TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 11

[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 Atlantian Saury. Similar to Pacific Saury, these small fish don't have much lift power on their own... but contrary to their saltwater counterparts, Atlantian Saury are known for forming schools of thousands thick enough to lift a person right out of the water... as long as they aren't scared of a few fish flip-flopping out of the water and slapping them in the face with their tails. Animal mages will find they're very chatty, and very fast talkers, and very sensitive to each others' feelings. Insult one of them, and the whole school will start screaming and crying together. 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. In a deal with Camelot's farms, the drinks are honey-based-- mead, tea and honey, even healthy ginger shots with a dash of honey to take the edge off. (Naturally, virgin editions are available of any cocktails like the Bee's Knees 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: We return to Lestari to collect small creatures called fairy coins that look like stars, using a special bubble bar that allows flight but may have side effects such as truth-blurting or burping bubbles. Side quest: save some kids from some ancient giant bats. With the dangerous battle apparently waging on in the waters just off the coast of the island's west peninsula, the attempt to travel through Dinas Emrys is temporarily delayed. With Arthur back on his feet after a month of recovery, Merlin is working in the background on finding a way to get the travel party back on track. It's fine, since the autumn equinox is on the horizon anyway and there are a lot of preparations to be made. A ⦿ Fizzy Lifting Bar With the path to Lestari routed and still fresh, another caravan heads back up there, this time a group of Elphame Traders (sorry, they're sold out of goods, so you still can't buy again until the end of the month) who are assisting in the preparations. The Elphame Traders are paying anyone who makes the journey up there with them to head into a special place called a bubble bar that only opens up once a year, before the autumn solstice. At the bar, there are large tables with mideval-looking devices filled with vials of colorful liquids. The liquids are labeled with different flavors, like baked potato or bubblegum or something called gn'ooOOoo, which is reminisicent of the way that bumbleberry pie smells when you bake it but somehow doesn't taste like bumbleberry or pie. (It's a special kind of dwarven flavor.) It's no drug, don't worry-- it's magic. From the bottom of these wonderful flavors comes a tube and a replaceable mouthpiece (the traders will provide a disposable one for each person) and you're to take a deep breath in to feel the flavor overtake your whole being, then for about an hour afterward (you can refill as needed), you'll find yourself breathing out bubbles.. and flying. Have fun for a little while with this fizzy lifting bubble and get any hiccups (literal or figurative, as flavors can sometime change into something much weirder before changing back or can sometimes have the side effect of making you blurt out truths to the person you're talking to. The side effects will fade in time, even after multiple stops at the bar. B ⦿ Stars in Your Eyes Once you get past the initial side effects of the bubble bar, your temporary flight can be put to good use: gathering stars. More specifically, a special kind of living rock. They're about the size of a medium-length pinky finger nail and shaped like stars. Some people call them fairy coins, these tiny stars come in a variety of colors and fly around at the top of the caverns that contain Lestari. They do not glow and aren't visible from the ground, so you may not have even noticed them the first time you were there... especially since they're quick and tend to hibernate during the summer and wake up as fall approaches. Maybe try some of your magic out to catch them-- they're pretty indestructable, so you can use any magic at your disposal to try to catch them in jars to gather for the autumn equinox. Don't worry, they won't be harmed in the process! The Elphame Traders will explain they're kind of like magic batteries that have the ability to pass through veil and guide the dead from the underworld through Avalon and on to other worlds from the autumn equinox through the month of October. The variation in travel times is why so many cultures end up with their days of the dead passing near the world at similar, but not the exact same times. What they will emphasize is that there's a big gold prize for the person who catches the most of them.. so don't be lax in trying to compete to catch more than your neighbor! ..Just be careful not to catch them in your eyes, as they like to magically hide in reflective surfaces and can only be gotten out by telling a lie to someone you like.. a repulsive act that will scare them out of your eyes and make you a bit less, well, starry-eyed. C ⦿ Minor Side Quest Fairy coin eggs are laid deep within the rock, so don't worry about disrupting them-- they'll hatch for the next year once it cools down enough for winter and live through they life cycle uninterrupted by groundfolk interference. It's important to note because you will need to forage for something else while you're flying around up at the top of the cave. Well, not so much forage as get out of the rocks... it seems like during the first visit, someone brought their fairy chameleon familiar along with them and it crawled up into the ceiling to have a brood of baby chameleons. Unlike real chameleons, these magical reptiles will change colors to match literally anything they come in contact with, and as babies let out a rather pungent smell to scare away predators... And that happens to have woken up giant bats the size of people that have been flying around and scooping up pets and small children and taking them up into the rocks. While you've got that gift of flight, why don't you take a look around for some of the misplaced children and pets. The people of Lestari didn't even know those bats were up there, and they seem pretty primitive... even animal mages might find them speaking caveman-style and focused on nothing but base animal instincts. Oh, and they have 6-inch fangs and even bigger claws. Take a partner so you can fend off their captors while one of you takes care of the captive! SUMMARY:Those in Camelot help prep for the autumn equinox by gathering the ashes of the dead for a ritual to bind spirit guardians to characters via tattoo brands. Other volunteers act as personal genies for those willing to host guardians. Those close to Camelot will not be without preparations to make, whether they took the trip to Lestari and came back later or stayed the whole time. There are a couple of tasks that will take.. well, quite a few types of badasses. The first preparation involves the binding of ash to mages to create spirit guardians for the dead. While the fairy coins act like batteries for the magic that lets the dead pass through the veil, spirit guardians are needed to direct them to the correct worlds.. or in this case, to welcome them to Avalon and direct them back to the underworld safely. The universe outside of this is frozen in time and space, there's nowhere for them to go, and that means things could get dangerous when the solstice rolls by if things don't go as planned. Which means they need as many mages as possible to volunteer for this.. somewhat painful process. A ⦿ The Fighting Badass (CW: Undead creatures, destruction of remains) The first ingredient needed to raise spirit guardians is the ashes of the dead. Since they can't wait around for current ashes, a group of people will be sent out to the Land of Rot for monster-slaying. Capture an undead creature and bring back its remains to the giant cauldron roiling away all month in Camelot's town square. Be careful- undead creatures tend to pop back up even after you slay them more than once, and the trip takes more than a day, so you may have to spend all night waking up to make sure that your skeleton hasn't started crawling out of your backpack to gnaw on your arm. The remains will have to be burned in Camelot's crematorium until it turns to ash and can be placed in the cauldron, so you've got an arduous and tedious journey ahead of you. B ⦿ The Pain-Tolerant Badass (CW: Branding/tattoos) The next part of the preparation involves the removal of what appear to be pitch-black eggs that glow hot like coals from within the cauldron after it stirs in the ashes of the dead. Volunteers will be asked to act as hosts for the spirit guardians. Volunteers can lie face-down on special obsidian slabs that have been laid out around the cauldron. Others who are less brave are welcomed to use iron tongs to remove the eggs from the cauldron and place them on the backs of those who lay on the obsidian, then cast whatever magic they have on the eggs. This will cause them to crack and their insides to ooze out and sear a tattoo into the backs of the person they are placed upon. The designs are representative of some facet of the person they have bonded with. Though the process itself stings like only a burning hot tattoo can, after a couple of days, those who volunteered will find themselves immune to pain until the autumn equinox. C ⦿ The Caring Badass (CW: Consensual submission) The other two badasses have been through a lot, and no one can deny that the kind of person who can see someone go through things like that and be willing to be a shoulder to lean on is their own special level of badass. Anyone who isn't bearing a tattoo can volunteer to be a caretaker-- a special spellbound servant who is required to fulfill any need, like a personal genie, for a person with a tattoo for the duration of their shift (one day per person)! Those who take on this role are given special privileges for the rest of the month and can essentially get free meals from any restaurant in town for their sacrifice. It is voluntary to be spellbound for this position and none of the special priests around town are unclear about the terms-- anything needed means anything. Absolute refusal will result in the spell being broken to prevent non-consensual practices, but will unfortunately result in the person you are caretaking for losing their bond with the spirit guardian, resulting in return of pain reception and yield no reward in the equinox. This makes it important that guardian hosts don't push it to anything too abhorrent to their caretaker. Though you may not know each other to start, you'll undoubtedly come to trust each other by the end of the day and assure the spirit guardian it is in a place it belongs. 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

Questions

[avalonmods]

Re: Questions

[vrepit_no]

Can you tell me a little bit more about the spirit guardians, and how interconnected they are with their hosts? Are we talking full possession, or an influence on the person but the host is still in command of their body, or...? How "human" are the guardians? Do they think like people or have a little more alien mindset? They're here to direct and guide the dead, but are they doing this out of kindness or obligation, or that's their nature?

