TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 12

[avalonmods]

	QUICK NAV: ⚔️️ Premise  ⚔️️ Rules  ⚔️️ FAQ  ⚔️️ Taken  ⚔️️ Reserves  ⚔️️ Apply  ⚔️️ Locations  ⚔️️ Bestiary
⚔️️ View Top-Levels Only ⚔️️

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.

---

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!

---

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?

---

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.

---

 

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.

---

 

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!

---

 

• 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

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. ]

[hootle]

[ okay, now there's some other monster here to fight the original one? she's somewhat freaked out at first, but seeing him take on the other creature, with words that suggest he's fully taking over this fight, puts her a little more at ease.

she quickly tries to get to her feet, grabbing hootle from his place in the air in front of her and holding him close. that was not going to end well, was it? the look of his arm... proves that. ]

Y-Your arm—!

[ ugh, she feels so bad. if only she had her astral artes here, this thing would be toast. at least he manages to knock it off balance. ]

[gunmettle]

[ The creepy whatever-the-hell it is cackles in both their heads even as Juzo manages to pull it off balance, like it’s excited to finally have some sport. Hell. ]

Worry about that later!

[ Juzo keeps his grip on the weapon despite the barbs digging further into his arm and hand with every motion. The creature at the other end of the chain is trying to right itself, but it only having one leg to speak of is working against it, and buying them a little time. ]

What kinda magic you got?

[hootle]

[ she jolts ever so slightly at the creepy laugh — can it please stop doing that??

placing hootle back into her hood — his safe place — she switches to a more determined look. okay, she can do this. she can fight like this. she may not have access to her powerful spells anymore, but she can at least do something, and that's better than standing by and letting this guy get hurt for her.

the ease with which he asks her what kind of magic she has is jarring, considering her own experiences back on dahna, but she moves past it. ]

I can channel some of the elements! Just tell me what you need me to do with them!

[ and she'll readily do it. she's got this. she's a mage. ]

[gunmettle]

This is gonna sound crazy, so you'll just have to trust me--

[ He cuts off as the fachan yanks on the weapon, trying to use it to haul itself up. Something in Juzo's arm tears free, and the flail threatens to slip. He renews his grip and pulls back, sending the creature stumbling again. ]

--Hit me with a lightning bolt!

[ Yes, really. ]

[hootle]

[ — oh. not what she expected. she looks like she's in disbelief for a moment, but — what kind of idiot would ask to be struck by lightning without having a good plan? he has to have a plan.

so she'll just have to trust him on this. ]

Erm... Fine, but you'd better know what you're doing!

[ and there she goes, casting her magic so that a bolt of lightning escapes her fingertips (not something she's used to), directly in his direction. please, please have a plan, dude. ]

i

[angelolatry]

Hootle? Um, are they a friend of yours?

[Because. While Colette doesn't have a pet/friend like Hootle exactly. She knows Lloyd would probably be unnerved to end up here without Noishe for example. Or that it would be strange to see Sheena without Corrine around. She can maybe at least offer to help Rinwell look for them? This Hootle friend. This place was a lot to take in anyway even without worrying about others. But hopefully if Colette helps they could find Hootle for this new girl? Even if it might be they aren't here. And that this is going to possibly distract from Colette being here in keeping some faint hope in possibly finding any more familiar faces among the new arrivals each time.]

Maybe I can help you look for Hootle? I'm not sure the owl had anything to do with them being missing though.....?

[hootle]

[ she spits some water out, luckily close to shore enough that it wasn't so much of a problem that they dumped her back in, and just rests herself on the edge of land, her little grey not-hootle familiar flapping beside her. ]

Maybe you're right... It's just suspicious, is all. [ sorry, familiar buddy. ] I mean, how else do you explain me ending up here without Hootle but with an owl that almost looks like him but isn't!

[ a small, somewhat frustrated exhale. ] Sorry... Yeah, Hootle's more than just a friend. He's family.

[angelolatry]

Family. No wonder you can tell this owl isn't Hootle then. Maybe Hootle is up with the caravans with the rest of your things? We can go check at least.

[And if not, there's always the chance Hootle might show up later. But Colette doesn't want to go into that too much. Not wanting to upset Rinwell more than she already seems to be. Knowing this was a lot to process and all. So she simply gives a small smile and reaches to help the girl up to her feet.]

I'll go with you and help look. I'm Colette! Colette Brunel.

[Because of course she is oblivious to the potential implications there given her having a surname. At least, to Rinwell and others from her particular worlds oh Dahna and Rena. So she doesn't think twice in introducing herself and all, in using her full name, if without the Chosen title.]

[hootle]

With the caravans...?

