avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival

KERPLUNK, SPLASH!

Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you.

If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. When not helping people, the turtles are going around and hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals or pushing personal items to the beach near the new arrivals they smell like (belong to). If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly.

B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones, a pair of earbuds, and a winter cloak** to everyone before getting them settled in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and give them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with nip bottles. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service,

avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.

C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies.

If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out!

The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.

Everyone needs a little fun from time to time; the locals have put together the annual Snow Games. As with all things Avalonians plan, magic plays a part in the competition. There will be three separate tiers for characters to enter. Each Tier will have its predetermined track or ring, set up and ready to go.

A ⦿ Foot Races

three-legged race

B ⦿ Sled Races

magically driven sleds

C ⦿ Snow Chicken

Snow Chicken, Magic Vs Yeti Style... This competition will differ from the previous two; it is not a race to the finish line but instead a competition to be the last team standing! Participants will pair off and one person will climb on the shoulders of the other and try to wrestle their opponents off without getting knocked off themselves. The field is full of snow, with more coming from the sky. Your opponents will be Yeti. Try to stay on, Yeti are no slouches so teams will have to work together using their magic not only to stay put but to knock your big-footed opponents to the ground.

Just... be wary, these friendly yeti are surprisingly big on hugging as a form of congratulations. It's much more challenging to escape from a yeti's embrace than it is to knock one over.

Trumpets hail an announcement by the town crier in front of the castle. More than a few people pull out their phones to record it and post it to the AOL network for all to see.

"Hear ye, hear ye! Our noblest of lords, King Arthur of Camelot, will host a tournament on this January the 20th on castle grounds. All are welcome to participate in competitions to determine those most skilled in both the physical and magical arts. In preparation for the upcoming tournament, we are sending envoys to Celliwig. In Celliwig lies the Magic Mirror of the South, gifted to Camelot by the Fae, and a means to communicate with their royal court at will. It is a vastly important task in your journey to become magicians and to show your good will toward the fairies. Parts of the mirror's frame have been damaged. We will need those brave of soul and pure of heart to retrieve the crystals needed to repair the mirror. Those interested, the party leaves at dawn."

A ⦿ Brave of Soul

The first stop on the trip to restore Celliwig's Mirror is to a cave just north of Albion's White Cliffs. No longer a part of the cliffs themselves, this outcropping goes underground and to a dank, dark cave. It is the only place which a special prismatic crystal grows. The crystal itself is hidden deep in the cave, which can only be passed by passing into a zone in which magic cannot be used. Characters will enter the cave and must face an illusion of one of their greatest fears. Those frozen in fear will pass out and wake up outside of the cave with no crystal. Those who run will find themselves turned out of the cave as well. Only those who recognize and face that fear deep in their soul will find the path forward. The fear will turn into a small light spirit, which will smile and reveal to them the crystals they seek.

B ⦿ Pure of Heart

The second stop is past a shanty town and at the bridge north of it. The bridge itself is broken, only the ends in existence. The water itself is impassible, white rapids sweeping away anything that steps into it. Silver crystals are on the other side of the bridge, visible in an outcropping from where they are, but it appears there is no way around as magic does not work on the bridge. The only clue as to how to get across is a plaque in the dirt before the bridge.

"The pure of heart will form the bridge with a leap of faith."

Since everyone has gone as a group, it will be possible to see others walking over the water once one person figures it out. Though the clue may seem challenging, it is quite straight-forward. Characters who are pure of heart will find that if they believe in themselves, they will be able to step off the bridge and hardlight will form beneath their feet to allow them to step over the water. Those with ill intentions or those who are willing to harm others to get their way will slip into the rapid waters and may need to be saved by other characters. At least you're off the bridge, so magic will work to that end.

C ⦿ Celliwig, the Splendored Court

As the travelers leave the bridge, they turn toward the shanty town-- wood shacks and failing farms. Not a place anyone would want to visit. Those who try to run ahead will find that it disappears as if an illusion, and they will find nothing. Those who stick with the party will wait a fair distance away until the sun sets. Once the sun begins to fall beyond the horizon, the small town will begin to shimmer brilliant whites and colors-- a glamour hiding its true glory, a city made solely of crystals and glass: Celliwig, the Splendored Court. Though smaller than Camelot, every part of the city is beautiful and glistening. The population is small and it's very quiet and serene for a city. The people of the city don't seem keen on speaking to outsiders, and will typically scatter before anyone can really engage them. They seem humanoid in nature, but not entirely human. Even the animals around the city seem to be ethereal in nature, gliding more than walking.

The party is led to a hall at the center of the city-- the hall of mirrors. Those who have succeeded in obtaining crystals need to bring them and set them on a table placed before a mirror at the end of the hall, which appears to have a number of empty settings. It's unclear what happened to the mirror previously, but now it's necessary to restore it to garner the favor of the fae.

