TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 12

[avalonmods]

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A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival  KERPLUNK, SPLASH!  You and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After plunging into the Bay, the rush of water fills your ears and soaks into every crevice of your body. You may find it hard to find a clear spot on the surface, as surrounding you are hundreds of fairy vallela, floating like tiny sailboats on the top of the water.  These vallela will surround you and begin to push up underneath, then slowly float you about three feet above the surface of the lake and carry you gently to shore... unless you thrash around or move too much, that is. Then they’ll drop you right back in the water, so be careful!
The Lady of the Lake seems busy this time around, having cast the spell to draw in the new arrivals and bailed, but the Rent-a-Ride at the top of the cliffs seems to be the only place around to go. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs or getting acquainted with their new familiars. There’s no railing, be careful! Should you fall, a mysterious sand hand will 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.

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B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled atop 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,” referring to a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's inventory. It’s enchanted by Merlin to recover possessions and pets from the lake before they become waterlogged. Before Archimedes can give his usual spiel, a special voice message is sent to everyone’s brand new phones. ``Merlin here. Welcome to Avalon! I usually don't greet newcomers like this, but I wanted to make you aware of the situation we have here in Camelot. Refugees from places called Celliwig and Lestari are now living in Camelot, so we're a bit tight on space. It would be great if you could find yourself roommates when you get to Camelot. The Caravan ride is a great place to get to know to people. Built-in mini-bars to break the ice and all… I'm not asking you to make lifelong friends or lifelong roommates. Just until we get this situation sorted. If you do end up making lifelong friends? Great! All the better. Anyway, that's all from me. Catch you on Insta.``

The man leading the caravan rolls his eyes and just expresses “There you have it,” before getting everyone going in modernized carriages pulled by horses. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless. The carts have a smart thermostat, the promised mini-bar, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, @avalononline (AOL), to chat with others, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, including how to use the phone). Just be careful-- 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. Newcomers get free inn rooms for their one night stay on the way to Camelot, containing two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and movies.   Don't want to relax in the room? Take a dip in the communal hot spring. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly. 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.

---

 

 

A ⦿ Sleeping Struggles
	True to Merlin's word, the inn of Camelot is a little crowded. There are efforts to fit the inn with new furniture to help out the smaller rooms by bolstering them with bunks, but it takes a while to make a sturdy bed without mass production facilities. One particularly creative mage from Lestari came up with and is teaching a special spell called Recipe: Magnetic Lull, a spell that can be used to magnetize objects for about 4 hours at a time. The idea is to use it on a spot on the floor and a sheet with the same polarity so that the sheet floats above the floor. It's a nifty little spell for people who don't move much in their sleep!
Unfortunately, for those who move about, it's a little unstable so getting too close to the edge could topple you to the floor. Heavy sleepers are just as apt to have problems since the timing is very precise-- don't wake up to renew your spell before the 4-hour mark and you'll end up slamming into the ground. Another tricky part of casting the spell is making sure you aim only for what you need... a little magnetism can go a long way when you can cast it on just about anything. (It is highly recommended you put any metal weapons in locked storage while using.) Be very careful or you may just find yourself or any other number of accidental objects magnetized!

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B ⦿ Don't Break Me, Breakfast
For the less polarized people, the inn is offering upgraded breakfast to anyone willing to simply share a bed, the most cost-effective means of saving space. Though their usual continental breakfast is temporarily suspended due to a need to ration, they are delivering portioned breakfasts to each room at precisely 7:30am each morning. Those who don't share a bed will get a mystery muffin and an apple. Mystery muffins are the kitchen's attempt to make their ingredients go a little further and may contain odd flavors or magical effects that last about 30 minutes. The first week's features are: Cricket flour muffins - chirping a little tune is good first thing in the morning! Burple berry muffins - will make you burp your words Sorrow sap muffins - eating is such sweet sorry... you may find yourself crying about whatever you've been holding inside to anyone who asks.
Those who are willing to share a bed with another will receive the upgraded breakfast of scrambled eggs, mixed non-magic fruit, and go'oat milk. Yes, go'oat milk. It's a special blend of oats they've been magically preserving in their basement for emergencies. It'll give you energy for the whole day! Side effects may include jitteriness and slightly decreased inhibitions due to feeling like you're ready to GO!! But that's definitely better than the mystery muffins. ...Maybe you should check if Camelot's castle has any rooms left?

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C ⦿ Not Quite a Puppy Parade
	Humans and faekind aren't the only refugees from Celliwig and Lestari. Blessedly, a large number of pets were rescued during Camelot's efforts… but unfortunately, that doesn't always mean that those pets made it out with their pet parents along with them. In the town square, there are fence posts put up with light magic to create little pens for a number of pets. It's a pet adoption fair hosted by some Celliwig animal lovers who wanted to do their part to help everyone find their new temporary (or hopefully forever) home. Popular pets from Celliwig include snow-white ferrets, owls, and small hamsters with tiny, useless wings. The hamsters were wild, but since they don't have their usual open roam space in Camelot, they're trying to find homes for these challenging-to-keep-cooped rodents. So much so that they will enlist random citizens to help catch hamsters that started wandering out of confinement throughout the fair.
Popular pets of Lestari include capybara, chickens, compsognathus, and a variety of fae frogs. The chickens seem to be going fast, with food shortages being a concern on a lot of peoples' minds right now with only Camelot's stores being available for three cities. Those who have the eggs have the money... but you couldn't ask for a better pet than the overly friendly capybara! The fae frogs are an excellent choice, however, as they tend to be capable of intelligent speech and though they tend to condescend, they're willing to help correct poor magic techniques to help you improve a little faster if you can get past the attitude problem. …And yes, we are going to glaze over the compies. They're considered an "advanced pet-owner" choice and don't seem to be very popular, but you’re welcome to try your hand with the tiny, hungry dinos if you don’t mind losing a finger or two. Take a look around, play with any of the pets that you want, and help catch any that run off. Maybe you'll find your new forever friend?

---

 

Stressed out about the close quarters and odd ongoings in the city? Not to worry, there are tasks at hand for those who want to get out in the wild as well. With the sudden loss of Celliwig and the barriers being taken down that were shielding the river from crossing specters, the Forest of the Felled needs to be cleaned up.

 

A ⦿ River Rapid Rumba
It's not a short journey from Camelot to the Forest of the Felled, particularly for everyone. Though there is an easy path at the Pure of Heart Bridge, it is a bridge that is quite clear about those who can cross it-- the pure of heart. Instead of risking half the party not being able to continue, a party is led by Glewlwyd, a strongman and one of the best-known guards of Celliwig. Being familiar with the area, he knows a special means to get past the white rapids of the river that are normally impassible by those not in the know: naiads. The naiads control the waters of the river, and there are more than a few present in this one. They are both a loving and a jealous folk, so the key to getting across with ease is to either seduce or befriend one.
Naiads love beautiful people, both inside and out, so show them an act of kindness and you will not need to do anything physical. They will value your friendship as beauty and will allow you to pass. If you are not the type, consider taking off your shirt or showing some dance talents that work the rear. If neither form of beauty befits your character, one who does have their affections may try to flirt with someone else on your behalf. A jealous naiad will redirect all the rapids around them in an attack and leave low water levels for those to sneak behind them whilst she is distracted. How the distraction team makes it out of that mess is on them.

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B ⦿ Forest of the Fachan
	Past the rapids (if you made it), the forest itself is too quiet, and the wind is too loud, whistling through the trees and a myriad of wards and ties and tricks that were once used to seal the spirits into the Forest of the Felled. Empty of death now, the forest only seems to be home to bugs, squirrels, and other small creatures that help the trees propagate. The biggest landmark now is the sleeping stone giant that sits in a self-made clearing in the center of the forest. It is visible even from the southernmost point where the party enters and begins heading north-east, removing wards, candles, scraps of fabric, ropes and twine binding trees together, and all other manner of implements used to trap spirits. The trip itself is relatively quiet until the sun starts to set. Then, once in a while when you close your eyes, you feel like there's something staring back at you from within your own eyelids.
It chitters and laughs in your head loudly enough that you aren't sure if you heard it in your ears or your imagination, and then it's seemingly gone (to someone else). After the third time it happens, the voice will sing-song "No more dead, no more live, no more singing by my side. Break the quiet, make some noise," and then suddenly, in a deeper, more rugged voice "Ï̶͚̰̭̟̈́̆͝'̴̡̙͙͖͆͛l̸̻̾̈́̒l̶̗͈̔͊̒̀ ̸̭̉ͅb̴̮̍̓è̷̺͇̪̽̊̅ ̴̨̪̭͘b̵̪̞̉ṙ̸̭̳̼͓̊͠͝e̷̦͈̞͐̀͂a̵̙̟̘̾̀̀k̴̘̩͚͊̊̍i̴̳̥͒̚ͅň̷͈g̸̛̳̅̀ ̴̛͎m̴͈͆̇y̵͖̰͉͛̅̀͜͝ ̸͙̈́n̵͕̫̓͑̏̿e̷̬̤̎̌̈̈́w̴̛͎͛ ̵̫̘͑̄̈̈͜t̸͙̂ȍ̸͈́̄y̶̹̿̆̎͝s̷̯̀͜͠.̴̦͚̯͍̉͘" The sun, appropriately, is setting at this point, and the party seems to somehow start getting separated. A strange stench, like rotten flesh seems to fill the air. With only two or three people left in an area, the creature will finally appear, wielding a barbed flail, with rotten apples hanging off of each of the barbs. It has one leg, one arm, one eye, and its skin appears like potato skin save for a tuft of black hair atop its head. Its wide mouth bears bloody, pointed teeth. The faint of heart have been known to be frozen in fear or drop dead of a heart attack simply from seeing it. It laughs in your head before it swings its flail, launching an attack. It's time to fight the fachan, an unseelie fae who had adapted to feasting on the spirits of the Forest of the Felled and is now hungry and ready to devastate any living thing that wanders into the forest.