Vivi Ornitier l Final Fantasy IX

[ornitiers]

Arrival:

[His trousers and jacket and hat being soaked definitely weigh the little black mage down, as he ends up being helped to shore. He glances down and attempts to wring out some of the water from his pants and jacket and reaches up to do the same with his hat but doesn't take it off. He's not entirely sure what this place is, how the people here might react to him. Given some of his experiences back home with others generally being scared of him because of their encounters with the other black mages. He's erring on the side of caution in trying to keep himself as covered as he can. Even if he undoubtedly stands out regardless with his hat, with his smaller height.]

At least they got me out of the water.....

[If he was slower and clumsier before though. Well that's only going to be exaggerated now in being soaking wet. He glances around to see where the others seem to be heading, wondering if he should follow, where they were going. What is up on the cliffs exactly.]

Caravan:

I wonder what this is?

[Look back home they had some technology but. Not like this. So of course Vivi is confused and curious about the phones. And ear buds for that matter. He turns the device in his gloved hand curiously, unsure what to make of it. It's not something he's familiar with back home in terms of this level of advanced technology, where they still wrote letters to each other to keep in touch from a distance.]

Red Spring:

Inn:

[Vivi isn't unused to sharing a room at least. Given some of the smaller inns they sometimes stayed at back home, it was necessary. He's probably mostly more nervous on the reception from whoever he might be rooming with exactly. In hoping he doesn't scare them given his appearance. He fidgets, straightening his hat once he finds there's not one but two beds. That someone else is probably also going to be there with him. He stands in between the two beds, as if debating which one to claim when someone else enters and he turns in glancing to see who it is.]

Sorry, I just got here and found this room wasn't taken.

Training Grounds:

[At the least. This was familiar. Magic. At least, it is to Vivi. Being a black mage and all. So he's hardly surprised when he finds he can cast elemental spells, if not nearly yet as powerful as what he had back home. He practices in initially using fire, creating small balls of flame from his staff.]

At least I can still do this!

Fizzy Lifting Bar:

[He's curious, and not sure what this 'bubblegum' is. So he asks. And is then subsequently breathing bubbles as a result of trying it out. It's such a strange sensation and he can't help but to giggle about it as he emits more and more bubbles. Given how small he is it likely doesn't take nearly as much for him to end up starting to float either, glancing down as his feet leave the ground as he wanders in having left the building itself.]

Whoa?

Minor Side Quest:

[Of course Vivi wants to help. Whether that means by fending off the bats or by focusing on getting the captives free to get out of there. Whichever role he might take, he just wants to be able to do something to help if he can. So he would check in with anyone else nearby. In offering to help. Either he can fend off the bats with his elemental magic or he can focus on trying to free the people there and get them out. Though. Whether they might trust him and not freak out might be debatable given his appearance.]

Wildcard:

[For anything else? I guess? For prompts I didn't do, prompts from other test drives/quests or such.]
[ ]

Arrival

[tantailizing]

... Vivi?

[No, no, that was some trick right? Like, haha, the fish in the water were somehow playing a joke because... because they could, right? Maybe they could use illusion magic because everything else seemed to. They weren't the jellyfish or the mossatees after all, but that pointed hat, that coat, the striped trousers and yellow eyes. It was too much of a coincidence.]

[He hadn't had that chance - he hadn't been able to make it back in time.]

[But could he really be that lucky here?]

Horse | Centaurworld

[crushtheskulls]

[Arrival]

[One moment she was in an underground prison, the next she was flailing in water. There’s loud neighing as Horse splashes around frantically. She can swim, but right now? She’s too panicked to think. Luckily the fish help her get to safety. Once she’s out of the water, she finally notices that there isn’t a centaur in sight - but there are other humans.]

Rider?

[Will she even find Rider in this sea of new arrivals?]

Rider, it’s me! I’m here! Answer me if you can - wait, you probably won’t recognize my voice! Uh… okay, this might be a problem.

[Now what does she do?]

[The Inn]

[After an uncomfortable ride to the inn, Horse is given a room. She’s a little unsure of herself, but she heads up to the room anyway. She looks at the person she’s sharing with.]

I don’t… think this is gonna fit me.

[How is she even gonna get to the bathroom?]

[Bubble Bar]

[Horse looks over the drinks, crinkling her nose at them.]

Are these safe to drink?

Arrival

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera is out, watching as new arrivals swim to shore. He keeps hoping to see one person, but so far, no luck. When he sees an entire Horse arrive and it is talking, he stares. Stunned, he gets up and approaches slowly, concern in his expression as he lifts a hand.]

Woah... woah. Are you okay, horse?

[Doesn't recognize the voice, the horse, the anything about this, but... Gokudera has a big soft spot for animals, and he would befriend a talking, panicked horse.]

Midna | Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

[envoyoftwilight]

► A. Princess from the Not!Lagoon

[It's wet. That's really the first shock to the system. The second is that what should be second nature to a woman belonging to a race of supremely powerful magical beings has... absolutely no access to any kind of magic at all. And she discovers almost immediately that swimming is not something that she's learned, resulting in a mess of elongated slender limbs wildly flailing about in a very ungraceful display.

In short, Midna, the princess of her people, known for her composition, arrogance, and self-entitled and demanding demeanour, is laughable at best.

She makes sure to make big splash about just how unhappy she is that she's in this situation to begin with. The Saury come to help and in spite of Midna very firmly not wanting it, they provide it anyway. Eventually, a drenched Midna, from head to toe, looks like an orange seaweed wrap gone wrong.

When she finally starts to piece herself back together, she's turning back to the lake in its ever wet splendour, and reaches for the closest thing she can think of (little more than a modest conch shell), before she throws it right in. Yeah. That'll teach it.]

I never asked for this! Don't you know who I am?!

[No. No, it doesn't. Of course it doesn't.]

► B. First Impressions

[By the time Midna's dried off, nothing about her mood has improved. In fact, she's almost more annoyed by the circumstances being what they are. What does anyone expect out of her? She can't seem to figure out just what's going on and the nature of actually being in the light's sensitive rays, she's dipping every chance she can get for shade. Or some kind of cover. Sure, she can withstand for a little bit, but she's under the impression that anything extensive will be little more than a Bad Time.

In nothing short of a huff, Midna makes way begrudgingly for the next pitstop on this poorly-written farce of an adventure. And it just so happens that you're most likely the one she rudely brushes past. Some people might call it a shoulder check.

Sorry about that. Kind of.]

Get out of my way.

[Although to be fair, it's probably not easy to take her seriously when she looks like such a hot mess. Emphasis on the mess part.

On the other hand, she's partial to pretty and handsome things, so maybe if she opens her eyes, she'll be a little more amicable. But let's not expect too much out of someone so self-involved.]

► C. Put a Spring in Your Step

[It has, in general, been a very rude awakening, if one wishes to be so kind as to call it that. No magic that she's accustomed to (or any at all that she can tell; her hair has been officially rendered absolutely useless and little more than a decorative piece). Being followed around by one very small twilit kargarok who is very insistently honking everywhere she goes. The only thing that manages to make Midna the least bit satisfied is the spring and she doubts even her joy there will last.

It's as she's settling in, trying to wrap her mind around everything that's led her to the distinctly present moment, that it doesn't take long for—splash!—her kargarok to join her. At least there's something familiar accompanying her, though it seems to be largely useless and a great deal more annoying. How will she find a way to silence the thing.

Midna looks pointedly unamused, orange and blonde hair toppled above her head in some mess that looks half-assed.]

You're just making a mockery of this, aren't you. Why can't you be useful and, I don't know, bring me someone handsome. At least then I could have some kind of entertainment.

[Her kargarok, who seems to relatively understand what Midna is asking for responds with a very long hooooonk before it flaps its way from one side of the spring over to the other. And at its first encounter with someone who isn't the fair Midna of Twilight, it offers another long, boisterous, and obnoxious HONK.

Yes. This is its way of trying to get Midna an unwilling victim. Or two.]

► D. Wildcard

[This is for everything else. Let me know if you want to do something special.]

► C

[natsupiko]

[Kazunari is taking pictures when that honk catches his attention. At first, he thinks he can ignore it as just some background noise, but then it gets louder. And louder. Until finally that honking is right in his ear along with the flapping of a giant not-bird around his head.] WhaaAAGH. Mercy, mercy, what the hecks!!

[No amount of ducking or hiding seems to dissuade the kargarok until it’s chased Kazunari into the springs where Midna is.]

Uh - !! I-is this yours?! Can you call it off, please?!

[Kazunari is probably more cute than handsome but he does give off some serious puppy vibes which may be a little familiar for Midna. And, if anything, he’ll find her very beautiful when the kargarok stops harassing him.]

Aqua | Konosuba!

[safecage]

1. Arrival

[ Aqua has reached the beach after a struggle with the trying to be helpful Saury, the life in her eyes is gone. She's just sorta given up on the whole situation. ]

What did I do to get sent to another world? Kazuma isn't even here for me to blame!