[ and the rest of her things? that's... weird. how was she just straight up separated from her items, including hootle like that? and how was a completely different owl placed with her? all of this is so strange and so deeply concerning for her, especially with colette having a last name. where are they? because this sure as hell isn't where she was last.

but she's learned by now that not all renans are the same. the same goes for dahnans. and this one, renan or not, seems nice. just like shionne or dohalim would be. ]

... Rinwell. I'm Rinwell. [ she finally answers, taking colette's help in standing up. ] Thanks, Colette. You really think the rest of my stuff is there? Hootle, too?

[angelolatry]

Yes! That's where I found the rest of my things when I first arrived. And where I met Emerald! My Familiar, I mean.

[She doesn't have such an animal companion back home. Noishe was Kratos and Lloyd's. Not hers. She didn't have a pet, which was probably for the best given nobody expected her to make it past the age of sixteen and all, if they had got her one. It would just mean her father and grandmother would have had to care for it after her sixteenth birthday. There is a white and.....green? Dog? accompanying her at the moment though, that seems a little larger than the usual dog. Which she reaches to pet with the hand not helping Rinwell up, in explaining this is Emerald.

Still, she gives a small smile, gesturing to the cliffs where the others were heading.]

The caravans are that way. Then the caravans will take us all back to the city, to Camelot where you'll figure where you're staying. I'm not sure if any of your other friends or anyone might be here too, but. We can check.

[hootle]

[ that dog thing is... kind of cute, honestly. it reminds her of some weird half breed between a zeugle and a normal dog — but with the temperament of a dog and definitely not a zeugle. unless it's just being pacified by its master being here, or something. ]

Your... familiar, huh? [ first time she's hearing about one of those. ]

Okay... Then, I'll follow you there. To the caravan, that is. But what do you mean "if" my friends are here? Why wouldn't they be? [ a small pause, definitely feeling concerned. ]

Where is this, anyway?

iii

[luciing]

[ The lively chirping of the smaller creature against the native owl perched atop her head draws the attention of others around her, this particular passerby included. Turning his head slightly, his dark gaze goes first to her familiar, then to the owl resting on her hair, then to the girl herself.

A pale, great eagle-owl rests atop a black, leather brace upon his left forearm, its talons curling over his wrist. From the sharp look of the specie, it may have been cared for by its previous master as a hunting partner for an alternative to falconry. It watches, unblinking of its assessment, at the spectacle of the smaller owl becoming territorial with the other.

Its current master's mien is just as severe, but it seems to be naturally set as such, as there is no actual animosity or annoyance within his voice. If anything, his low tone is overly formal. As for his actual familiar, it doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight. ] Your charge appears to be threatened, child.

[hootle]

[ rinwell is certainly not used to being approached by someone like this, especially with the formality in his tone. he gets her attention, though, and she turns to look at him. so... intimidating. he might even be on par with a lord in terms of the way he carries himself. that's her only real comparison she can make.

still, she stands her ground, as there's no animosity to be sensed in his words or by his eagle-owl friend. ]

Uh... Yeah. He gets a little jealous sometimes. [ the larger, non-dahnan owl flies off, apparently annoyed by hootle's chirps, which prompts hootle to take its spot atop her head. she's his human!!

and she turns her attention to him, peering up a little as best she can. ]

See, Hootle? Nothing to worry about.

[ he is, however, nervously bristling slightly at the eagle-owl that's watching him. ]

[luciing]

[ The eagle-owl stares unblinking back at the familiar. Perhaps it thinks the smaller creature is prey, or maybe it's still assessing if the owl is actually kin. Birds of the hunt are enigmatic creatures, but at least this one seems tamed, remaining perched upon his hooked arm.

Somnus' gaze returns to her once the other owl leaves, leaving but a feather behind. Unfortunately, the hardened expression doesn't change. ]

You've experience with caring for avians? Or is that your familiar?

[hootle]

[ she's never really gotten a chance to talk to anyone else with a bird pet — all her friends were new to caring for them when they met her, and therefore did a kind of terrible job until they got used to how hootle needed to be taken care of. seriously, guys, don't overfeed treats to her owl!!

so she smiles a bit, even if he's still kind of intimidating. ]

I have some experience, sure. Hootle here's been with me for a while. But this little guy over here's my actual familiar.

[ as she says that, she turns herself slightly so he can clearly view small grey owl sitting in her hood. apparently it's taken to it similarly to how hootle had. hootle is still not a fan. ]

They're not exactly getting along yet.

[ just gone from fighting to tolerating..... ]

[luciing]

[ With the way he's managing the obedience of the animal upon his arm, it seems he has enough experience with birds of prey at the very least, if not owls themselves. Falconing is the sport of kings, or so it's said, and falcons and owls hunt quite differently, with the former excelling in a sense of sight and the latter dominating the fields by sound.