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C ⦿ Campfire Stories
	Someone is sure to defeat the fachan one way or the other, and once that is out of the way (or you were lucky enough to have someone slay it before it even found you), the forest is finally back to just the creepsome wind. Everyone left is able to find each other and set up a tight-knit camp at the foot of the stone giant and with wires wrapped around the area to alert them if any... non-dead residents of the forest come a'knocking. Unfortunately, it's discovered that during the attacks a lot of the supplies were lost. This would be as far as anyone would make it, so it would be best to head back to Camelot to restock for now. But that is for morning. It's far too late now, so pull up, get your ration of tater soup, and share your favorite spooky story to get in the mood for the season. The truly scary part of the evening is over, it's good to have a laugh at whatever kind of hokey nonsense everyone can come up with!

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, 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 usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. This month's has some changes based on current events, please read carefully. 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]

Are pets free to adopt?

[prontissimo]

Do the pets cost money, like an adoption fee, or are people welcome to take them for free?

TDM Layout Feedback

[avalonmods]

We are experimenting with new layouts to try to make our prompts easier to read and process. Though these may not be the extent of the changes (and there will be other additions for events specifically) we would like your feedback on the current updates that have been made to the TDM. Please reply here if you have feedback to offer.

Re: TDM Layout Feedback

[forbothofus]

I just made a simple version of one prompt with cleaner coding and a smaller image with float and margin. Anyone is free to use this as a basic HTML template if you want to illustrate layout ideas rather than describe them. Have fun!

<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"> <big>B ⦿ <u>Don't Break Me, Breakfast</u></big> <img style="float: right; margin: 10px;" src="https://i.imgur.com/5iTpY84.png" width="150" /> For the less polarized people, the inn is offering upgraded breakfast to anyone willing to simply share a bed, the most cost-effective means of saving space. Though their usual <b>continental breakfast is temporarily suspended</b> due to a need to ration, they are delivering <b>portioned breakfasts</b> to each room at precisely 7:30am each morning. Those who <b>don't share a bed will get a mystery muffin</b> and an apple. Mystery muffins are the kitchen's attempt to make their ingredients go a little further and may contain odd flavors or magical effects that last about 30 minutes. The first week's features are: <ul><li><b>Cricket flour muffins -</b> chirping a little tune is good first thing in the morning! <li><b>Burple berry muffins -</b> will make you burp your words <li><b>Sorrow sap muffins -</b> eating is such sweet sorry... you may find yourself crying about whatever you've been holding inside to anyone who asks. </ul> Those who are <b>willing to share a bed</b> with another will receive the upgraded breakfast of scrambled eggs, mixed non-magic fruit, and <b>go'oat milk</b>. Yes, go'oat milk. It's a special blend of oats they've been magically preserving in their basement for emergencies. It'll give you <b>energy</b> for the whole day! Side effects may include<b> jitteriness and slightly decreased inhibitions</b> due to feeling like you're ready to GO!! But that's definitely better than the mystery muffins. ...Maybe you should check if Camelot's castle has any rooms left? </span>

Re: TDM Layout Feedback

[fruitknife]

Squashing all the prompts and formatting them so closely to the pictures is... not doing great things for my desire to read the prompts. I'm not sure how else to describe it other than noting my initial reaction last night was 'wow, nope.'

That means it super doesn't help that the short summaries of the prompts seem to have completely fallen by the wayside.

Finally: Making the interactable things within prompts bigger isn't a bad idea, but have you tested that color change on multiple page views? It occurs to me that the blue might contrast too much with dark-view backgrounds to really be feasible.

[patchricide]

• I very, very much like having the pictures with each prompt. If you play with the formatting to balance it better with the text, that's fine. But please do keep the pictures in some format, since I'm already finding these visual aids make it quicker and easier to remember each distinct prompt.


• The bulleted list in the Breakfast prompt is also fantastic. Breaking up lists of information this way is always helpful.


• The preamble that starts off Forest of the Felled is well-written, and I would like to see one before all three sections. There's something about this one that I personally find it more useful than the summaries were, since it's more about what we should expect from the prompts than trying to recap exact details. Maybe give it a little formatting like the summaries used to have, though.


• I do think the colored text could be leveraged better. When I'm applying color, I try to look over everything and see how much I can mentally map the document to its contents without reading a word. Maybe try using a different (but still neutral) color in each of the three main blocks to break them apart, especially since the headers don't pop out as much with the pictures. You could achieve a similar effect with some pale backgrounds. Alternately, you could only use text color to highlight a certain type of key detail, like... I don't know, things to take note of OOC rather than IC, or some special notes that sometimes follow sections. There's things to dig into and play with here.


• Speaking of, I love the voicemail from Merlin and how it's formatted separately. Wrapping it in another container wouldn't go amiss, but conceptually this is on the right track.

Re: TDM Layout Feedback

[ranksinmistlore]

Not in the game (yet?), but if you're taking feedback from passersby/people playing around in the tdm, as someone who accesses DW on my phone a lot, the pictures being on alternating sides of the prompts means I have to scroll left and right in order to read the prompts, which isn't entirely insurmountable but is definitely a little off-putting.

Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker | Star Wars

[politicallyinclined]

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival

(From the too cold birthing bed on Polis Massa to the waters of a place that reminds her, achingly, of Naboo, Padmé struggles to the shore, gasping. She can't say where her renewed strength has come from; she distinctly remembers losing consciousness and yet, now, it's like none of it happened. Has she...died? One of her hands rests on her stomach, still curved from pregnancy, while the other sweeps wet strands of dark hair from her eyes.)

Luke... Leia... (She repeats those precious names. Had Obi-Wan heard her? What about Anakin? She can't leave him. If he finds out she has died, he won't have any reason to...

To what? It frightens her to think of what he might become. Glancing back at the water, she seems reluctant to journey forward. If she re-enters the lake, can she...return? Or will she just drown?)

B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

(After acquiring dry clothes and familiarizing herself with the technology, Padmé lets herself rest for a few moments. Unlike the other travelers, she doesn't speak to anyone nor does she seem willing to move unless absolutely necessary. The further from the lake they go, the more pronounced her oddities will seem.

It's like she's...waiting. Listening. For something. Someone.)

C ⦿ Not Quite a Puppy Parade

(Time passes, nothing changes and through the efforts of a sweet snow owl, Padmé begins to understand that this will last for...some unknown time. Perhaps always. Perhaps only for a few more days. Hours. Regardless, she has to adapt. Her fingers brush through the soft feathers of her little friend and she manages a smile.)

Do you need me? (The answer seems to be yes and she has never been able to say no to that request.) I'll stay.

(Network; Video; UN: amidala)

(She is pale and resolved; this is not a woman who is unaccustomed to strife.)

This seems the quickest way to go about my search. (And since her physical stamina hasn't completely returned.) I am Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo. Am I known to anyone present?

(She wants to be known. She doesn't want to be known. She wants a friend. She doesn't want anyone to touch her.)

It's not terribly important. (But it is.) Of course we can get to know one another. If you wish to speak, I will listen.

(Wildcard)

(If you have an idea, come at me! I can be reached on Plurk at tiger_eyes or through PMs.)

Network; un: mitth'raw'nuruodo

[admiralchiss]

I greet you, Senator Amidala.

[When he met her, Anakin introduced her as Ambassador Padmé, but he read up about her once he was with the Empire and found out her true profession, so her being a Senator isn't surprising. He's not sure what point in her history she was plucked from, and it could very well be before they met that one time.]