Once crystals have been delivered, people will be free to explore the quiet city, but it seems most of the city is closing shop while the visitors are around. There is a restaurant that will serve visitors food, though all of the dishes are of the molecular gastronomy variety. Alcoholic drinks seem to come in vapor form and flashes of light if ordered, but seem effective nonetheless. The local general store seems to be willing to sell supplies to weary travelers as well, but that's about it.

...That said the inn doesn't seem particularly keen on allowing visitors in strangely, so you're either going to be sleeping on the iridescent streets or camping just outside the city if you prefer the soft grass and the darkness of night. Just be aware, if you leave, you won't be able to get back into this mysterious city so easily.

MOD NOTES:
• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post.
• If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities.
• If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt.
• Note that the third prompt in this TDM will have consequences on the game's progression. After the application round, a poll will be put up to see how many characters who are in the game, both new and old, are able to obtain the crystals from the Brave of Soul and Pure of Heart prompts.
• The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but may contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly.
• Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

*This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count.
**Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size.

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1. Arrival

[Cold, cold, cold. Also wet. But mostly cold. Colder than the winter Faerghus air.

It doesn't take long for Dimitri to figure out that he's somehow suddenly underwater. He would flail around were he not paralyzed. But fortunately, that problem, at least, solves itself. He's unable to refuse the strange woman's gift, though he likely wouldn't have even if he could; he's in a tight spot and needs to get out of it. Fortunately, the potion works its magic -- though there's still the problem of air.

Dimitri immediately swims straight toward the surface. As soon as his head breaks the water line, he gasps and begins gulping down as much air as he can manage. He treads water for a minute until his breathing becomes more steady, then looks around. Immediately he starts to swim toward the nearest shore.

...Note that he's doing all of this in a heavy fur cape and clad in armor. It's pretty impressive to see someone like that swim so well.]

2. Snow Chicken

[Dimitri always welcomes friendly competition, especially when it comes to physical skill. So naturally, he volunteered to be part of the Snow Games. The Snow Chicken in particular sounded interesting, and something he'd be uniquely gifted at.

Before they begin, Dimitri looks over at his partner. He attempts to smile reassuringly; whether or not it comes out that way is up to interpretation.]

Please, try not to worry. I have great confidence in my strength. We can win this if we work together.

[Then, he takes a look at his opponent.]

...Although, I confess I've never engaged a Yeti in a competition of strength...

3. Brave of Soul

[In the cave, Dimitri prepares himself to face his fears. However, what he encounters is no straightforward depiction of his fears. No, Dimitri finds himself face-to-face with himself. His doppelganger looks far angrier than he does, and has a heavy bag under his visible eye. He's also confronting Dimitri on...something from his past.]

You're disgusting! Nothing more than a mere hypocrite! You want revenge, even now! Otherwise, you'll never stop the voices! How do you think Father, Stepmother, Glenn...how they all feel!? I'll tell you, Dimitri. They feel betrayed. Abandoned. They lost their lives to protect you, and you refuse to carry out their wishes. You're the one desecrating their memory. Not me.

[Dimitri doesn't reply right away. His face remains impassive, but his thoughts are anything but. This was a low blow to him. Invoking the lives lost in the Tragedy of Duscur was like poking an open wound with a sharp stick. However...it's also something that he's learned lessons from.]

...I will admit to some truth being in those words. However, the conclusions are all wrong. No, they were all wrong. It's true that I'm terrified of the hatred and disappointment that those dead might harbor for me, someone who only survived due to luck or their own choices. And for a long time...I was like you. I thought the only way to avoid their grudges was to seek revenge for their deaths. I...suppose there is still a part of me that wishes to do that.

But I know that isn't the answer. Those who sacrificed themselves for my sake did so out of love. Those who died wouldn't want me to wallow in pain and misery, blindly seeking out a revenge that won't sate them or bring them back from the dead. They would want me to live for myself. To reach the fullest of my potential, and to find meaning in my own life.

[Most observers might find this confrontation very surprising, depending on how well they know Dimitri in the first place. He's been fairly tight-lipped about his past, even though it has clearly taken a toll on him. To see him recognize a depiction of himself as a bloodthirsty animal who wants nothing other than revenge? That's going to be a bit alarming.]

4. Wild Card

[Got any ideas? Hit me up!]

Edited 2021-01-02 00:12 (UTC)

[ This dude... is huge. Which gives Stella a great degree of confidence that they're absolutely going to crush this. Sure it means she's going to be the one trying to shove a yeti over but with this guy keeping her steady? It's basically in the bag already. ]

It'll be easy! Especially since we can use magic and stuff, right? Maybe I can do like a flash bang thing and really throw them off and then we'll go charging in and send 'em flying!

