's got a soft spot for kids.

PMs open for plotting.]

eeexcellent

[fellsound]

( Tierra had changed so much since his Master abandoned him. he only ever knew a small part of the world, and countless Food Souls had been summoned in the (what he later discovered to be) hundreds of years he spent in the dark. he doesn't know whether Red Wine was summoned after he was imprisoned or before, and ultimately it no longer matters, as they're both here without their true abilities. still. it's a comfort to have someone of his ilk. he's already noticed that many people here seem entirely unfamiliar with the concepts associated with their kind. nobody mentions Attendants or summonings in the same way they did on Tierra, and talk of things like Embers and Magic Crystals simply doesn't happen.

they're entirely removed from anything normal, plunged into something they aren't designed for, and so scrambling for the familiar — serve others, be a weapon, a tool —is what Century Egg falls back on. and to follow the orders of another Food Soul (Red Wine is not the light, is not Cordyceps, and never can be) is something he can at least understand, if nothing else. )

Yes. ( his head bows a fraction as he responds to Red Wine's question. some plants... that can't be too hard. ) Let me assist you. I... can weed.

( though, admittedly, Century Egg is still pretty unfamiliar with what he can do here with his new magic. but he knows how to weed! )

2

[tantailizing]

[Zidane had wanted to see what was up with the castle, and hey, them opening up at least meant he wasn't planning on breaking in anymore. Seemed weird to him that they decided to spruce everything up for the public, but whatever, put their best foot forward. He wouldn't mind seeing it in its normal state another day.]

[Walking past the magic show, seems weird there's a magician at all, but a magician is an entertainer - even among people who could use magic in this world.]

[However, his show doesn't make him double take, but who's on the stage looking for another volunteer. Blinking, he grins and slips himself into the crowd, sneaking his way closer before raising his hand. Well, didn't this feel a little reversed.]

Over here~!

1

[roseofmay]

[Instead of entertaining the silly notions that this world comes with, Beatrix would prefer to do things her own way, though Garnet's approach is likely superior if not a bit roundabout. From the very first moment mandragoras entered the equation, Alexandria's general has been on the ready, hand settled atop the pommel of her fated sword.]

Your Highness, would it not be more efficient for me to simply cut it down?

[Such brutal things are not fit for royalty and Beatrix would never expect it of Garnet. Given that she is well acquainted with such acts, it seems only natural that she would resort to force. It is paramount that she would keep Garnet's hands clean.]

You hardly have reason to rely on the trinkets of this world when you have me at your beck and call.

red spring and i'm sorry in advance about this

[fellsound]

( the thoughts are still there, ones which speak of abandonment and being trapped, loud enough that Century Egg finds the room he's been assigned unbearable and eventually tears his way out of there and stumbles upon the springs. they, at least, are a familiar sight. something which reminds him of home enough that the loudest thoughts settle back down for a while.

maybe he'll just sit here, with his familiar hovering beside him, and wait until someone finds him.

or— )

Oh? ( a woman's voice. that's... ) Sorry. I didn't mean to...

( he shouldn't be intruding, right? Cordyceps would always get so mad when he stood too close to Chishui Moth Tea, so the same rule must apply with this woman. )

swap meet

[solocheer]

It better be!

[alright, so it's not strictly the most polite thing in the world to but into other people's shopping experienced when you've never met them before in your life...especially if you've maybe been eavesdropping on the conversation beforehand. but Himari lives for this sort of bargain-hunting experience, especially when she's recently found herself stranded in a foreign world without the support network she's relied on her own life. was it really so awful to want to make sure other shoppers had the same opportunity to soothe their own hearts with a little wholesome retail therapy?

no, no it is not. she was crusading for justice here!

it's all the justification that Himari needs to insert herself into this spiel, moving away from the table she was browsing to stand at Century Egg's side like a tiny puff of cotton candy. she's not Arisa - her taste is modern rather than antique - but she knows accessories and that little trinket sure as hell isn't worth a one yen coin.]

This is a sample for him, right? You're not really going to try and sell this when you can see the glue on the edges, right?

[right? she accompanies her hopefully confident statement with what she also hopes is an extremely pressuring stare aimed at the salesman.]

Katie "Pidge" Holt | VLD | Kinetic Magic + Green Magic; Púca (Prismatica CRAU)

[pidgeypidge]

⦿ A Mandraconian Task

After such an odd introduction to this world, Pidge honestly just wants to get to where she's going to be staying and find a way to relax. Sleep is likely going to be out of the question, but that's not a new development- and it's certainly not because she's been stranded in yet another new world that needs her help.

So being pulled aside on the way to that aforementioned destination is not something she's anticipating. Maybe it's foolish of her, but the look on her face when she turns to the person now blocking her path is a mix of surprise and suspicion.