I'm afraid there's very few from our home galaxy in this world.

rinwell | tales of arise (spoilers in prompt ii)

[hootle]

i; hootle-less arrival;

[ rinwell comes splashing in like any other, at first totally distracted by trying to keep herself afloat, and then distracted by the strange fairy vallela keeping her up in the air. she takes that chance to catch her breath, and once she does, immediately checks for her best friend, a small white owlet by the name of hootle.

however, once she checks her person, she not only learns that he's not there, but has been replaced by a... darker grey owlet, maybe slightly bigger than hootle is. what. cue panic. ]

H-Hey you're not Hootle! What'd you do with Hootle?! [ the little thing starts to flap around, somewhat panicked, as she reaches for it. ] G-Get back here! Where's Hootle?!

[ seriously, that owl is her family and she is not happy about this. unfortunately for her, all the commotion she's causing has brought the vallela no choice but to dump her back into the water, her owlet familiar flapping just above the water, concerned and at a loss. great start. ]

ii; far from home; (this prompt contains arise story spoilers)

[ despite her earlier commotion upon arriving here, rinwell is quiet now. she's reobtained hootle, finally, and sits upon the carriage, to wherever she's going now, with both owlets perched on opposite shoulders of hers. hootle, however, does not look happy about the other one — usually he's quite happy to meet other owls, but this one is vying for rinwell's attention, so it is a threat.....

meanwhile, rinwell's thoughts swirl about what could be going on. she's more apt than most at recognizing she's no longer on dahna, or rena, or anywhere she could recognize, due to her ability to sense their wills. but she doesn't know of any third planet, nor does she understand how she could've ended up here by herself when she was just on rena with the others. "avalon" is not just a town name, it's the name of another world, she thinks to herself. that's got to be it.

in addition, she can't feel any astral energy here at all. zilch. zip. nada. her astral artes are impossible to use without it, but even more so, she can't believe she's in a world without that. how does it function?

slowly, she reaches up to pat hootle's head. ]

It'll be okay, Hootle. We'll find them.

[ that's got to be her first order of business. she doesn't know how to get out of here, but she can at least try and search for her friends. they were with her, so they should be here too, right? ]

iii; owl friends;

So there are owls here, too, huh? They're a little different from the Dahnan owls back home though...

[ dahnan owls are a little differently shaped, and also have a strange penchant for wearing accessories. but that's neither here nor there. regardless, hootle is interested in meeting them as they're shown off to visitors looking for pets. rinwell has to awkwardly wave away any helpers, insisting that she already has enough owls to deal with (two, now, unwillingly), as hootle excitedly chirps about and greets them himself.

rinwell watches on, smiling for perhaps the first time since she's gotten here (it's hard not to, when your best friend is having a good time), until one of the smaller adoptable owls perches upon her head out of no where, causing hootle to puff up in jealousy. don't touch his bestie. that's his bestie and he's already stressed out about the other owl encroaching on his territory.

so, cue angry chirping and threatening flight patterns back and forth from him. ]

iv; magicless fight;

[ rinwell couldn't stand just sitting around waiting. she needed to get out and do something — explore, maybe even find a way out. so she went along with the team, both owls sitting quietly in her hood the whole way, both a bit nervous about the whole situation. admittedly, she was too — she was going into this without her usual magic, only some weaker version of it. but she was with others. she needed to do this — needed to try everything she could to find her friends and her way home. the fate of dahna depended partially on her.

but at some point, she's hearing those terrifying voices. she doesn't recognize the source of it at all — nothing's will, no one she knows, nothing. it's creepy, and genuinely... freaks her out.

so when the group ends up slowly separating, and the thing shows itself, all she can do is freeze up for a moment. she doesn't have her astral artes, but she figured out what magic she can do, more or less, back in the training grounds at the inn. she's always been adept, in tune, with magic, so it wasn't difficult for her to get a passing understanding of how to use it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not nearly as powerful as her magic once was back in her own world.

still.. after a moment of time practically stopping for her, it begins moving toward her, to which she quickly shoots a gust of air out at it. ]

S-Stay back! I'm warning you!

[ the monster, of course, doesn't care much, and when it begins moving toward her again, she shoots a shock of electricity at it instead. this causes it to elicit a horrific laugh straight into her head, apparently still undeterred by her basic magic, and she falls back onto her rear, knees buckling from the fear of the thing. this can't be happening. is she really so defenseless here?

as the creature moves toward her again, slow and swinging its barbed flail, hootle makes a last ditch attempt to protect her by flying in front of her, between her and the creature.

maybe, please, stop this from happening, kind someone? ]

wildcard;

[ feel free to try something new or pm me to hash something out! ]

iv;

[gunmettle]

[ The man who steps in to help looks like a strange monster himself, tall and broad and sporting a massive revolver for a head. Like most of the others in the group, he’d drifted away from the pack, only for her startled cries to send him darting back.

One arm comes up to intercept the flail, the barbs slicing through his coat sleeve and digging into his skin. Blood spurts and starts to seep into the fabric. Juzo’s had worse, and it’s an easy thing to toggle his pain receptors off as he curls his fingers around the weapon’s chain. ]

Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?

[ Muscles tense as Juzo pulls on the chain hard, aiming to either disarm the creature or unbalance it or both. ]

bailey morello | oc (aefenglom crau) | animal + death

[polterguide]

pumpkin mayhem;
[Bailey can count on one hand the number of times they’ve decorated a pumpkin - their family never bothered, so the first time they put a face on the pumpkin was after they had moved out of their college dorm. It had kind of been an utter disaster, but it had been fun, so it became something of a tradition.

A tradition that had been skipped the year they appeared in Aefenglom, far too concerned with the fact they were now half-sheep, half-Bailey to think about Halloween. (Now, though, they’re missing that… Wooliness. But it’s fine. It’s strange, but it’s fine.)

They’re not expecting for this adventure in pumpkin decorating to be more disastrous than standing in their apartment, watching as William waves a knife around as Felix’s menace of a cat sits on top of the pumpkin they’re supposed to be carving. What can go wrong? They’re not even going to carve it, leaving all that aside in favor of a paint brush and black paint. The design they go for is simple - an angry face with sharp, sharp teeth - but faces on pumpkins are just. The staple. They have to.

And then the pumpkin starts to float.]

Uh.

[The pumpkin is off, butting Bailey in the stomach before zipping away towards its next victim.]

W-wait! Get back here!

[They scramble after it, but better act quick unless you really want a pumpkin slamming into you.]

puppy parade;
[They should not be tempted by all of the cute animals on display. They shouldn’t. They’ve just arrived (re-arrived?) here. It’s irresponsible.

But they’re all so cute.

There’s an owl-like griffin perched on their shoulder, watching on in amusement as Bailey coos and runs their hand over a capybara’s snoot. They’ve always wanted to pet a capybara, always thought they looked so cute and chill in any picture they’ve ever seen of them, so they’re having a bit of a moment.

They pause for a moment, hand stilling, before they slide their gaze to their griffin companion.]

…Something smaller might be better, right?

[...]

It is really cute though…

[Decisions are hard in the face of a friendly rodent.]

spooky scary stories;
[There’s something depressing about removing all of the wards, and the whispering that starts up doesn’t help the unease that’s settled over Bailey. They count themself lucky they didn’t catch sight of the fachan - seeing the haggard survivors of the fight is bad enough, and they’re quick to offer some minor first aid to anyone who seems especially scuffed up. It’s not quite the same as healing magic, but… They have to try to help.

Things settle down at camp, at least, and stories start to come out.

Bailey sits with their legs crossed, listening to the stories around the circle, and when it seems like things have stopped with them they scratch their cheek.]

…My family’s home is haunted.

[They look into the flames, humming a bit.]

Her name was Maribelle Hutchinson - she had been murdered there over a century before my family moved in. She always seemed so lonely, so upset, and it’s not like you could really blame her, you know? She was killed by her fiancé, and her body was buried in the yard and nobody ever seemed to care that she went missing. It seemed like everyone had given up on her, and she was all alone for over a hundred years…

[They tap their fingers against their legs, a smile crossing their face for a moment.]

She was nice to me, though, even if she still seemed so sad. She helped teach me how to play the piano - she was never able to become a concertist, but it was apparently one of her passions and dreams in life.

wildcard;
[Want to plan something out or just throw something at me? Go for it! You can hit me up at revelries or in the unofficial Discord!]

here we be wildin

[judgementor]

[It's getting closer to Red Wine's more preferred time of year, when the sun doesn't shine so fiercely and the air is fresh and cool, and it's been getting a little easier to want to spend time outside.

After the hellish couple of months they've had the onset of harvest-time festivities is a welcome reprieve, and for a change Red Wine did not go down to the bay on the day that the new arrivals would find themselves dropped into the increasingly chilly water. Instead, he's reading through something that got pushed under the door earlier in the week and considering asking Century Egg if he'd like to go and help put up shelters for the refugees.