[ She's doing a very animated rendition of this with her hands as she rambles. ]

It'll be a cinch!

[Stella's response to him gets Dimitri to smile more genuinely. The confidence is greatly appreciated.]

Well, when you put it that way, then we most certainly cannot lose! Especially not with a sound strategy.

Is that what your magic is? Generating light, I mean.

Yeah! ... uh, well, kinda.

[ She looks a bit sheepish. ]

I'm supposed to be able to do all kinds of cool stuff like make shields and whatever but I haven't really gotten the hang of it yet... all I can really do is make stuff glow or make lights when I need them.

I see. So you're still learning, but you can perform some basic spells, from the sound of it. I think I can work with that.

But, that does concern me on one matter. Are you worried about your progress?

[ Stella averts her gaze with an expression that I can only describe as "I pretend not to see it. I Am Looking Away". ]

Uh. I guess... maybe a little bit? Like, a teeny tiny bit? [ She even holds her finger and thumb apart about a centimeter to demonstrate. ] It's not the worst ever, but it'd be cool to get a hang of things...

[ She's so smooth. So casual. ]

[It's likely both fortunate and unfortunate then that his audience has ended up being a more or less perfect stranger. Ashi's step halt the moment she hears him talking and she only ends up advancing a pace more before the torch held in her hand can even cast a little light on Dimitri and his second self there.

Betrayal. Sacrifices. Her expression tightens and her heart sinks, just a little. She doesn't know the man of course but oh the situation. That look into the eyes of a bloodthirsty animal... that she understands intimately well.

There's a voice that whispers somewhere in the distance, winding through like a stifling hot wind. Ashi isn't entirely sure whether it's in her mind or out loud but it's there, soft in volume and yet hard like the crystals around them.]

You know betrayal well, don't you. And yet your own sisters' blood couldn't inspire such fierceness. How weak, how pathetic, how useless.

[Ashi steels herself where she stands. She can't help her own tight words.]

They're all illusions.

[Almost on command, the false Dimitri dissolves into light. Dimitri retrieves the crystal -- exactly what he came here for. He then turns to where he heard the other voice. He's curious as to how long he hasn't been alone, but that could wait.]

Indeed. Tests of resolve. Stand firm and with conviction, and you will prevail.

Should you wish for privacy, I will turn away for the time being. I leave that up to you.

[Oh, so that's how they got the crystals then. She hadn't been close enough to any others who had ventured down here to see it first hand yet. It's comforting in some way to know they really are illusions though, tests of resolve she simply needs to push through. She's used to pushing through tests -- physically at least.

She thinks on that final point a moment and then shakes her head firmly.]

I have nothing to hide.

[She turns slightly towards where she heard that familiar voice earlier. Laughter echoes. Low, deep and derisive. A white mask melts out of the darkness, a figure following. Ashi turns more fully then -- after that bit of warning she seems thoroughly unsurprised at who appears.]

Am I what you fear then? Pathetic.

[Was she? Ashi's shoulders square up like she's readying herself for a fight, the hand not holding her torch aloft tightening into a fist as she comes to an instant, firm answer.]

No. I fear becoming you. And him.

[The figure bends now, fluid and impossibly tall. A thing of darkness with only the stark white of it's mask serving as any differentiation. It's tone garbles it's next words, melded between a woman's voice and the laughing, sarcastic tone of something else.]

You could never be me.

[Something about that seems to now relax Ashi's rigid posture. The tighness in her tone passes and her reply is softer.]

You're right. I could never be you, mother. And I could never be him either.

[She offers out her hand now, palm up and hand steady. Her tone is firm though.]

Give me the crystal.

[Is that all it takes? It seems so as the figure hesitates but a moment before it recedes back into the darkness. Rather than light the white mask falls and hits the floor near Ashi's feet as the crystal itself.

She bends to pluck it up and as she straightens she looks at it in the palm of her hand like it's the sum of some sort of answer she's been trying to come up with for some time. And then she nods.]

Alright, that's two crystals then. Let's hope anyone else down here finds their own crystals too.

[Dimitri stands nearby, watching in silence. However, his facial expression changes to one of melancholy when he hears that the girl before him is confronting her mother. His feelings toward his stepmother are very complicated, to put it lightly, and he can't help but think of what he had been told recently about where she had died -- or where he believed she had died for the past nine years.]

Indeed. Perhaps those who come after us can be warned so they have time to prepare. It would help us find more success.

[Grasping onto the crystal in her one hand Ashi frowns just a touch.]

What would be the best method for warning them?

[They themselves had to continue on after all.]

How about those communication devices we received when we arrived? Phones.

[Dimitri has never been able to communicate with people in real time across long distances. So the phones stick out quite starkly in his mind most of the time.

This also means that he's unlikely to recognize any limitations they have before encountering them himself.]

Oh! I forgot about those.