[ The last part is just a mess of gibberish mixed in with crying sounds. ]

2. The Fighting Badass

[ Fighting the undead is no problem for an Arch Priest, that being said though a horde of undead are now slowly gaining up on Aqua who is a magnet for undead. ]

SACERED TURN UNDEAD! SACERED TURN UNDEAD! SACERED TURN UNDEAD!

WHY AREN'T YOU TURNING INTO ASH YOU STUPID MONSTERS??

[ Sadly Aqua's normal powers have been nerfed and it only has enough power to turn a body part into ash at a time. ]

3. Stars in Your Eyes

[ Finally, an easy task! Aqua has a basket of jars to capture the stars with, and maybe keep a few for personal use.

Instead of scraping the star rocks off the walls, Aqua is creating a small water jet stream from her finger and catching them in a jar. ]

This is super easy ~

2

[specialinquisitor]

[Well. This certainly won't do.]

[A crescent of light-tinged blood lashes through the undead, cracking like a whip to rip through them.]

This way! Quickly!

Mòrag Ladair | Xenoblade Chronicles 2

[specialinquisitor]

The Caravan

[On hearing the rather ridiculous tale, made plausible only by her presence here in an utterly unknown place without any of her companions or Blades, Mòrag does the most logical thing she can think of: she touches first her forehead, then between her collarbones, then lower on her sternum.]

[No crystal. She hadn't expected to find one, but it would have explained a great deal. Instead, she has only a question remaining, and as she folds her arms she puts it to voice, with an accent a person on Earth might describe as a Scottish burr.]

So I'm to understand that we -- ordinary people, are in some way able to manipulate ether here?

[That, of all things, in nonsense.]

Training Grounds

[Without her swords, or rather, without a Blade and any weapon from them at all, Mòrag feels terribly naked. Not that she allows this to show, of course. The dignity and pride of the Special Inquisitor does not permit such a display, particularly not in a foreign environment with unfamiliar people and unusual rules to put it mildly. Instead, she stands with one hand behind her back and one hand on the bill of her cap, eyes shut to better aid her thoughts.]

Very well then. The first place to start would be fire.

[A Blade channels ether through their hands, primarily. So she'll begin with that, dropping her right hand to extend her arm and splay her fingers, then resting her other hand on her forearm. A moment of concentration... and nothing happens.]

Tch. I must be doing it wrong.

The Fighty Badass

[The target: one undead.]

[The encounter: about a dozen. More than anticipated, to be sure, and here she is, not precisely sure what her new power allows for. Certainly she's far weaker now than with Brighid at her side -- no magic, however great, can make up for the power of a partner and ally like a Blade. But still, she can hardly back down without trying.]

I have no intention of retreating. [Lest her current ally think she is sheathing her swords in preparation for just that.]

The Fighty Badass

[fourarmedandangerous]

Her ally cracks all four of his knuckles as the undead surround them. "To retreat means death." Goro rumbles at Mòrag in response. "We fight. That is all."

He tenses, power building in his legs before leaping forward—perhaps not as far as he was capable of in Outworld and Earthrealm, but he still manages to clear the distance between himself and the closest undead, who finds itself grasped by his two lower arms. A solid blow from one of Goro's upper arms smashes its head to dust.

"Thin the herd. We require only a single intact specimen." He instructs Mòrag, tossing the inert body away before turning to face more of the shambling hordes.

yang xiao long | rwby

[thepunshow]

taking on water (arrival)

[ if the last 48 hours have taught yang anything, it's expect the unexpected. so when she belly flops into the lake and is helped to shore by more fish than she can count, all she can do is take the whole weird ordeal in stride. and feel thankful the fish didn't have big teeth, red eyes, and a primal instinct to attack all humans on sight.

she lays flat on her back, arms and legs splayed out like a starfish and eyes shut against the unrelenting sun. it's hot and the thick jacket she's wearing is doing no favors in that regard, but she just needs a minute to rest her eyes. or ten.

anyone who comes over to investigate (or just blocks out the sun) is greeted in kind. ]

Don't worry about me. Promise I'm not dead. [ a beat. ] Wait, are we dead?

[ 'cause if so, uh, yikes! ]

i know what you did last autumnal equinox (cult classic)

[ one helpful lesson from archimedes and many searches on AOL later, yang has determined she hasn't been sent to the afterlife. phew. unfortunately, some creep is doing just that to random citizens in town. she doesn't think twice before accepting the quest and lucky for her partner, she has the perfect plan.

since the attacker is recreating classic movie scenes then who better to attract their attention than the tall, blonde one? the bad guys in slashers always single them out first. and it helps that yang is a master of stealth! they've got this easy. ]

Boy, I hope I get home quick, [ she yells while sauntering down an empty street, voice echoing off the nearby buildings. ] It's so dark out here and I'm all alone! Sure would hate to run into someone scary!

[ whether the person she's partnered up with for this quest or the actual attacker throttles yang first is up for grabs. ]

wildcard!!

[ want to do another prompt from the TDM/quests or change up a prompt here? no problem! DM this journal or message me on discord at hermyish#7882 and we can work something out. ]

Arrival (I felt like I had to)

[tantailizing]

[Blonde boy? Check.]

[Monkey tail? Check.]

Yup, totally dead. How would you rate the fishy escort to the afterlife? Ten outta ten?

[He doesn't know her, but hey, if she's totally cool with joking around, he is too. Also, it's unfortunately not Sun, but let the 'afterlife' have another monkey boy anyway.]

Kazunari Miyoshi | A3! | Light & Technomancy

[natsupiko]

I. Soaking in Your Arrival

[No amount of swimming or scuba diving can prepare Kazunari for being plunged into water with no warning. His experience just means he has an easier time calming himself after the shock and pulling himself to shore with help from the Saury.

As Kazunari starts wringing the water from his clothes, it does cross his mind to be a little concerned with the what's and the how's of this situation. But he gets distracted quickly as he pats his head and his hat is not where it should be.]

Shoot - ! [Of course it would be swept away after such a fall! Kazunari looks frantically around his surroundings in the off chance it landed somewhere near. And, oh! OH! Weird situation be damned: luck is still on his side. He spots it floating out in the water. It looks like it's floating closer too, but in a really unnatural way.

At first, he thinks it might be the fish that helped him but on a second glance he can see that it's... a horse? But it seems to literally be one with the water, like its solid body is forming from within the water? Once its inky black head breaches the surface of the water, it's clear that the horse (a kelpie, he will learn eventually) is what is carrying his hat to shore. Kazunari shouts:] Are you helping me out?! For reals? Thanks so much!

[The kelpie doesn't respond but continues to rise from the water with Kazunari's hat balancing on its snout. When it's close enough, it lowers its head and Kazunari runs back into the water to meet it. He should probably be more afraid, but something tells him that this creature wont hurt him. So he simply plucks his hat away, puts it back on his head (a mistake. it's very wet) and beams at his equine savior.] You wanna come with me? Maybe I can find you some treats as thanks ~ ☆

[The kelpie is reluctant to stray too far from the water, but follows Kazunari up to the White Cliffs. So for the hour before the caravan departs, Kazunari can be found hanging out with his familiar and trying to figure out what treats it may like.]

II. The Red Spring

A. The Springs
[Kazunari finds it funny that after being dunked in water and finally drying off, he ends up back in a wet place. But the springs are so pretty and the water here is much, much more relaxing!

After taking maybe one too many pictures around the spring, he finally does settle in the water and sinks down to his shoulders with a content sigh.

Feel free to strike up a conversation with him! Or maybe you saw him taking pictures earlier? He's not a pervert, he swears! But the possibility of a misunderstanding is there.]

B. The Training Grounds
[Magic! He has magic now! There is still so much more to learn, the teachers inform him, but for now Kazunari has learned how to create a little light from the tip of his finger much like a laser pointer or a very narrow flashlight.

And he is having loads of fun with that little bit of magic. Kazunari finds a shaded part of the training grounds where he can wave his finger around and draw doodles in the air like you would with a sparkler.

He's a mess of laughter and excitement when the next person (you!) crosses his path.] Oh, hey, excusie! Can you do me a super favor and help me take a selfie ~ ☆

[What better way to christen his new smartphone - and new instagram account that he made after a little AOL digging.]

III. SEPTEMBER QUEST: Shear Determination

[Kazunari isn't totally sure how he ended up in a field of anxious sheep but he's not complaining at all. They're sooooo cute! It's taking everything in his power to not faceplant into their fluff but he super doesn't want to startle them and end up hurting them or himself.

So he's taken a ...less proactive approach to shearing the sheep. Rather than chasing after them, Kazunari can be found sitting in the field trying to gently coerce the sheep into trusting and approaching him. He doesn't have animal magic, but a couple seem curious enough to start inching closer to him.]