He hears a tap on the door and huffs out a soft sigh through his nose, pushing himself up to go and answer. When he opens the door his heart immediately shoots up into his throat and the tips of his ears subtly dip. He stares, and his expression goes through several emotions very rapidly before it settles on a tense-jawed, uncertain kind of hope.]

... Bailey.

noctis lucis caelum | ffxv

[allumer]

ONE ▮ soaking in your arrival

[ It seems to be a lot to ask for a warning in regards to anything that happens to him nowadays, but Noctis would at least appreciate not being dunked into the middle of icy cold water. His panic is, needless to say, very tangible, until he's able to focus and start trying to look for some hint of land. Unfortunately all he can see is all these little floating blobs that resemble jellyfish. Hopefully they don't sting.

Before Noctis can even start swimming through there's a strange pressure pushing up from below him, and the next thing he knows he's sort of. Floating. The blobs actually seem to be picking him up above the water. Sure would've been nice if they'd done this before he fell in there. The whole situation is bizarre but they're not attacking him so Noctis just sits in silent bafflement as he's carried over to shore.

Now very disgruntled, soaked, but at least on land, Noctis tries to wrap his head around where he actually is. Until he hears a distant splashing sound back toward the water. Immediately he rushes forward. ]

Hey! What're you doing here?

[ Noctis trudges in until he meets Carbuncle at the edge of the shore, scooping it up into his arms. The creature chirps and tries to shake itself dry. Noctis lets out a huff as he's splashed with droplets, but he can't help but smile a little. Well, at least he's not alone. ]

We sure aren't in Eos anymore, are we buddy.

TWO ▮ not quite a puppy parade

[ He doesn't understand much of anything in regards to what's going on in this place called Camelot, but from the looks of it, they've got a major population problem. The inn he'd been staying in was packed full. He couldn't even get his own bed. Breakfast wasn't much to call home about either. Granted it was better than anything he could make on his own but Ignis' cooking tends to spoil a person. Everything in the city feels so dreary. At least until he stumbles upon the pet adoption fair. Overhearing chatter, he comes to find out they're all displaced pets that need new homes. Noctis mumbles to himself as he observes the varied assortment of animals. ]

Never seen pets like these...

[ He recognizes most of the animals, but the capybaras and compsognathus? Those are new to him for sure. Maybe its best to stay away from the big lizard things. Anything big, really, so Noctis instead approaches the smaller animals around. He crouches near a pen of the ferrets, Carbuncle idling on his shoulder also peering at them. Noctis looks at his companion. ]

They look exactly like you. You could be twins.

[ Carbuncle shakes its head and Noctis can only laugh.

He may not be much of a people person, but he loves animals, and so he thinks he's going to stick around here at the pet fair for a while. Maybe a long while. Especially if he can find any cats. ]

THREE ▮ forest of the fachan

[ Suppose there's always going to be someone or something ruining the vibe for everyone. In the hopes of heading out with the exploration group to take his mind off of everything, Noctis has found himself with a small selection of stragglers now facing down some sort of creature that could definitely be mistaken for a daemon, or at least the total opposite of human. He doesn't know what it is, but its dangerous, and he's pretty good at killing things.

The downside here obviously is that he knows he's without any of his magic. No armiger, no weapons, no warping. While he's been given a rundown of what his new magic is he's not exactly sure how to use it. At least the elemental abilities he has are familiar, and so Noctis harnesses a ball of fire into the palm of his hand and tries to lure the fachan away from the rest of the group. ]

Hey, over here, you ugly stump!

[ Ah yes, insults will help. Here's hoping this doesn't turn out too badly. ]

WILDCARD

[ Throw whatever you'd like at me. If you've got questions or want to reach out for ideas feel free to shoot me a PM. ]

grandson!!

[luciing]

[ The scouting party to which Somnus belongs arrives later than the first to enter the Forest. By the time they reconvene, it seems the fachan has already begun its assault, with one brave member leading the fae away in order to protect the rest of the group. The young man conjures up fire to his hand, illuminating the familiar features of his visage.

It is in this moment that Somnus acts.

Noctis will not need to throw fire (in the middle of the woods of many-dead trees, at that). Nor will he need to brandish any weapon he may have on him, for greatsword suddenly rushes past Noctis to plummet right into the creature's chest, and seemingly masterless, it twists like a key and slices upward. The creature staggers back, howling, as a figure in a dark cloak rushes past Noctis; augmented by kinetic ability, it takes only one flash step to reach the creature, catch the hilt of the sword as it falls, and slice across its neck.

His cloak settles upon his back, and at last he turns to face his descendant. ]

Hail, Chosen.

W | Arknights

[insult_to_injury]

The Caravan
[Sure enough, her equipment is in the Shit Box, which offers her a bit of comfort in knowing that she's still armed. Hard to pull a mercenary away from old tricks, you know? In any case, she begins to openly examine said equipment which wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't literally a grenade launcher. Add in some actual grenades, and a detonator for good measure. Fortunately, she handles the explosives like an actual professional, but still gives little regards to the fact that she's handling explosives inside the carriage.]

Relax, it's not even loaded. They brought me with so little ammo that I can't go around wasting it.

Don't you think they should've given me a better load-out if they're serious about my help?

Stingy~


Breakfast
[In W's eyes, giving up her room for the night was enough to consider herself "upgraded" to the fancier breakfast. Like hell she was going to sleep indoors with everything that was going on. Once the morning came, she helped herself to one of the muffins, one's that actually are supposed to make you cry. Instead, she feels... nothing. Probably because W goes to sleep every night with her conscience at peace despite everything she's done. As for the muffin itself, it doesn't really do much for her. One bite and the sarkaz decides she's had enough.]

Here. Maybe you'll like it more.

[Sure, just shove it into their hands without asking first, that's cool.]


Not Quite a Puppy Parade
[A companion? Nah, she doesn't really need any of that. W's just here to check out if there's anything worth picking up and turning into a meal. No such luck, however.]

Damn, didn't make it in time before the smart ones already snatched up the good stuff. Not a lot meat on what's left, either...

A couple of you do look promising, though.

[Perhaps... consider stopping her.]


Wildcard

[Hit me up and I'll match in kind!]

Not Quite A Puppy Parade

[amakakeru]

I don't think those ones are for eating...Too much work for too little reward.

[ He's trying to be diplomatic here -- he's very used to dealing with this type of person. Perhaps he can find another outlet for her ... enthusiasm. ]

Are you really that hungry?

Klee | Genshin Impact | Elemental/Light

[extraexplodey]

i. Arrival - Waterlogged

[Well, this is a bit peculiar. Klee really has no idea what's going on when she finds herself underwater for a half minute, then suddenly spirited up to the surface by some weird kind of jiggly...is it a slime? She's not quite sure it's a slime, but it kind of looks a little bit like a slime!! Either way, she's only holding back from blowing them all to smithereens because apparently they are friendly slimes!! Floating her away towards the shore where she hops off, shakes out her still wet pigtails, and waves buh-bye to the friendly slimes.

Huh...is this another fun puzzle adventure her mom set up for her on the Golden Apple Archipelago? That must be it! But where are the others? Where's Master Jean? And the Honorary Knight?? And Kaeya and Albedo and--

!!!!]

Dodoco!! Where's Dodoco?!

[Heck, where are all her things?! Her backpack is missing, all her explosives and notes and...and everything! But especially Dodoco! Suddenly quite distraught, she hurries to start searching down the shore - maybe her bag and things washed up somewhere close by?]

Oh no, oh no...please don't let Klee's things all be at the bottom of the deep water!! Please...give Dodoco back!! Klee promises...she won't go fishblasting ever again for one whole month!

[Who is she talking to? Is it herself? You, perhaps?? Or maybe the cute, pinkish-red seelie that's following her around all too happily.]

ii. Caravan to Camelot

[Well, with no luck finding her belongings, or her precious Dodoco on the beach (and maybe crying a little bit), the rambunctious youngster sets forth on the only path that's really available for her. And once at the top, she meets with the kind of grumpy horseman and gets a ton of cool presents AND ALL HER THINGS BACK!!! Her backpack! All her explosives - which aren't even waterlogged at all (though she'll have to test them later to be sure. :D) - and Dodoco! Hugging the little stuffy so, so tight, she affixes it back onto her pack and hurries into the carts once bid to, kicking her feet as they dangle from the seat on the caravan.

And of course goes to play with this new toy. Eventually, she figures out how to write letters on it or something? So other people who have one of these can just automatically see it?? How nifty!]

Hi, everyone!!

My name is Klee! I'm looking for my friends. We got lost when we were having fun on the islands looking for Dodo King. There's a lot of them!!