Somnus cants his head curiously. The owl upon his arm does the same, although being an owl, the tilt of its head is much more dramatic; comical, even, for such a fierce looking bird. ]

'Hootle'... [ He repeats, eyeing her plump, feathery friend. ] ...is yet a fledgling. Ne'er have I seen a type of its kind.

[hootle]

[ she has to stifle a laugh at his large yet silly owl. it may be incredibly intimidating looking, but it's still an owl — silly actions and all.

so instead, she focuses on his question, which is a good one, anyway. ]

That's because he's a Dahnan owl. They're probably a little different from whatever types of owls they have here.

[ which she is also unfamiliar with. ]

IV

[zephyrean]

[There was an eerie silence that permeated the dark, murky woods, threatening to consume any and all sounds in the area. No cry for help could go heard, as the fachan bore down on its prey with psychic assaults and terrifying tail swings.

And yet, despite the deafening quietness of the forest, a loud, almost shrill voice rings out, shattering the silence and even breaking through the monster's voice in Rinwell's head just due to how loud it is.]

Rinwell!

[It was a voice that should be all too familiar to her. But where was it coming from? In front of her? Behind her? Next to her? With the echo-y nature of the woods, it sounded like the voice was coming from every direction.

The answer? From above, of course. Standing high on a tree limb, Law glowers down at the beast harassing his friend. Once more, he shouts out at it.]

You get away from her, you bastard!

[He was angry. Furious, really. It was a deep, raw anger he hadn't felt in a long time, and probably compounded by how exhausted he'd felt right now. It took a lot for him just to be able to track down Rinwell, gleaning information from every person and animal alike he could find.]

[hootle]

[ the sheer volume of his voice makes her jump, and the creepy as fachan freeze up for a moment to monitor the situation. but the familiarity of said voice certainly doesn't go unnoticed, as immediately after, she's scanning the area for him — any sign of him whatsoever. ]

L-Law?! Is that you?!

[ boy is that a deep sense of relief flooding into her chest, but she'll feel even better once she notices him — which, lucky for her, is soon, as hootle's the one to notice him first and coax her into looking up. oh, huh.

she only has mere moments to take in the sight of him, however, as the monster, undeterred, begins swinging its barbed flail around and moving toward her yet again. she has no choice but to push herself back against the ground, moving her attention back to it in full. ]

I-If you're going to do something, now would be a good time...!

[zephyrean]

[Law sneers at the monster approaching. Yeah, you keep going, you son of a bitch...]

Now, Boreas!

[The moment the fachan takes another step towards Rinwell, a large, silver wolf bolts out from the shadows and throws all of its weight into the beast, knocking it down and away from Rinwell.

Once it's off-balance, Law hops down and lands in front of Rinwell.]

You okay?

[She better be, because they're not out of the woods here yet.]

[hootle]

[ whoa, okay, that's new. she knows he never had something like this before, and she also has vague knowledge of familiars here now, so... is this his? kind of cool, she has to admit... not that she has time to do that right now.

quickly, she gets to her feet, now that she has a moment to actually do so. ]

Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry!

[ glancing between him, the wolf, and the monster. then back to him. ]

This thing is dangerous, Law, so — what's the plan? You have one, right?

[ because she unfortunately does not, thanks to her whole, uh, having super weak magic right now. it's frustrating and she's willing to do everything she can to help, but it's not up to par with how she'd normally be. ]

[zephyrean]

[Likewise, Law looks between the monster, his familiar, and Rinwell. The wolf, identified as Boreas, gives the fachan a glower, letting out a low, steady growl at it.]

My plan's a tried and true classic. [He gives her a cocky smirk. Usually it was his job to be the one concerned about their chances, but screw that. He was pissed at this thing. It tried to hurt his friend.

He pounds his fist against the palm of his hand.]

I'm gonna beat the crap out of this thing.

[hootle]

[ oooof course that's what he's doing. granted, she wouldn't want this thing to have a chance to attack anyone else, but... ugh. here she is, having to go along with this then. ]

Fine, but watch out for that thing it's holding. [ not that she really needs to tell him that, but it makes her feel better to point it out just in case. it's law, after all. ]

And — I can't back you up like I usually do. I can do a little, but... you're mostly on your own here. I'll explain why later. Just be more careful, okay?

[ she doesn't know whether he knows that her artes would be gone here. he doesn't have artes himself, so how would he have the knowledge of that? and with her artes replaced by magic she has only beginner-level control over, well... there's only so much she can do. she's going to do all that she can, though.

he just. needed to know that, before doing something reckless with the idea that she can bail him out. ]