Don't be afraid, cutie ~ Kazupiko won't hurt you, promise!

IV. Wildcard

[Anything not mentioned! Feel free to PM this journal or LUCK33 for plotting!]

BODYSLAMS INTO YOU

[tsumtsuki]

[ Tsumugi honestly doesn't have any experience to draw upon when it comes to shearing sheep. But there's something sad about the thought of these poor, cute animals setting themselves on fire completely by accident. So he wants to do what he can! (... also okay, the reward is nice. he's by no means materialistic, but food isn't going to pay for itself!)

He's a little surprised, though, to see the small group of sheep gathered together. And he's even more surprised to see just what - or who, to be more precise - has their attention.

He keeps his voice gentle, as to not startle the sheep, but loud enough so he can be heard: ] Kazu-kun? Is that you? [ Huh. So this is how everyone else felt running into him last month. ]

Sothis | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

[sleepqueen]

A. Caravan

Sothis is glad she's not soaked to the bone anymore (although she's still a little surprised that she can be soaked, at this point) and she's equally glad to be riding in relative style. It's a bit strange, of course, to be thrown into this, and there seems to be a nearly perpetual scowl on her face as the caravan rolls. She's swiping at the device they've given her, stubbornly trying to make it work, but then she finally seems to give up and thrusts the thing at one of her caravan partners.

"Here - you get it to stop squawking. I've had it up to here with the silly thing!"

Technology? Sounds fake.

B. Hot Springs Vacation

Sothis isn't really pleased about a lot of this, but she's still making a dogged attempt at it. The fact that their are hot springs (springs she can actually soak in and enjoy because she has a real body) is a plus. She's taking some time away from the traveling and the hustle and bustle to just soak and think. She's managed to scare herself up some swim-wear to put on while she lets the restorative waters work their magic and she's perched on the edge of one such spring, letting her feet soak, chin in her hands, apparently deep in thought - or maybe dozing off from the steam and heat, it's hard to tell. Her hair is long enough that it's almost (almost) trailing in the water.

In fact, if she does nod off, it'll probably end up in there any moment now.

C. Shear Determination (September Quest)

This feels off. She's new. She has to relearn magic. And now she's been told that she can earn her keep doing... what? Tasks for others? This feels like something she would have sent Byleth to do, honestly. Or watched them do and given advice. But instead she's here, staring down a strange, tiny sheep and trying to decide if she really wants to try and do this. Does she? Does she really?

No.

She thrusts her shears at her erstwhile partner, "You do it."

D. Wildcard

Come up with your own! Happy to switch to brackets.

c

[divinereaper]

Naoto is very much used to the princess type. His master was like that. But when someone new was being like that, he had an even bigger urge to be snarky about doing what he was told. So when told to shear sheep, the teenager looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.

"Alright, I'll do it. You're not getting paid, though, princess." he says casually, taking the shears out of her hand.

Arlo | Arlo the Alligator Boy | ota

[ricketybiscuit]

[Arrival]

[Arlo is no stranger to water, and when he dives under, he uses his tail to steer himself to the surface. The little fishes come to help him the rest of the way, and when he reaches land...]

Wow, this ain't no Seaside by the Seashore. Hey Bertie! Bertieeee!! Where are you? I think I got a little lost?

[Caravan]

[Arlo is sitting excitedly in the carriage, with a bullfrog sitting next to him. He's not shy, and he'll happily start talking to whoever he's sharing a carriage with.]

Isn't this exciting? This is like the time I went to New York City to find my dad! Only we're going to... a place called Camelot I guess? I wonder if that's a pretty big city too. You think Camelot is a big city?

[Fizzy Bar]

Hooo whee, you gotta try some of these flavors!

[Without questioning whether or not these are safe to drink even, or even legal aged for an alligator boy, he's already downed a few of them. He starts to burp, then hiccup, and then-]

I'm afraid of being alone.

[Arlo pauses, covering his mouth.]

Huh? Where did that come from?

Fizzy bar

[bakudan_bambino]

Oh yeah? Which is your favorite so far?

[Also what even if this person?! Gokudera's cautious and trying to play it cool, as if he sees alligator people quite often. He doesn't. He wishes he did.]

Who the fuck isn't?

[He doesn't want to be alone, either. So he isn't. When he is intentionally alone, it can be nice, but he understands how awful it can feel, especially in the sense that he often pushes people away when he needs just the opposite.]

The burp?

Annette Fantine Dominic | Fire Emblem: Three Houses | OTA

[boltaxes]

Down by the Bay

[Annette was not a strong swimmer, not in the slightest, and she had hit the water hard enough to knock the wind out of her. However, with the aid of a bunch of fish, she finds herself...soggy enough to feel like a drowned rat...rising to her feet on the shoreline. And face to face with the strangest animal she's ever seen. A rabbit the height of a medium-sized dog, with hawk's wings, fangs like a wolf, and antlers. Just sitting there, staring.

That, as much as anything can anymore, stuns her and it's only exhaustion preventing her leaping about six feet into the air.]

What?! [She goggles at the thing, pointing at it and looking around at the other people on the shore.] Do you see this?

Fizzy Lifting Bar

[Going along with things is pretty easy for Annette, and if that means a trip to a strange place, she's down for it. It can't hurt, after all. She seemingly isn't in any danger...and any place that has a bubble bar can't be bad. Not that she knows anything more than she likes the sound of it. And the smell of it, once she steps inside, immediately struck by the sweetness of just about everything on offer.

Uncertain, but happy to try anything as whimsical as this, Annette takes one of the liquid tubes...something labeled bubblegum...and inhales, eyes immediately widening as her feet leave the ground.]

W-Whoa!? Wow! This is...hah! Amazing!

[She can easily be found floating in midair, spinning listlessly, laughing and giggling and just enjoying the sensation. Maybe catch her for a talk?]

The Caring Badass

[When presented with the opportunity, Annette isn't unwilling or unable to help, and when each of the roles is explained to her she unsurprisingly agrees to go along with the one that involves caring and helping out. That's simply her nature, though she admits a little uncertainty about the rather strict seeming rules, and she isn't wild about the idea of a tattoo, either. But! It's for a festival, right? So nobody is going to do anything bad.

So, she follows the local woman to where her assigned partner seems to be, offering a smile and a wave.]

So! My name's Annette. How can I help you?


Wildcard

[Want a different scenario? Let me know in a PM or plurk at intercession! For general reference, Annette's magic is Elemental and her secondary is Kinetic. Her canonpoint is from the end of the Crimson Flower route, and threads may contain spoilers for 3H.]

Down by the Bay

[flame_emperor]

"I do. That's your familiar." A towel is presented; by now Edelgard knows to come prepared. As always, she made the trek down here in the hopes of seeing a familiar face...and while she has succeeded, it's bittersweet. Annette. Another of her Black Eagles, and a mainstay of the Strike Force's magic corps, and yet it's almost a certainty given how this world seems to function that it will be the Annette of Dimitri's world.

Actually, given the way this world works, it's almost a certainty this Annette will turn out to be from Claude's world. She thinks of Dorothea, lost now, and feels a pang of regret. But that won't stop her from reaching out, even if it runs the risk of going as poorly as last time, with Lorenz.

"Take a moment to dry yourself off Annette, and take a breath. And please do not be alarmed; you are in no danger." It's unmistakably Edelgard, even if she's traded her usual Imperial attire for more modern fare suited for traveling. A shaggy wolf with dark-blue fur stands next to her, watching Annette curiously.

Ryouma Sakamoto | Fate/Grand Order | Healing & Animal

[amakakeru]

[ 1. Soaking In Your Arrival ]

[ Well, a dunk in a bay wasn't in his plans today. It's not as if he's unused to water, either, just...not suddenly being dropped in it. It's fine. Ryouma takes it in stride, even letting the saury help him get to the shore. ]

Thanks for the help, I suppose.

[ He frowns as he dumps water out of his hat, deciding better of putting it back on his head for now. The kirin standing on the shore doesn't even draw his attention immediately. ]

Now where am I...?

[ May as well head up the steps with everyone else. The kirin follows at a distance behind him, which he finally takes notice of. This, in turn, takes his attention away from whoever might be in front of him. Which is precisely why he collides with them and promptly reaches out to catch them (he hasn't been witness to the Cliff Beast's assistance yet). ]

Oh, pardon me! Are you alright?

[ 2. Minor Side Quest ]

[ The time he's spent in Lestari has been relatively peaceful -- he's not much for competition, really, so much of it's been spent bubble bar. Peace can never last, though, and his calm is shattered by one of the giant bats snatching a child. Ryouma isn't much for fighting, but when it comes to helping others, he's willing to make an exception. He gets to his feet, then turns to someone nearby. ]

Do you mind helping me out? If you don't mind the possibility of fight, anyway.