One is Master Jean. She's big, has a ponytail, and puts Klee in solitary confinement when Klee is a bad girl and goes fishblasting.

Next is Master Kaeya! HE'S A PIRATE!!! He likes wine and has an eyepatch and is really funny and nice!

Next is the Hon
Honr
Ho
Honhonrie Knight!! They're really nice, and helped Mondstadt, and go on super fun and exciting adventures!! They even helped Klee find the Golden Apple Ar
Islands!

Master Diluc is angry all the time, but I like him. He has red hair and makes wine! Klee can't drink wine.

[And she goes on for a...while. Forgetting to give literally any kind of pertinent information and just details how much she loves everyone of her friends and found family of sorts. Albedo, Bennett, Razor...even Paimon! Klee loves them all. ♥]

iii. Part of a Balanced Breakfast?

[Welp, guess who reached the Red Spring and had a very tasty(??) breakfast. That's right, little Klee did!! Not really knowing what's going on here, Klee missed the part about sharing rooms and stuff, so her breakfast isn't as extravagant as other peoples'. But, she really doesn't need much in the mornings anyway, so her burple berry muffin and go'oat milk combination was well enough for the little ten year old.

Scarfing down her muffin, Klee washes it down with her milk (so good!) and goes to put away her trash, skipping along at...a rather breakneck speed. In fact, the more she goes, the faster she gets, and she's practically vibrating by the time she's tossed away her things, leaving a trail of tiny burps in her wake and giggling manically after each one.

That is, until all that bouncing and skipping stirs up her tummy just right and--]

BRRRAAAP!

[Oh dear. Klee actually stops a moment, blinking once, twice...and! Cue a loud, hysteric, childish fit of giggles. Listen, she's a small girl with the humor to match. And with each burp in between her shrill laughter, she only starts to crack up more and more.]

iv. Wildcard!!

[None of these prompts suit your fancy? Wanna do another not listed here? Hit me up and we can plot of something special!]

Arrival

[looksgood]

[Hopefully Klee is paying attention to where she's going, because if she isn't, she just might trip over a girl crawling on the beach, right on her belly. It's a sort-of army crawl, fingers spread out as if she's trying to feel into the sand and patting along it.

Toph lifts her head up as someone approaches, and if she gets tripped over, will probably just say 'ow watch it'. Otherwise, she's still, listening. Whoever is coming towards her sounds distressed.]

What's going on?

[Her voice sounds a bit like a whine. This sucks. It really does.]

louis | beastars | dark+technomancy

[disasdeer]

A ⦿ Welcome Back

[ This can't be real - it's just like the last time he was here. He feels himself crash into the water and he waits for a moment before he is brought the rest of the way to shore by -- something. He's not sure what exactly it is, but he can't swim and isn't going to allow himself to be dropped back into the water in his nice suit which is already soaking wet. Standing on the shore, he looks himself up and down. He seems to be in tact, at least. And he knows what to look for next. He notices the familiar appear beside him, and he extends his hand towards the creature - he looks like he's the same one he had known before. ]

It looks like I'm back, Wyn.

[ Well, since he's been through this before, and it doesn't look like there's anyone here giving directions, he will approach anyone who seems lost. ]

We go up - then we'll be off somewhere to figure out magic.

[ He's making no attempt to hide that he's been here before. ]

B ⦿ Network; un: adler

I don't know how many of you remember a deer by the name of Louis, but -

Well, it looks like I'm back. It's not exactly the first thing I expected to happen, but here I am regardless. It looks like I even have the same magic and familiar.

It looks like I went home and returned after a bit of time passed.

Since I don't need the welcome to Camelot bit, anyone care to fill me in with the highlights of the past few months? Or however long I was gone. I can't be sure how long it's been here.

C ⦿ Puppy Parade

This is...weird. Really weird. And he's not sure he's a fan of the odd creatures. He's seen plenty of animals since his last visit here, but it's always a little eerie to see creatures like this in small child-sized pet forms. He seems to be taking a lingering look at the ferrets, reaching a hand out to pet one of them. He's absolutely not intending to bring any home with him. He's reestablishing himself, he certainly can't take on an animal. ]

I think it might be a little too weird for me to get a pet.

[ As he says this, he notices one of the infamous hamsters making it's way past him so he reaches out quickly, scooping up the creature. ]

And they seem like a lot of trouble.

[ Too much trouble. ]

D ⦿ Wildcard

[ The classic wildcard option. Feel free to pick a random prompt and go or message me and I can start one for us. ]

B

[saxsongs]

[Instead of s text, Louis gets an enthusiastic Ren on a video.]

Louis! It's good to see you again.

nero claudius caesar augustus germanicus | fate/extra | light + technomancy

[umuperor]

a. soaking in your arrival

[ this is not the most undignified position that nero has ever found herself in, but as for recently? well, in that case, it's up there. her red ball dress, the leotard beneath, the already-transparent skirt—all of it is soaked. she struts her way angrily onto the shore, all four-foot-eleven of her fuming as she tugs the red ribbon out of her wet hair and lets the mess of it all fall free, past her shoulders.

what was this place? it certainly isn't the moon cell, and she hadn't heard the call of another summon. not that that anyone could have pulled her away from her contract with her praetor in the first place... could this be a reality marble? some last trick from pieceman, on a delayed trigger? still, it seems there's nowhere to go but up. on shore, a spectral lion approaches her, flickering red and gold. she knows how lions behave, and it's... docile, at least. curious about her, it seems. ]

What in the world...? [ she's surprised, and curious, but all of that is tempered with wariness. rather than follow her, the lion fades out of view—but she still feels an odd connection to it, she thinks. it must be like a servant going into spirit form. finally, she shakes her head, heading for the cliff stairs. there's nothing beautiful or elegant about how she looks right now, but at least it seems no one else is looking their best either. ]

Praetor... where have you gone? [ the question hangs in the empty air, expecting no answer. ]

b. caravan to camelot

[ honestly? she would have made more of a scene if it wasn't eminently clear that everyone else was in the same boat. regardless, she is far from happy.

she retrieved a few changes of clothes from the rather uncouthly named box along with her sword and... an ornately framed framed portrait photo of herself and another young woman. she regards that, at least, with a fond and wistful smile. it's a start. she's changed into one of the outfits she claimed, and though she doesn't recognize it... it suits her, she thinks. her attention now that they're on the road has thoroughly gone to the drinks and to her smartphone—she knew about these devices from her time on the moon cell, but she hadn't had much occasion to use them herself, under the circumstances.

the voice message from merlin has been her main focus. ]

Avalon? Camelot...Merlin? This couldn't be that fool Gawain's doing, could it...? [ she's murmuring to herself rather intently and more than a touch probably too-loud as she reaches for a mini bottle of wine and a bag of peanuts from the mini bar. with a sip, and a grimace: ] I... suppose beggars cannot be choosers, under the circumstances... [ she'll down more of the cheap red blend anyway. whatever. wine is wine. ]

c. network; un: redsaber

[ just this once—because she started to record a boisterous video message and got a sharp reprimand from archimedes in return—she'll keep it simple. she's not fool enough to get shoved out onto the side of the road. ]

If the phrases "Holy Grail War", "SE.RA.PH." or "Moon Cell" hold any significance to you, tell me at once.
I must reunite with my Master, my Praetor, and I do not trust this place! Whose doing is this? Gawain, did you and the Harway boy survive somehow? Were you conceited enough to hide a Noble Phantasm like this from me to the end?

[ she literally has no idea if gawain is even here. he just seems like an easy target and she's pontificating. there would be a lot of dramatic gestures and acting if she was doing this in person. regardless, she can feel one of her migraines coming on. best to just go ahead and send this and try to ride it out. ]

d. wildcard

[ if none of those work, feel free to hit me with your own starter! or if you want to talk about setting up something specific, hit me up at hexennacht#7576 or clockworkbrain!

nero's from after her route in fate/extra (undecided on rani or rin route) and before extella and look extraverse is an impossible continuity nightmare just don't worry about it. it's fine. It's Fine. ]

C. un: redgem

[greedyvixen]

[Huh. Interesting.]

So, there's a red Saber too, guess I'm not even surprised... No idea what the other two are but I won the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Enkidu | Fate/Grand Order (Animal & Green magic)

[enkidoh]

A - Kerplunk, splash!
[Enkidu does not thrash around at all and simply lies still as the vallela carry them to shore. Of course, they should wonder how they ended up here but for now they merely focus on the water that surrounds them and the sloshing sound it makes.

Yet, even before they know it the floating stops and they find themselves with half of their face buried in sand. Yes, maybe now it is a good time to have some questions. Especially when they notice that this seems to be a gathering of some sort. They aren’t alone. There are many others. Most are human but there are also a fair amount of other beings and…oh…

That is…]

Hmm…how odd.