On the other hand, the promise of a high reward for something she's assuming is a straightforward task is almost too good to pass up. Having just arrived here, the thought of earning herself a nice little chunk of change is enticing. Perhaps someone should try and set her straight before she gets too far ahead of herself.

⦿ Fresh Waters

The last thing she can remember before waking up on this odd shore is riding on a sea creature and being ambushed by what she can only describe as a domestic disturbance gone wrong. Pidge would have liked to think they were fortunate enough to get where they were going, but waking up here makes it pretty obvious that things didn't go the way she would have wanted.

The realization that a: she's now able to breathe underwater and b: she's also part fish as a means of allowing her to be here comes as an even bigger shock. It's not something she's going to complain about, though, because learning to swim was never high on her list of priorities. There weren't many opportunities to do so in space and she was never that worried about it before she ran away from home.

As neat as this new form is, though, she's not keen on staying this way for the rest of her days, so the majority of her time for the next however-many-days will be spent trying to track down her worldly possessions and anyone who might be able to help her get out of here.

⦿ Choose Your Own

[I'm also open to open house, swap meet and healing circle after party prompts, but wasn't feeling inspired enough to write starters for those. People are free to wildcard into them, or hit me up to work something out. doodlebuginette and CornyFlake#7375 are the best ways to reach me.]

iv

[solocheer]

[damn, that's a fantastic angle. Himari respects the hell out of this clearly professional selfie that pops up on her network feed.]

omg those colors are super unique!
is that a filter or magic? ╰(✧∇✧╰)

1

[eikobby]

You could just sing to them.

[Perhaps using the smartphone would be easier or more efficient, but if they're trying to play music, wouldn't it be better to cut out the middle man entirely?

It'd be just as simple and straightforward for Eiko herself to do it, but since Garnet is the one who suggested it, she doesn't feel bad about making the suggestion.]

Or we could do it together.

[She could also just answer the question, though where would be the fun in that?]

[flewfromthecage]

[A precious few seconds pass as she registers what she's seeing, but when she does, she smiles, gesturing at Zidane. Truth be told, it takes all her willpower not to just fly off the stage and into his arms as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.]

The blond gentleman with the tail, if you please?

[Something in that smile says she might have something up her sleeve, though. The magician pats her on the shoulder and compliments her choice, then glances at Zidane.

"Fan of knives, are you? Fancy doing something dangerous with those?"]

adrien agreste/chat noir | miraculous ladybug

[clawsome]

( A: Fresh Waters )

[ Fighting big monsters isn't something foreign to Adrien, actually. Paris gets these once in a while, even though the enormous centipede might as well be one of the most terrifying he's seen so far. Thankfully, he's not taking it on alone, yet it doesn't change the fact that he gets a little distracted in the middle of the tough fight, his thoughts filled with Ladybug—what would she do in this situation? She'd probably find a way and help everyone, that goes without saying.

Adrien pays handsomely for being inattentive. The last thing he remembers before losing consciousness is a wave of water the beast made with its previous attack. What he doesn't know is that it'll be more than enough to make him end up in the underwater city. When Adrien finally opens his eyes, he notices the green tail immediately. It takes him a moment to figure out how to swim, but once he gets that down, Adrien approaches the nearest person he can recognize from being present during the battle. ]

I'm sorry but do you know what's going on here? We were fighting that monster...and we ended up here?

[ He's confused. What happened to the beast? Adrien just hopes they didn't fail. ]

( B: Open House )

[ Adrien feels a little overwhelmed by the amount of the dishes served on the multiple tables. Perhaps it shouldn't surprise him—it is supposed to be a royal feast, after all—but he can't help feeling a little bashful. Getting to know new people isn't something he's experienced at, so for the time being, he's trying to figure out what his familiar (currently sitting on top of his shoulder) likes to eat.

His eyes start shining when he finds a plate of various cheeses, but his familiar only winces and tries to plug his nose. It surprises Adrien who puts the plate away. Looks can be deceiving—he needs to remember that the familiar he's met isn't Plagg, even if they look exactly the same.

It takes Adrien a moment to muster up the courage, but when his gaze meets with the other person's, he asks quietly: ]

Excuse me, do you know what familiars like to eat? I just can't figure it out.

( C: Healing Circle After Party )

[ Adrien, having gathered more than enough herbs for ritual (it was hard to assess how much he might need) starts looking for a partner to perform the ritual with. He's gone through the instructions provided by one of the witches a few times already.

To save someone else the trouble of going all the way to castle gardens to get the herbs, he walks up to the nearest person without a pair. ]

Do you want to do this together? I've got all the herbs needed if you haven't gathered any yet.

( Wildcard )

[ Do you have a different scenario you would like to thread out? Go for it! ]