[ 3. The Caring Badass ]

[ Ryouma isn't exactly the self-sacrificing type, but he is quite willing to help wherever he can. He's not interested in capturing the undead nor a tattoo; assisting those who chose the latter is definitely more his speed. He gives a little nod to someone with one and a little wave to get their attention. ]

If there's anything I can do to help you out, just let me know, alright?

[ What could possibly go wrong? ]

[ 4. Wildcard ]

[ These prompts not doing it for you? Got an idea? Drop me a starter or PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673 and we can work something out! ]

1

[concierto]

[Venti isn't at all a new comer to this world by now. He's been here for quite a few months. And in those long months he's gotten the habit of doing a lot of people watching when they start to appear in the lake water near the beginning of each month. It's quite the common pattern, he's noticed.

This one is an interesting one. A man with some sort of large hooved creature for a familiar. He doesn't lift a hand to help the man out of the water only sitting on a rock nearby as it all happens.

But as Venti heads back up the stairs and gets promptly bumped into he might feign a little wobbliness!]

Ehe! My, I'm alright! You have great reflexes for having been recently dunked in the water!

Enterprise (CV-6) | Azur Lane | Light/Elemental

[lucky_e]

A – Soaking on Arrival

It was a good thing for the other person that Enterprise is a good swimmer. With the help of the fish they’d soon find themselves ashore. Soaking and probably sputtering. But also breathing and alive.

In Enty's case she was huffing a little and feeling a rad bit of confusion. She couldn’t walk on top of the water….

Soon her attention turns towards the person she had pulled alongside herself. “Are you alright?”

B – Training

She had her bow and rigging, so there was that. She also has Grim with her too. The bald eagle was currently perched off to the side, idly watching their surroundings. It still felt unnatural to her though, wrong to be far from the sea, and without the others. Without being able to call her aircraft.

Their replacement with what the locals know and call magic made her itch even more. She didn’t like that notion, but figured she may as well get used to it in the meantime. At the moment she listened along to the instruction. A bit antsy to get it done and over with.

C –Fizzy Bar of Fizz!

She gave the drink an incredulous look. If people like this sort of stuff all the more power to them, she supposed. But really, baked potato flavor? Enterprise shook her head as they asked for her order.

She’d really rather have some hot coffee instead. Or maybe some of Belfast's tea….

“So, how is it?” Assuming the other person did order something.

D – Network // un: CV-6

Ah—good, it’s working.

[A silver-haired woman smiles into the camera, warm and friendly. Off in the back looked, for all the world to see, a flight deck with a large 6 emblazoned on it. While a Naval commander's covered hung next to a large coat.]

I haven’t noticed any, and don’t think there any here. But are there any sailors from the US Navy here at all? Or even just sailors in general?

[Someone here that knows the freedom of the sea.]

E - Taking Inventory

The Caravan was proving itself to be a long ride. She would have preferred something faster, but at least it beat walking. To while away the time she was currently taking account of everything she had here.

Her rigging, a flight deck, was next to her, alongside her compound bow. Two things that helped her feel more comfortable, even more so was the presence of Grim, the Bald Eagle currently perched on the chair next to her.

"Hm, that's it huh? Well it's all something I guess."

She could use a drink.

[WILDCARD]

[I’m pretty open to most things here! If you want to do something other than what’s written feel free to let me know! I'm still currently forced to use my phone for the next few days though so replies are probably going to be slow or small.]

cassandra cain | dc comics (mask or menace cr au) | kinetic + technomancy | spectral bat

[cassassin]

🦇arrival

[ the last thing cassandra remembered, things had gotten... weird, with the porter. there were things she would rather not think about the time they'd spent in that alternate time—the things she'd been made to do—and then she remembered returning to de chima, and—

and then she found herself dumped into a lake out of nowhere, with... honestly, this isn't the weirdest thing she's ever seen, but she'll still need a second to deal with the fact of the friendly massive school of fish helping her to shore. this might not be one of her batsuits waterlogged, but it's still one of her favorite suits for going out and about. it's tailored. it's nice. fuck.

well, at least it's probably salvageable, even if her shoes are... almost certainly ruined. she puts the suit jacket over her shoulder once she gets to shore and rolls up her sleeves, making a face as she looks down at her shoes. more alarmingly, waiting for her on the shore is a... big bat. a Very big bat, made of... shadows? the thing appears unnaturally dark, at any rate. she blinks at that a few times, and it looks at her with plain bright eyes that appear almost like lights shining out of the thing, before the bat crawls towards her and pushes up, pressing its head against her hand. it feels solid, at least.

cass huffs out a quiet laugh, before trying to take stock of her surroundings. just where the hell is this place? finally, she just... glances to someone. they seem like they came from the other direction, at least. ]

Hi. Um—what's going on? [ isn't that just the million dollar question. ]

🦇the red spring

[ it's been...tricky, not having her people. already, she feels rudderless, their absences tugging painfully at her. still, she's spent long enough establishing herself on her own that she can... keep pushing through, and try to figure this out. yet again, she's been brought to another new world. this sounds something like a capital-c Crisis... but it doesn't have the usual hallmarks of one, either. once she changes into something less bougie and less damp she heads for the training grounds as suggested.

kinetic, huh? movement and thought. she can already think of some uses for that. she's taken up a set of throwing knives from the arsenal, listening to the instructor explain the basics of how kinetic magic typically works. it takes some effort to really keep her attention on them, given the flurry of unfamiliar words, but she manages. cass throws her first knife in a perfect forward arc towards the center of her target, and then with a wave of her fingers... pushes it the rest of the way through the straw and foam figure, then recalls it to her hand. she twirls the blade a little, grinning. oh, there are so many applications for controlling objects like this, especially in the bat line of work. now if only she had most of her gear. ]

🦇avalon online

[ over the coming days, an enigmatic message is posted here and there online, in increasingly strange places. anonymously, of course. ]

9;12;12;21;0;7;26;20;
24;18;13;23;22;9;22;15;15;26;
7;19;22;0;7;22;14;11;22;8;7;
26;11;11;15;22;0;21;12;9;0;7;22;26;24;19;22;9;
8;7;26;21;21;
23;22;7;22;24;7;18;5;22;
24;9;12;8;8;25;12;4;
11;22;9;8;22;11;19;12;13;22;
8;22;24;12;13;23;0;4;18;13;20;
8;24;26;9;26;25;

21;18;13;23;0;14;22 [ it's followed by an image of a simple stylized bat silhouette. if clicked, it directs the user to send an email to an encrypted and likely throwaway account. the code is an A26Z1 cipher, translating to:

"roof tag
cinderella
the tempest
apple for teacher
staff
detective
crossbow
persephone
second wing
scarab

find me"

it's largely nonsense to most people, of course. but she's counting on anyone in a world like this who sees the symbol and bothers to solve it—even using online tools—being someone that some of it might mean something to. ]

🦇wildcard

[ wanna do something else not listed here?? hit me up!! i'm at clockworkbrain and hexennacht#7576 on discord, or you can dm this account. ]

avalon online

[ichoosefight]

[ Normally, Steph doesn't care about hidden messages and mysterious codes. That's Tim's deal, not hers, unless she already knows there's a crime involved. She clicks past it once, maybe twice before a chance scroll nearly makes her heart stop.

She doesn't have a notebook (Manual writing? In this day and age?) but she can scribble in the air with light magic. Within moments she's racing across rooftops, heart in her throat, cursing 'hippie architecture' as she makes for one of the tallest buildings in town. It's a couple of minutes before she realizes she's being stupid.

Stopping on a rare, mostly-flat roof she raises a hand to the evening sky and paints a bat signal in magic light. Below it she leaves a rope of bright violet light leading from the sky straight to herself.

She can hear her heart pounding in her ears as she waits. ]

Edgar Allan Poe | The Raven | Light/Cognitive

[quotetheraven]

A – Caravan

Congrats, you are no stuck on the long trip to Camelot with one grumpy looking guy. Said guy was currently muttering to himself as he busily tapped on the screen of his phone. He could be heard silently cursing at the device, insulting it, and generally complaining as he got used to it.

That said he also seemed quite engrossed in it, and appeared to be getting more and more used to it. Even to the point of figuring out how to type things into. There was still something that caused him to pause though.

“Why in the hell would I use an “emoji" in place of words.”

B – Inn

“Must you?”

He grumbled to himself, having hoped to have the room to himself. He was far too used to being alone to himself, by himself. Still, he wouldn’t stop anyone that wanted to share the room with him. Even if he complained about it, felt uncomfortable about the lack of privacy and space. Company was still always sought out.

So long as they kept to themselves at least.