[Enkidu isn’t really scared, yet it is odd why there is a small version of the creature they once were right next to them. It is small, green and made of clay, with antlers made of tiny twigs. It doesn’t have a mouth or eyes and to And yes, it is just as curious as Enkidu themselves.

So it wobbles around, definitely not planning to stay at one place. And its entirely possible it wobbles closer to one of the other arrivals.]

I cannot guarantee it will not hurt you… [They point at the little green blob.] …it seems to be a part of myself, yet I have not received the proper upgrade to understand its presence here. [Whereever this ’here’ might be.]


B - Caravan to Camelot
[Enkidu does not check their shit box, simply because they do not own anything. It would be useless to look for something they do not possess, yet it is interesting to watch all the other collect their belongings. Clothes and weapons. Packages and books. After watching for quite a while they turn on their heels, allowing their tiny clay-self to wobble themselves on top of their shoulder.

At first they aren’t entirely sure what to do with the smart phone and the earbuds. Of course, the devices aren’t unknown to them, after all, modern humanity seems rather taken with them. The screen tells them there’s an envelope waiting for them, a message of some sort. And when they listen to it, it suddenly makes a little bit more sense. After all, Camelot is something they know of. Avalon as well. The knights of the Round Table.]

Hmmm… [They keep their earbuds in their ears as they start to walk.] …I know of this place, yet I am not familiar with the Insta. [So that’s when they turn to the person closest to them.] I think I would like to speak to Merlin, yet I have no idea where I can find the Insta. Is it close to the castle?


Don’t break me, breakfast
[Heroic spirits don’t sleep and yet here they are, waking up from something that cannot be described as anything else but a solid sleep. The blankets are everywhere and there is someone next to them as well.

That, and the food is quite good. Not much of it, but good. Definitely good enough to pick the food from other people’s plates as well and stuff their face with it.

How shameless.]


Network post - un: Enkidu
hello. is this the place where i can ask for emoticons? i have heard that these are used to describe a certain mood when people aren’t in a mood to tell others what their mood is. or to respond to someone else’s message.

i would like you to use emoticons so i can respond with emoticons as well. it seems a most modern human way of communication.


Wildcard
Hit me up here or boop me on plurk playdespacito

network | un: maruchan

[fujimaru]

[ Well, it could be just a coincidence--even if they're not from her world, the name Enkidu is pretty significant--but there is the chance that she might know this one.

And it's really on that slight chance that she replies: ]

Σ(°ロ°)Σ(°ロ°)Σ(°ロ°)Σ(°ロ°)Σ(°ロ°)
σ(￣、￣〃)
(°▽°)ﾉﾞ??????

Fran | Final Fantasy XII

[ranksinmistlore]

}Red Spring
[Even prior to having taken up with Ashelia and her quest, inns had been something of a feature of Fran's life. The Strahl might have offered certain comforts, yes. But not all of her time had been spent aboard said ship, even despite the freedom offered by an airship. As such, she doesn't even bat an eye when the carriage stops for the night. The room, however, holds little interest for her. Instead, she turns up at the training grounds, where she listens in on the lessons on magical safety before checking out the target practice arena, and - briefly - stops by the obstacle course.

Later, she can also be found in the hot springs, apparently not concerned in the slightest that it's communal - or that people might simply not be used to seeing viera. Or even recognize her as one.]

}Pet Parade
[While pets are not necessarily something Fran has ever had a particular desire for - the life she has thus far led is not one that is terribly conducive to such things - neither can she deny a certain amount of curiosity at even simply the idea of a pet fair. Enough to at least have her make her way over to where the pens are (even if she might not necessarily be interested in owning any herself).

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, she seems a little surprised at the selection she finds - while Ivalice is no stranger to unusual wildlife, the selection present is more than a little eclectic.]

Certainly not what many would consider typical, I should imagine.

[Some more so than others - though the capybaras are not something that seem likely to cause any trouble (oddness aside), the idea of keeping a small and voracious looking lizard is somewhat less appealing.

The winged hamsters, on the other hand, are very nearly normal. Enough so that she can also be found helping chase down the ones that have managed to escape containment at various points during the day and having... moderate success at it, for the most part. (They are, after all, only very loosely like moogles.)]

}Fighting in the Forest
[The unnatural silence of the forest is... perhaps not as surprising as it could be. Even before arriving in this realm, she had long since lost the ability to hear the whispers of the wood, and though her long ears do afford her some measure of benefit yet, it is not nearly enough to make the silence of the forest anything more than a little eerie.

And then the sun sets, and things get just that much more worrisome, Fran's long ears twitching this way and that at the phantom voices, her hand never straying far from her bow. (She tries, too, to keep track of those who manage to find themselves separated from the group, but to no avail - even her ears can't hear those who have split off and then there are too many gone for it to even be feasible to try.)

Instead, silence falls, and then:]

It comes.

pet parade

[theleadingman]

[It's not normally the sort of event that would draw Balthier's attention, either— but unfortunately for him, after being injured in Celliwig, he has little choice but to keep things fairly sedate as he takes the opportunity to show his partner around Camelot. Well, it's not as though the how really matters with regards to spending time with one another— it's a reunion long overdue, by his count, and he gives an amused smile as he watches her with his hands planted firmly on his hips, raising a brow at the capybara that starts snuffling at the both of them as it makes its way over.]

Certainly not in Ivalice, at least. I don't know that I've seen anything like this here before, either, but there's never any shortage of strange new experiences in this place. Not always quite this mundane, though I'd argue the more adventurous sorts are perfect for our ilk, if not for the fact that we're forced to keep our feet on the ground.

[For now. Still, this place has started to grow on him considerably— and with his partner here, a great deal of the ache that comes with being away from home has eased.]

So, what do you think? Interested in taking a new friend home with us?

Nicholas D. Wolfwood | Trigun Maximum | Healing + Blood

[mycrosstobear]

1. Kerplunk, splash!

[You know what's worse than being dumped into a lake as your first experience of a new world, when you can't really swim? Being dumped into a lake as your first experience of a world for a second time, when you still can't really swim. And getting dumped back into the water because you tried to sit up rather than be carried like a plank, resulting in you having to desperately dog-paddle to the shore. (He's got to learn to swim properly as soon as possible.)

At least the aggravation and activity distract Wolfwood from the existential questions of if he left, where did he go? And why was he brought back to life yet again?

Once he crawls onto the shore, Wolfwood lies on the sand for a while, catching his breath. Eventually he sits up and checks his jacket's breast pocket. Good news: he has cigarettes still. Bad news: they're completely soaked like everything else. He glares at the lake.]

Off to a good start, huh?


2. There Was Only One Bed

[It seems that he wasn't gone for long. Camelot is still overwhelmed with refugees, some of whom have already taken up residence in the apartment Wolfwood had been living in. He explains to the family that he simply got addresses mixed up and leaves. They need the place more than he does.

He could still use somewhere to sleep, though. So Wolfwood heads back to the inn. Not keen on sleeping on a flimsy enchanted sheet, he agrees to share a room with one of the other guests. But he pauses when he gets to the room.

He'd kind of hoped for bunk beds or something?]

I'll sleep on the floor.

[He's slept in worse places.]


3. Into the Woods

[It would have helped, Wolfwood thinks, to do something about the Forest of the Felled before some asshole necromancer did. But what's done is done, and someone has to do the cleanup. It's probably a bad idea to keep a bunch of magic around a forest that no longer requires it.

The unnatural silence of the forest makes him extra attuned to any sounds which might also be unnatural. When the sun sinks low and he hears the chittering laughter, Wolfwood jumps, turning to look behind him as he does so.

No one there. He looks for the closest fellow volunteer.]

Did you hear that?


4. Wildcard

[come at me with something else! generally, Wolfwood will be trying to help with a variety of the relief efforts for the refugees.]

2. sorta

[sighsheavily]

I beg your pardon?

[what is Wolfwood thinking, standing before her door like this? with--wh--]

...Why do you have a key...to my room? [AMERICA EXPLAIN. how does a dignified woman come back from shopping to this. HUH???]

Toph Beifong | Avatar the Last Airbender |undecided magic ATM

[looksgood]

A. Soaking in your Arrival

A small blind girl screams as she lands in the water, and looks very much like she's drowning and in need of help. The strange creatures that lift her up are obviously unseen, and her thrashing for traction in a strange new world means she's getting dropped right back into the water. It's scary, and she doesn't like it, and after going through this once, she's much more calm the next time she's floating above the water's surface.

She can't feel where she is, but hey... there's water? Hopefully there's land too?

THERE IS! There's even a badgermole that greets her and she's patting on the ground, damp and frowning. Nothing feels right! She can't see anything!

If she hears anyone nearby, she's going to be standing up and looking absolutely lost. No glancing around because that's not going to help. At all.