C – The Caring Badass

“To find myself in bondage like this is new level of demeaning to my person…”

Okay, he wasn’t wholly cool with this one. Not completely, even if it meant helping someone else, well he was never really all that altruistic of a person. But, hey, this might prove to be an interesting experience. At the very least he could hold the other person to it for a future favor, or several.

Free food is also an obvious, and big, plus. “Fine then. I’m here at your service for the day.”

For the day being the key term here.

D – Network // Video// un: E.A. Poe

This is a curious device isn’t it.

[He tapped on the screen, or seemed to do so. Indicating he was currently multi-tasking. Though his face appeared to be pensive, the man himself seemed engrossed.]

To send great amounts of information across various distances and time isn’t something that should be taken lightly. If only I had something like this in the army or university….

[He trails off, frowning in thought. He does that alot.]

Oh, excuse me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Edgar Allan Poe. At your service.

[There was a small bow of his head, though he may, or may not,be expecting some praise here.]

C

[afoolshope]

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Minato commented mildly, looking up at the man who was to be his caretaker apparently. For the day. Yes, he understood the key term there. "I won't ask for anything weird."

He wasn't even sure what he could ask for. Minato wasn't entirely gung-ho about this caretaker business himself. The tattoo was done and the pain faded so... what exactly did he need a caretaker for.

Xue Yang | The Untamed | Dark/Death

[cultivatingsin]

[Arrival]

[The caravan is a nice distraction after being dumped into a lake! Xue Yang considered, initially, that he might have preferred his jail cell, but then he is given dry robes and freedom. The strange creature that had run up to him on the shore also isn't leaving his side and he finally has to laugh, flicking wet strands of hair out of his eyes.]

If they're expecting me to do something heroic, they're going to be disappointed.

[His fuzzy friend - a raccoon dog, he thinks - snorts and goes about munching on pilfered food. Hey, Xue Yang isn't one to judge. Everyone and everything has to exist somehow. But they are a funny looking pair - both infinitely mischievous - and yet, yes, when you look beyond Xue Yang's black robes and cocky attitude, there is something charming about him too. It's a shame his sanity is hanging by a thread.]

I get the feeling we'll be doing this together. [He shrugs his shoulders and leans back on his seat, peering up at the sky.] Camelot, huh? It's pretty.

[Network; UN: DemonsandSugar]

Ah ah~ [Xue Yang's boots are the first thing any viewer will see. A fox-sized creature is standing between said boots, pawing at the screen. The communicator is rescued before those claws and teeth can do any harm.] Here I am, trying to be social, and this brat interferes.

[The raccoon dog growls halfheartedly and stomps off.]

Hello, everyone! I'm brand new, so I hope you will treat me kindly. [He smiles, the expression almost sweet except that it is a border-line smirk.] You can call me Xue Yang. I'm sure we will be friends in no time~

[Or passionate enemies. He likes that too.]

[Fizzy Lifting Bar]

[The truth is so precious, isn't it? When he notices others having trouble holding onto their secrets, he stays close to the bar. Who knows what he might hear? He is also willing to take a chance and drink some of the bubbly himself.

Xue Yang is a man who never plays fair - even when his own self-interest is at stake.]

I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?

Network: un: daozhang

[bright_moon]

[ There's a wariness to Xingchen when he watches this, but he can't leave it unanswered. He too isn't alone, there's a little sable at his side where he's sitting cross-legged somewhere outside, by the look of what's behind him. ]

You should be kinder and gentler with them, Xue Yang. They might be your only ally here.

[ Harsh? Maybe. But Xue Yang has obviously escaped from his cell in being brought here. ]

Kublai Khan | Eiyuu Senki | elemental/animal

[khanofkhans]

I - Soaking on Arrival

This was far from the greatest introduction she's ever received, though certainly not the absolute worst. For starters she wasn't being threatened! So that was always a plus. Or at least it was a plus in the Khan's mind as she dragged bother herself, and another soaking person ashore.

She wasn't the best swimmer around, but she could certainly help where needed! Speaking of she gently sets the other person down and looks over them with some concern in her eyes.

Congrats, you've now got this super cool looking woman staring down at you with some concern in her eyes!

"Still alive I hope."

II - Red Springs

Ah, now this was more like it. A good soak after a cold dip and long ride does wonders. Yes, she's absolutely had worse introductions. All that said, the Khanwas feeling like something was missing here.

Ah-- that right there. She turns her head towards the newcomer, hopefully a cute girl, with a smile on her face.

"Oh, good evening."

III - Fizzy Bar

Not quite how she imagined she would spend her time today, but this wasn't all too bad. Instead the Khan marveled at the drinks. How very inventive! Maybe she could convince the others back home to make something similar.

It almost reminded her of the drinks that those Americans would make. In fact she was almost positive that they were, save for... well the apparent side effects.

"Hm... you're looking rather cute today, kitten."

Sparkles, surrounded by lilies!

IV - Caring Badass

"You'd take care of my every need would you?"

She smiles, leaning back into a bed of pillows and cushions with an air of relaxed openness to the other person.

"That's quite nice of you to offer kitten." A head tilt as she rested a cheek to the back of her hand. "But you shouldn't make such offers so lightly."

V - Network // un: Khan // video

Oh, so that's how this works. I have to comend you all for coming up with such a handy device!

[She gives a hearty laugh. Looking rather pleased for all the world to see.]

Mm, well since I've got this thing working, why don't you tell me about yourself?

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.

Pain Tolerance

Well this was a bit more distressing. Normally a person would probably welcome the idea of not feeling pain. But, well Hazuki understood the sensations importance to everyday life. Even now she was still acting like she was walking on egg shells.

Each movement pre-planned and thought out before she made it. At the moment she was in a sequestered area outside of Camelot, looking herself over for any bruises, cuts or scraps by herself. It was better safe than sorry. Though it was also something hard to do by yourself.

Minato Arisato | Persona 3 | Alchemy & Blood

[afoolshope]

Arrival

[Getting water up your nose was certainly one way to wake up. Another would be getting smacked in the face with a fish because he was apparently being carried to shore by a whole school of them. He stayed quiet during the trip, mostly just trying to wrap his head around what the hell was going on. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep, surrounded by his friends. He was supposed to have...

He sighed. Something was clearly very wrong if he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Minato stepped onto the shore and waved to the school of Saury that led him there. It was also here that he was greeted by a big black dog.]

Can I help you?

My name is Kuro, a church grim. I'm your familiar

[His what now? He sighed, he was tired. The dog tugged at his blazer to get him moving towards the others that were going up the hill.]

You should follow them. [A sigh. Fine. Let's just go up a mountain in waterlogged clothes.]

AOL - un: music2myears

Please share your music with me. I want to add more to this device than what was on my MP3 player.

Pain-Tolerant Badass/Caring Badass

[Tattoos weren't normally his thing, but he went for this because he knew a thing or two about having something like a guardian around. He was also very familiar with death. So, once the pain had subsided and the seal was in place between his shoulder blades, Minato waited to see who would be his caretaker.

When they arrived, Minato was just pulling on his shirt, so the tattoo was seen for just a moment.]

Hey. I won't ask you to do anything weird, promise. I'm mostly just hungry right now.

You're always hungry.

[His churh grim familiar grumbled from where he laid on the floor, but it was spoken good naturedly. Minato only shrugged lightly.]

Wildcard

[Or we can do something else, let me know! :)]

Text; Un: Koromaru

[whatsamada]

Depends on what you like. Are you more into pop or rock music?

Gaius Baelsar | FFXIV (Noctium CRAU) | Light/Siphon

[forgarlemald]

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
[Well. Wherever he was now, Gaius can at least say for certain that it's definitely not home.]

[It feels like he's being shocked awake from a deep sleep, the way he only seems to regain awareness when he hits the water, the world around him suddenly wet and cold as he's submerged in the bay. But it's only a few seconds before he surfaces again, sputtering and quietly cursing, and even a brief look at his surroundings is enough to tell Gaius that he's no longer in Sumarlok, but he's also still not home.]

[He can't be, because he still remembers everything of the previous world, and that's...concerning, to say the least.]

[Little time to think on that, though, as he pulls himself to shore and shoves the wet hair from his face, soaked through and disgruntled but not entirely surprised by the situation. There's some little wolf pup, barking happily at him even as he ignores it. His bandages are soaked through, needing replacing, and he removes his waterlogged coat to lay it out to dry on the sand.]

[Because other people are having a harder time swimming their way out than he did, and he's quick to make his way back out into the bay, reaching out to the closest person he can aid.]

Here, the shore's not too far-


B ⦿ The Red Spring
[By the time the caravan makes it to the nearest town, Gaius is slightly less soaked, still very disgruntled, and exhausted, far more so than he'd already been. Being dropped into new worlds never gets any easier it seems, and while he did his best to take in all important information as it was given, it's hard to focus through the ache that buries itself down into his bones, and the awful, ever present worry that plagues his thoughts. The little pup from the lake (his familiar, he has to remind himself, for all the meaning that the word holds for him) followed him dutifully all the way to the Red Spring, and continues to follow him even now, as if to make sure that he makes it to his room at the inn with as little trouble as possible.]