"Hey! I'm blind! Where am I?! I can't see anything!!"


B. The Caravan to Camelot

Her belongings are in the "Shit Box" and she's not even sure what all her belongings were. They're probably still on Appa! Toph is handed her phone and what... is it? She's not getting in the caravan, but someone is trying to usher her in. She holds up a hand.

"No wait. What is this?!" Toph turns the phone around in her hands and it starts to speak.

"Hey. Help me out. I need to change this so I can use it." She's holding her phone upside down towards you. Help her? Merlin is talking, and she's not listening closely because it sounds like he's in the box thing, and she didn't catch the start of his message. Toph will need that repeated, and everything going audio, please.


C. WILDCARD

Soaking on Your Arrival

[phoenixwiz]

There is one concerned man who happens to be not far from Toph’s cries and is very, very attentive to it that he decides to run up to her and answer them all while carrying towels and cloaks in his arms with a very intelligent owl and a ridiculously cute pink puffball by his side, or perching on his right shoulder and riding on his head respectively.

The young man speaks, “Hey, hi there. We’re in the Isle of Avalon in the middle of fall. Do you need some help in getting up?”

Mash Kyrielight | Fate/Grand Order | Light/Healing(?)

[unfalteringwall]

I. Soaking in your arrival
Free falling. It was a sensation Mash had come to be used to after so many Rayshifts. But this wasn’t a Rayshift, was it? No, she had been debriefing with the rest of the staff just moments ago. There was no way… and yet, here she was, being whipped by the wind as she tumbled through the sky.

She doesn’t have much time to contemplate it one way or the other. Still heavily armored from her last mission, she hits the lake with a large splash. The water feels colder than normal, her armor a little heavier.

"Eh?! Ah!!" She struggles at first as the fairies gather but stiffens when she realizes they are lifting her up, less out of compliance and more out of fear of falling. When she finally regains her footing on terra firma, she looks around in a daze. She has to figure out what is going on. She has to get ahold of the others. She tries the comms.

"Director? … Da Vinci?" She takes off the ortinax’s visor. Her voice wavers slightly. "…S-senpai?"

There was no response. She was all alone. Or was she…?


II. Rent-a-ride
Imagine Mash's (and possibly your, if you happened to be nearby) surprise when a furry creature leaps out of the Shit Box and into her arms.

"Fou!! Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright. You always manage to find a way to follow me, don’t you?"

A soft smile and a little laugh as she strokes the furball on the head. Her cheer is sadly short-lived, though, as she continues to take stock of her inventory. "Let’s see, what else is in here. My shield an—"

She lets out an almost pained gasp. What should have been the effortless task of picking up her shield was now nigh impossible. The shield barely moves at all at her pull and instead she finds herself stumbling, thrown off by the unexpected resistance. She lets go in shock and the large cross-shaped slab of metal clatters loudly to the ground.

"No. That can’t be…"

She looks at her hands in disbelief. To be able to suppress her demi-servant strength, to render the Ortinax useless… What sort of place was this? She turns to the nearest person, hoping for answers.

"Is this some sort of magecraft?"


III. Caravan to Camelot
By the time the caravan sets off, Mash has changed into the normal civilian attire that was waiting for her in the wonderous hammerspace wardrobe. After several more failed attempts to lift and carry her trusted shield, she had resigned to the reality that she wouldn’t be able to take it with her and had placed it and the ortinax into the wardrobe for safe keeping.

She is quiet and attentive as the devices are handed out. Everything was so overwhelming. Camelot? Could it really be? The mention of a familiar name catches her attention, too.

"Merlin?" she echoes, listening with renewed focus to the voice on the phone. It certainly didn’t sound like the Merlin she was familiar with but it gets the gears in her brain turning all the same. The gears are turning for her furry little companion as well - its ears arch back and it almost looks to be scowling. Before Mash has a chance to placate it, it kicks the phone out of her hands and sends it flying in your direction!!

"Ah, Fou, no!!"


IV. Network (un: m.kyrielight)
[She does eventually get the phone back and, upon learning that the device has access to a world-wide communication network, she is quick to type up a formal call for help.]

Good afternoon. My name is Mash Kyrielight. I am urgently trying to reach any members of the Chaldea Security Organization staff or its Servants. If you are out there and see this message, please respond.

Additionally, to anyone who can read this: I have only just arrived here and am trying to get my bearings. Any information about this island and about this Camelot would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


V. Don’t break me, breakfast (sorrow sap)
It was all so much to take in. She was apparently once again in Camelot but not at the behest of Chaldea. Try as she might, she couldn’t get in contact with them at all. And to make matters worse, she was weak. Weaker than before. Weaker than she’d ever been, and not even the suit specifically designed to enhance her strength could help her. She couldn’t even manage to lift her shield.

It made her feel sick. It was only by sheer force of will that she managed to keep down the muffin she was provided before heading out of her room.

Catch her milling about the inn, constantly checking her phone for any updates to her network post. Though she’s trying her very best to put on a brave face, there’s a weary sadness lingering behind her expression. She really looks like she could use some company.


VI. Not Quite a Puppy Parade
"Over there, there's another!"

Mash, seemingly in better spirits, has been enlisted to help wrangle sneaky little hamsters. Her own sneaky little creature, Fou, is serving as a sheepdog (sheep...beast?) and rounding up the grounded rodents, leading them back to his companion who is ready and waiting with cages. It's quite an unusual sight, not to mention an impressive show of teamwork. Maybe you could get some pointers?


VII. Wildcard
[GOD I HOPE THESE ARE DECENT ENOUGH orz There are so many gosh dang prompts here. Want to do one that I didn’t cover? Want to make something up completely? I'm totally down for that! Feel free to just throw a starter at me or hit me up via PM or over on plurk at carrieface if you’d like to discuss! Also feel free to use brackets rather than prose, I’ll match you! I haven't 100% decided on Mash's secondary magic or familiar yet. Thinking fairy? Open to thoughts and suggestions~]

IV

[fujimaru]

[ Sometimes, you wake up facedown in your sleeping bag after a particularly rough night and have to take a moment to roll over and do the most important part of the waking-up ritual: check your phone for messages, and then the network for updates. Most of them she just skims, mentally earmarking a couple to come back to later; as a result, she actually skims right past Mash's post for a whole second before she slams it back up. ]

....!

[ A couple of seconds after that, there's a video chat from a username maruchan ]

Mash?? Mash?! Wait, seriously, that's really you, right??

[ Did Ritsuka bother to do anything like brush her hair or change into something outside of her pajamas for this? Of course not. There are much more important things to worry about right now. ]

Maria Robotnik | Sonic the Hedgehog | ota | magic undecided.

[dreams_of_earth]

1 - Caravan to Camelot.

[ This is too bizarre. Maria is young, but she's not stupid. She's dead, and yet hitting water and getting escorted out of said water by, of all things, a sand hand doesn't feel like being very dead at all. The water felt real enough, so did those little head pats. Maybe it's just hypoxia to the brain. Whatever it is, it's more confusing than concerning or frightening, so, she just sort of rolls with it.

At the moment, the young girl is fiddling with the device she's been given -- something about a Shit box?

At least she's got it figured out for the most part. Something, something, find roommates... ]

Oh.

[ Welp. This is a little awkward. She glances at the person next to her, shifting a little uneasily. ]

I have a question! What's an 'Insta'?

[ Help a girl out? She may or may not also be a little bit fidgety, sorry about that... ]

2 - Don't Break Me, Breakfast/Not Quite a Puppy Parade.

[ After having gently declined on the whole anti-gravity-magic-slumber (been there, done that with less magic and more actual anti gravity one too many times, thanks), and deciding instead to share a bed with someone (not nearly as awkward as slamming into the floor every four hours as far as she's concerned, and hey, she's small! At least she didn't move much?), she's pleasantly surprised to arrive to what appears to be a really, really nice breakfast.

As she gives a quiet but cheerful 'thank you!' to whomever is kind enough to serve it to her, little does she realize just how much energy she's about to be filled with. Which is a really strange feeling, considering how on and off ill she's been her entire life. Maybe this is just a weird afterlife thing. Assuming this actually is the afterlife.

With breakfast finished, Maria is more or less inclined to explore, feeling far less apprehensive than she had the day before.

It's not long before she can be found, surrounded by various animals. There's a white ferret perched upon her shoulder, and a few capybara curled up in front of where she's currently crouched. This is definitely different. ]

Goodness, there's so many who need homes. You're all very cute, but I'm afraid I can't help everyone right now, I'm sorry.

[ The animals don't seem to care, they're more or less just enjoying the attention she's offering. ]

3 - Wildcard.