[He only hopes he doesn't look as ragged as he feels when he carefully shoulders open the door, pale eyes taking in the room as he enters.]

[He'd been told about the "two to a room", yes, but that doesn't mean he can't hope to have it all to himself.]


C ⦿ The Fighting Badass
[He doesn't like it, the thought of desecrating the dead for some sort of ritual he doesn't fully understand.]

[Of course, he likes it even less that the dead here aren't quite such, shambling around and bringing harm to those that have the misfortune of crossing their path, and since he can't say that this ritual won't somehow bring them a little closer to fixing things to allow them to go back home, well.]

[He thought to go it alone. Not the greatest idea, perhaps, but even he's capable of handling a corpse or two on his own, no matter his injuries or age. And though he should have expected to run into others out trying to collect remains as well, it's still a bit of a surprise to find someone else fighting a pair of undead, alone, as if he hadn't just been doing the same.]

[Still, he's quick enough to make his way to the stranger, unsheathing his gunblade to cut down a skeleton that had been coming at them from behind and-]

Watch your back.


D ⦿ WILDCARD
(If you have another scenario in mind you'd like to do, post away!! You can also hit me up through PM or at atomictango and we can plot things out! I'm open to any prompt that isn't listed, though for Caring Badass I definitely want to discuss it first. He's also taken post 5.5, so please let me know if you like for me to avoid spoilers on the off chance they might come up.)

B. Sadly, not the same one he knows...

[menphina]

[ It had become something of a ritual, really, coming down to the lake, helping out whatever drenched arrivals that needed it, getting them towels, that sort of thing. At least her partners were well aware she'd go off to do that (and do her monthly gathering before returning to Camelot), so she knew they wouldn't be too worried.

And meeting new people, if she can't find anyone familiar, is always a plus, isn't it?

That's what she thinks of when she hears the door open, and her ears lift in surprise when she sees...

( ... Is that a Garlean? )

The sight of his third eye is unmistakeable, and she squints for a moment, a vague memory of all the friends- and closer, that she'd made from among the land that was otherwise an enemy of the lands she was born in. There's a light bit of tension there, but seeing as she could even be somewhat hospitable to Zenos yae Galvus of all people, this is hardly something beyond her ability.

And so, she turns, grabbing one of the rolled up towels nearby as she comes into view properly, her own long hair brushed back after being dried and she gives a low whistle as she holds out the towel to him- ears flicking up curiously. ]

Long day already, is it? Won't be sleeping, already got my winks in, so go ahead and take that weight off those nice shoulders, aye?

[ Unlike the woman he'd come to know in the other world, this one isn't the same in that- she's not a Warrior of Light, nor is she of any importance to anyone that knows them.

And she has no idea who she's talking to, aside from him being Garlean. ]

Spare robes that way, don't want to catch a cold, now!

Ardyn Izunia | Final Fantasy XV

[problemsoncauthess]

Prompt 1 - Arrival.

Rather than the sudden coldness of the water it's the bright rays of the sun that spoil Ardyn's arrival in Avalon. He curses, hurriedly snatching at his hat before it can be carried away by the waves, but there's no way he can keep hold of it and swim to the shore like this. On instinct, he tries to shadowstep to the beach...

...and fails. For some reason, trying to use his powers feels like scrabbling at a closed door, and that is much more infuriating - and worrying - than the sudden change of scenery. He tries again, to no avail, and it begins to dawn on him that he could be in a pretty pickle here - until something moves in the water under him. I suppose things could be worse if there were giant underwater snakes here with me, he thinks dryly as he looks down - but rather than one big creature, it's... a school of tiny fish? Their numbers grow and grow, forming a kind of platform under Ardyn, lifting him up.

He makes a small noise of surprise and stumbles on the magic fish carpet as he's carried from the water and up into the air, but this is certainly a rather pleasing development. Perhaps even fun, in its own way! He chuckles, sitting down cross-legged, and pats the teeming mass of fish under him.

"Oh, thank you very much, my friends."

He pets one of the fish under his hand - a friendly, almost sweet gesture, and none are the wiser to the fact that he's using this as an opportunity to try and endaemonate the creature. But... no, still nothing. This is still troubling, but now that he's got his bearings, more or less... well, Ardyn can make use of the situation, whatever it might turn out to be. After all, it won't be the first time he's forced into something by some higher being's will.

Once on the shore, he gives the fish a somewhat exaggeratedly polite, but not entirely insincere bow of gratitude.

"My thanks once more. Now do go on, there's good fish."

And perhaps it's time for him to go on, too. Ardyn casts a lazy glance around him, seemingly unconcerned about his dripping (and terribly heavy) clothes, and heads towards the cliffs.

Prompt 2 - Fall of the guardian.

It would be wrong to say that Ardyn has particularly taken to Camelot - there are quite a few things about it that grate on his nerves, but at the same time there is something almost relaxing about not having to play any grand role, and instead spending his time as he wishes while everyone back home is frozen in time. The thought of it makes reading at the library or enjoying a meal at some cafe or other particularly pleasant. Being alive when everyone you know isn't is quite a wonderful feeling, he thinks, and it's only a pity that he doesn't particularly have anyone to share the thought with - and an even bigger pity that he could not stretch this universal freezing of time to be two thousand years. But still worth a try, maybe?

Today, he's lounging in the town square, watching the giant cauldron and the comings and goings of to-be heroes off to slaughter some poor already-tortured soul and happily burn them in the crematorium. His familiar, an unpleasant-looking mass of... eyes... is hiding under the long folds of his cape. After a while, Ardyn grows a little bored, starting to scan the crowd for someone to bother.

"Quite the unusual ritual, is it not?" he calls out to you, like someone simply talking to their fellow citizens. "Though I understand the purpose is quite... honourable, I find the sight of this cauldron almost unsettling. Don't you?"

Prompt 3 - Anthropology 101 (CW: possible cannibalism? and likely more bad things to come).

Well, now this is a curious request. Though the poster perhaps tries to make it sound almost beneficial, and though he's been called a jester, Ardyn is far from a fool. It's quite obvious that whoever summons these Anthropophagi might only bring trouble upon themselves... or upon others, if done carefully. And besides, Camelot could use some excitement, couldn't it?

Preparations are easy enough with the help of blood magic - an almost passsable substitute for his powers from home; what takes effort is precautions. Finding a good spot for the summoning that would be within the city but out of the public eye, not to mention a spot that would be easy to fight in, should the invitees decide to be ungrateful for Ardyn's efforts, planning escape routes... It's all a bit of a pain, and Ardyn only has to console himself with the thought that he might have some fun watching these creatures fill Camelot. Or killing them, of course - there's some perverse pleasure to be found in earning the status of a do-gooder, as well.

He keeps his machinations to the night hours, when there are fewer people outside - and fewer people likely to care about what Ardyn is doing. But if you, too, are a night-dweller, you might notice this strange overly dressed and behatted man strolling in a particular neighbourhood all too often over the course of several nights. On the night of the summoning itself, he appears a little later than his usual, and instead of heading into the alleys enters a particular building - to emerge on the roof of it some time later. From there, it's not such a long rooftop walk to the spot he's chosen, behind some old warehouses; and he almost dances as he walks - partly for the fun of it, and partly to draw attention to himself. After all, it would be so useful to have someone be a guinea pig in this summoning...

Subprompt A. Once he reaches the spot, Ardyn plops down, legs dangling leisurely off the edge of the roof, and surveys the ground-level preparations he'd made earlier: the summoning circle carved into the pavement (so as to be less noticeable than paint or chalk), the ingredients (disguised as your usual alley debris), and now... the final part. Ardyn murmurs the incantation under his breath, taking out a small, thin knife to slice across a fingertip, lets enough blood pool up... and then flicks it towards the summoning circle on the ground. Normally it would not have enough speed to reach, of course, but blood magic is rather helpful here.

On contact, the blood disappears with a hiss and the circle begins to glow. Ardyn pulls up a knee to his chest and leans back a little bit, watching with curiosity to see what manner of creature these Anthropophagi might turn out to be. Of course, things might get hairy for anyone choosing to enter this alley right now, but hey, it's not like Ardyn planned for that.

Subprompt B. Someone who passes through this alley earlier might actually discover Ardyn's preparations - a strange circle carved into the pavement (with a knife, by the look of it). On further investigation there are some things scattered around that are not quite your usual alley trash: a few blades of dark reddish grass that definitely does not grow anywhere directly around here, a strange oily stain that might look like a regular puddle of water in the dark but glistens unpleasantly in the light, tiny grains scattered across the alley, seeming like salt or sugar at first glance but on close enough examination the wrong shape and clustering strangely.