[ Any ideas you'd like to bounce off of Maria? Go for it, I don't mind! Also, I'm gonna be blunt: I work a whole lot of hours (12 a day) so I'm gonna be slow, I ask for your patience and forgiveness in advance! Also sorry for the lack of icons, I'm still on the prowl, lmao. ]

muffle scream, prompt 2

[ringsthatbind]

[Shadow had taken to wandering around, since he wasn't one to enjoy crowds and the inn is basically too crowded for his tastes, and he found himself at the area of the pet adoption area. It's here that he hears an all too familiar voice, that it makes the black and red hedgehog pause.

He must be hearing things, even as he goes to find the source of the voice. But what he sees, the sight of Maria surrounded by animals, can't be faked. Although he has to be imagining things, this can't be real.

So he stands, staring at Maria and not saying a word.]

Takkar | Far Cry: Primal | Elemental/Technomancy (Owl)

[dabeastmastah]

I – Caravan to Camelot

[So he still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on here as he walked along behind the caravan. Not that he really wanted to ride inside the thing, not with that weird, angry man or tight space. A tight space filled with even odder people, not Winja, but still people.

Phone flipping over and over in his hands. A finger leaving a smudge on the back camera. He did manage to figure out how to turn on the video, but wasn’t wholly certain what that meant, or how it worked. When Takkar first got the thing, he was half tempted to chuck it. But figured it was probably something important and that he’d do good learning how to use it. Another part of him figured that he should keep close to the odd… thing, with the round spinning contraptions and strangers inside it.

He was getting it rather quickly though. Granted that whoever might have pinged in may get kind of dizzy or confused or annoyed at the spinning background and the sight of a pair of moccasins covered feet, and a pair of legs covered in animal skins, waltzing down the road. For those around him they’ll be treated to the sight of a guy that looks like he just stepped out of the wilderness toying around with a smartphone. A very, very large owl sat on his shoulder

At least he seems to be having fun? Even if his bearded face seems more than a little confused.]

II – Training Grounds

[Okay, so he gets that this area was meant to train and better a person’s “magic”, he thinks that’s what they called it. Though it certainly didn’t appear to be any magic he was aware of from back home. But he wasn’t on Oros anymore, and strange people have strange ways. But he wasn’t doing any practicing, this was just a good spot for him to gather and make tools.

At the moment he found a nice spot to sit and watch what others were doing as he worked. Piles of plant materials strung together to make rope, various sticks, and different types of stone (mostly agate and other forms of crystal that he’d found), and even some glass were laid out in front of him. He’d already fashioned several points, which he kept next to him on a piece of cloth he’d filched from the inn. Currently he was finishing one up, pausing to look over his handiwork with a smile.

To those who were watching him the whole process looked deceptively easy in his hands.]

Good….

III – Breakfast

[Now this was what he was talking about! Food, lots and lots of food, made from what smelled like berries, grains, and delicious sap! He was already busy giving each muffin a sniff before stuffing it in his pack. He paused his actions though at the sight of the milk. And then looked promptly confused, before promptly picking one up and giving it a small lick. And then promptly recoiled slightly.]

What is this?

[He gives it another, experimental lap before slowly setting it down. It tasted fine, but something was telling him that drinking it might upset his stomach. In fact he now looked a bit iffy on all the food made available.]

IV – Puppy Parade

[So he wasn’t an animal mage, that much was certain. But the creatures around him seemed to be attracted towards him. Takkar sat calmly among a cavalcade of hamsters, his hands cupped and outstretched with seed and other crumbs for them to munch on. There was a cage next to him where he was calmly placing them after they’d ate their fill. Though when someone approaches he’ll slowly look up at them and shush them.]

Tush… mus shlangwi shitagwa. They scare easily.

V – The Fachan

[Something was wrong here. It was far too quite.]

No insects... or birds making noise.

[His head tilted to listen, eyes gazing out past the light of his makeshift torch he lit for both himself and those around him. It wasn't until the cause for the disturbance that he moved immediately.]

Anbu!

[Oh hell no! Like he was dealing with this crap any. The moment the thing showed up and started to threaten them was the moment Takkar immediately lobbed a spear at it; letting out an intimidating roar. Before grabbing his partner and pressing them back along with himself; makeshift torch in hand and held out in front of himself. That alone probably wouldn’t do much… but, well it is fire. And they’re in a forest.

A forest with a big scary, thing threatening them. Guess what he’s tempted to do. Of course he also has more than one trick up his sleeve (he doesn’t have sleeves) that doesn’t involve burning the whole place to the ground.]

VI – Video // un; fds

Smarkaka! Miyi nashman Takkar.

[He finally figured out how to use his phone, and was, in fact, having a lot of fun with it! He didn’t know what any of the symbols meant, but hey it was a work in progress.]

Who are you?

[WILDCARD]

[ooc: feel free to hit me up with whatever in case you want to do something other than what’s on the prompts given~! I'm the Belgium mun, so feel free to either pm me on one of my other accounts, or this one directly.]

II

[catfax]

What's good?

[ Sometime while Takkar had been assembling his last effort, someone had stolen across the yard with catfooted step -- an effect that was spoiled as a slender hand reached out and, in snagging a bit of woven rope, ended up jangling a few of the stones. They flashed in the light; instinctively, Izutsumi batted for them, and if she were not stopped, well.

Who knew what would happen? A mess, probably. ]

Izutsumi | Dungeon Meshi

[catfax]

A The Red Spring
[ Izutsumi was crouched by the edge of the spring, hunched over so thoroughly that in the steam, one might have mistaken her for some actual beast. When she finally dove into the spring, it was gracefully but carelessly, with little attention paid to who she might be splashing in the meantime.

Once in, she sank down until all but her eyes and ears were beneath the water, eyeing her surroundings in the manner of a cat playing hide-and-seek. Maybe there was some new bit of information to be overheard... or someone interesting to watch. ]

B Puppy Parade
[ Catching hamsters? Sounded fake, at least up until a squeaking, plump creature darted across Izutsumi's path. Its wings were useless, which meant there was little it could do as she shot out a clawed hand and snagged the tiny beast.

Her pupils had come instantly wide, and now she raised the protesting, innocent little hamster up to her face, then above her eye level. Long fangs glinted in her mouth; a little triangle of tongue protruded from the corner of her lips as the poor rodent squeaked in ever louder dismay. ]

You're awfully slow for a mouse. You'll never make it in the wild.

[wherethewindtakesme]

Uh, hold on a moment. I think it's actually a pet and not a side dish.

[The tall boy with the spear holds up a hand to distract the cat...person? lady? from her snacking on the winged hamster. There's a hummingbird with a super long tail zipping around him and considering to intervene...except big cat.]

Cid Garlond | Final Fantasy XIV

[worknanship]

}Splashdown and recovery{
[As arrivals go, Cid has to admit that this is certainly one of the more memorable ones. Which is certainly not to say that he's not glad to have landed in a lake rather than anywhere more unyielding, but it's not something he's really used to either. Much less a lake that seems to already be fairly full of... some kind of creature he's not sure he recognizes; he's only just started to take a proper look at them when he finds them all but crowding closer.

...And then before he knows it he's being borne gently upwards and that at least is something he's perfectly familiar with. Enough that he does stay largely still throughout the (regrettably short) ride, before being dropped off at the shore.

The shore that lies at the base of a cliff, and Cid can't help but sigh at the sight of the stairs carved into it.]

The only way is up, is it?

[Once he's actually made it to the top of the cliff, he wastes absolutely no time in making for the box of people's possessions, rummaging through it for a long moment before he finally comes up with a pair of goggles... which he immediately puts on, though he leaves them resting comfortably on his forehead rather than anything else.]

}Pet fair{
[While the idea of pets isn't really something that Cid has spent any great amount, the adoption fair is rather prominently placed. Enough that it's hard to miss, and harder still to simply pass by. Even if he has... concerns about one of the inclusions.]

I wouldn't have thought raptors would make for good pets. Regardless of size.

}wildcard!{
[Have something else in mind? This is the option for it!]

gathers into my arms <3

[forgarlemald]

[Really, it's not like the adoption fair would have been first on the list of places Gaius would have wanted to visit. It wasn't, but here he is, having let himself get dragged along regardless. And since he's here, he may as well look around once he's left to his own devices, taking in the various creatures and the people as he wanders.]

[That he hears a voice he recognizes gives him pause, and seeing the all too familiar face it belongs to...it's only for a moment that Gaius hesitates. Only a brief, awkward moment, before he approaches Cid, caution warring with the sense of relief that comes from finding the younger man well and unharmed.]

I feel as though the answer very firmly remains that they aren't, and thus have to wonder who thought it would be a good idea to bring them in the first place.

[Can he think of several people he knows that might want to try and keep one anyway?? Oh yes. But that's not the point here, because who really thinks turning flesh eating creatures into cute pets is okay???]