If Ardyn (on rooftop) notices anyone examining the summoning spot, he'll move out of the light, hiding in the shadows: his clothes cover him up almost entirely, and with the dark shades of gray, green and brown he wears he's quite hard to see when he's not moving. For now, he'll observe your character, but if they have blood magic (or other appropriate abilities) they may sense that there is someone around.

3a (it said cannibalism, I had to)

[emet_sulk]

Ardyn's patience is eventually rewarded with the sight of a neatly-dressed man walking by on his way back home. He seems to be obliviously ignoring the usual precautions one takes while out at night, and so he strays into the alley in which Ardyn has laid his trap. The hiss of blood hitting the pavement pulls him to a sharp halt however. Emet-Selch waits and peers about tensely, searching for the source of the sound.

He won't have to wait for long.

Keith Goodman (Sky High) | Tiger & Bunny

[agains]

⦿ Fizzy Lifting Bar
[ Keith is no stranger to flying, though belching bubbles is fairly new. He can't indulge in something safe without wanting the same experience for his dear pet, but the traders can't be convinced to give the animal his own breathing tube.

So Keith floats on, holding all sixty-odd pounds of his precious golden dog. ]

Look out! And be careful!

⦿ Stars in Your Eyes --> Minor Side Quest
[ Although it pains him to be apart from his dog, Keith is able to leave John safely with the caravan while he attempts to gather stars. When he gets back to the caravan, however, Keith is informed that a bat has stolen John away. He floats back the way he came with surprising fluency. ]

I'll save you!

⦿ Wildcard
[ hit me with your best shot! ]

a.

[superbolided]

[ What in all the seven hells is this place... and why is that idiot carrying his dog around while flying? There's no way that animal isn't freaking out internally and about to unload all the contents of its stomach on anyone with the misfortune of standing underneath.

Which is exactly why Gareki moves out of the way before anything can fall on him. Just stares at the lunatic because, yes, flying is fun. Flying without a mount or magitek underneath... even less so. ]

What if the drink spontaneously wears off mid-air? Were you planning to just flatten me?! I'll have you know I am deeply attached to my spine!

[ ...Both literally and figuratively speaking. ]

Gareki Yukimura-Gawain | FFXIV OC (non-WoL)

[superbolided]

a. Just Winging It

[ There was a point in Gareki's young life where he accidentally shot an arrow through a swarm of gaelicats, and they had descended upon him with full vengeful fervor, ready to bleed him dry with a thousand little fang bites. This moment right here reminds him of that sorrowful day because, lacking any foresight whatsoever, Gareki did indeed fire a bullet at a swarm of them to keep the bats off a hapless baby dragon that seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The result of his poor life choices is that he's now running as fast as he can from a black cloud of screeching bats.

Should you happen to meander into his path, he will either beeline past you or tackle you to the ground and try to cover you before the bats descend. ]

I know this looks very terrible, but I did try and make peace with them!

[ No, he really did not. He just loaded his pistol and hoped for the best, and now, his plan is still honestly continuing to hope for the best, even as bats nip at his ears and tail. ]

Urgh... not to alarm you... healing salve... tell me you happen to be carrying a bit on you before I bleed out.

b. Dawn of the Dead

[ An endless sea of quests and very little payment for it. Gareki doesn't know why anyone subscribes to the adventuring life and is already sorely missing the quiet sanctity of his forge back in Kugane. There's something pleasant about the smell of burnt metal and raw ores that he's longing for deeply as he tries to get some sleep. There's a small fire next to him, and he's curled up by himself on the way back to the city, just catching a bit of rest as his arrival had taken quite a toll on him.

The remains of one medium-sized slain creature is stuffed into a knapsack for safe-keeping as Gareki begins to drift off. That is, until the bag starts to move on its own, surreptitiously crawling towards Gareki until the miqo'te is startled awake.

Should you happen to also be heading back to Camelot to finish the quest, you will find the following: a.) a giant, raging inferno because Gareki decided the best course of action was to kill it with fire and b.) a miqo'te brutally beating his knapsack with the butt of his gun. ]

Why does nothing here stay dead?!

c. wildcard me.

[ It's as the prophecy foretold. Please toss whatever at me. ]

a. she hates him so much

[menphina]

[ There are very few people she doesn't want to be tackled by, or even shielded by- and the person on the very top of that list happens to be her younger brother. It's mostly because she's been the one protecting him so long, it'd make her feel angry to not be able to keep doing it, and secondly-

Bloody brat's attracted the bats!!

Her first instinct is to cover him instead, but her next is to throw him right at another bat for getting them into this mess. And as quickly as she can, she makes a grab for the blasted miqo'te above her before shoving him behind her and slicing her hand in front of her as though cutting the air-

Only, she's using her green magic to heighten the scents of her salves, flooding the air with the scent of the herbs and plants within them- minty fragrances that she knows will make bats recoil and making them start to back off. ]

LEAVE.

[ And there's the animal magic, that should get a response of withdrawing from them as she sees them begin to fly back to avoid whatever new threat they've encountered. She turns immediately to Gareki, eyes narrowed, before she grabs his ear and pinches, painfully. ]

You shot at them, didn't you, you shite!! Haven't you learnt a thing from the huntresses in the tribe?!

[ And another tug for good bloody measure, before she lets go and looks him over, worriedly. She can't believe this... ]

When in the hells did you get here?!

Asgore Dreemurr | Undertale

[journalname]

i. arrival

[Asgore can swim just fine. It's the water that's the problem.

When he arrives on the beach, he looks rather like an eight-foot-tall drowned rat. Water drips from his soaked beard and long floppy ears, tinging lightly on his metal breastplate. An attempt to pat some of the water out of his hair does, more or less, nothing.

Instinctively, he reaches for his fire magic to try himself...but nothing happens. Asgore stares down at his paws for a moment.]

Oh, dear...

[Magic is part of a monster's very soul. What on earth does it mean if his is gone, yet he is still here?

But there are no other monsters here to ask about it. There are, in a fact that's beginning to make him increasingly nervous, rather a lot of humans. For several reasons, standing on the beach contemplating such matters doesn't really appeal. So he drifts after the rest of the crowd, following everyone else's lead in ascending the stairs carved into the rock face. It's basically impossible to pass him, his bulk taking up easily the entire path, but at least he seems to be navigating it pretty quickly. He's gotten used to rocky paths, and his claws do help. If anyone nearby seems to be having trouble, he'll offer:]

Ah, excuse me - but would you like a hand?

ii. the red spring - training grounds

[After learning a little more about this place, Asgore decides that one of his first priorities should be working to understand the new form of his magic.

It's still strange that it's shifted - as if something within his very soul had altered. But there's no time to dwell on that. Monsters usually learn to control their magic while they are still young, and it is still developing. For an adult monster, especially a boss monster, to lack control...it could be a danger to those around him. He's got a lot of catch-up work to do.

He's really not feeling either target practice or an obstacle course right now, so he joins the meditation circle going on instead. It seems like...a nice practice. Calming, perhaps.

He closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing, thinking back to his long-ago first magic lessons. It is rather relaxing! After a while, small flowers start to bloom around where he's sitting, although with his eyes still closed he doesn't appear to have noticed.]

iii. caring badass

[Asgore doesn't much care to seek out combat, and he's pretty unsure about this entire egg phenomenon - for several reasons, really, isn't he still mostly made of magic?

This, though, is something he can do. It's actually rather a nice idea, helping to take care of someone for a little while.
He smiles as he goes to greet his new...partner? Ward? For the day, trying his best to make himself seem less large and potentially intimidating. That, at least, is something he tends to be good at.]

My name is Asgore. It is good to meet you. Is there anything you need?

ii

[letmewin]

( For the most part, Asriel doesn't attempt to greet any newcomers. There's always a chance, no matter how small, that someone from their world might end up here. No matter how much he wants to see them again, he knows better than to try to actively seek anyone out - for their sakes. The last thing he wants to do is hurt anyone or burden them with the knowledge that he's both alive and himself in this world.

At this point, practicing his magic isn't anything out of the ordinary. Much like Asgore, he isn't someone who looks to actively fight at all. Instead, his magic is something that he uses to protect - to help things like plants grow or keep others warm when it's cold. It's exactly why he's there when Asgore is, but it doesn't take long for Asriel to spot him at all.

He can feel the way his heart constricts before sinking - and there's a part of him that wants to call out for his dad, but there's a bigger part of him that's scared. He can't face him. There's no way. Not after everything he's done to him. At the least, Asgore seems focused on trying to use his magic. Much like he had attempted to do so with Sans, he's going to try to quietly try to leave before he's noticed. )