[She rustles beneath the winter cape she still wears a moment, drawing out the device and just sort of... peers at it a moment.]

... This doesn't need some initiating sequence, does it?

[It's a phone, not a bomb, Ashi.]

Not that I'm aware of. Aside from navigating to the right place -- site? -- to share it.

[He's still trying to get the terminology right.]

[Being able to admit to himself that there's some truth to the horrible words said is impressive and Jean has quite a lot of respect for that. But he couldn't focus too long on the man because he had his own demons to face. He still wondered if this was a good idea.

He clenches his fists when he sees a fatally injured Mikasa appear as his illusion. He admit. He is frozen for a while, not long enough to be taken out, before taking a step forward, shaking.]

That's an illusion... That's something neither me or Mikasa would ever let happen. Not here, not back home. Not to her or any of our friends.

[He sounds shaky, but he's trying to stay resolute the best he can. Especially when the illusion of Mikasa is looking at him with so much pain in her eyes.]

Edited 2021-01-03 20:33 (UTC)

[Upon dispelling his own trial, Dimitri begins to gather crystals, not stopping until he hears the other man nearby speak aloud. He turns to get a look, and instinctively blanches when he sees a young woman in the process of bleeding out. He has half a mind to run out of the cave and start searching for the closest healer, but he restrains himself. Clearly this was the other man's trial. He quietly takes a deep breath as the color returns to his face.]

...This is more of a curse than a trial.

[Jean hears him and looks at him with a nod. He agrees that this is definitely more of a curse. Curse he wanted to break.

Even if more than anything else he wanted to kneel by Mikasa's side and try to help... but he knew she wasn't here. She wasn't here and she wasn't injured. Jean grit his teeth.]

This is not real! So stop trying to make me back down with your false images. I won't back down. I will never succumb to this illusion.

[That seems to be enough and the illusion fades... and Jean sort of just collapses to sit down for a moment. Since it was after the illusion, he isn't kicked out of the cave, at least.]

[Dimitri walks over to Jean and gently puts a hand on his shoulder. He knows all too well what the pain of seeing a loved one dying right before your eyes feels like, so he can relate to what he just went through.]

This isn't something we should have had to go through...but nevertheless, you did well.

[He takes a quick look around. There's crystal where Jean's illusion had been, and it looks like no one else is coming to their particular spot.]

I'll lend you a hand when you're ready to get back to your feet.

[Jean looks up at him with a tired nod.]

Thanks. I didn't think it would get this bad... it was close. Closer than I would have liked.

[But then it's Mikasa he saw. The most important person to him. He would have been more concerned if it had been an easy trial.

He takes a few deep breathes and then extends a hand so he can be helped up.]

[Dimitri reaches out, takes Jean's hand, and pulls him back up to his feet.]

It is clear she means the world to you. She is fortunate to have someone like you in her life.

[Lucy isn't sure what to expect in the cave since her fears are more abstract rather than something more concrete such as spiders. Apparently, she wasn't the only one with such fears. She watches the man with the eye patch confront himself (literally), but the word that catches her attention the most is "voices." While she doesn't know what exactly that means for the man, it has a significant meaning for her, someone who allowed her DNA Voice to lead her down a dark path. As for the revenge, that does not alarm Lucy as much it might for others, because she wasn't that much different.

For Lucy's illusion, it is not unlike Dimitri's. It is the DNA Voice, but it looks just like Lucy, minus the completely black eyes with the visible veins fanning out the skin closest to the eyes. It points a finger right at Lucy. When it speaks, it sounds like many voices speaking at once.]

You're making a big mistake in trusting humans again. You've seen how they lie, and you've suffered so much by their hands. Even if you apologize to Kouta, he will never forgive you. He'll tell you he hates you and to go away. Your new boyfriend will leave you, too, eventually. You know he likes someone else. Your open relationship is a waste of time. Put a stop to the pain before it starts. Kill him. Remember your goal of wiping out the humans to make a world for our kind. Let me help you, again.

[Lucy also goes quiet for a moment. Yes, those are certainly things that she's worried about, but she's also had time to think deeply on such matters. She even got a chance to discuss it with a good friend in the world she was in before this one. Her fists clench at her sides and she slowly shakes her head.]

No, you did anything but help me. I'm not going to listen to you anymore, and you can just stay where I'm keeping you locked up.

[The DNA Voice sneers.]

For now, but you know as well as I. As long as you live, I live. You can't kill the voice of your DNA, because I am part of the fiber of your very being.

[As Dimitri gathers crystals, he hears the conversation. There are a few lines in there that are quite alarming, to say the least. If nothing else, though, it shows him that he's not the only one to struggle with hatred.

Once he has all of the crystals, he finds himself watching. He waits for Lucy's trial to finish.

...He'll also have to ask what DNA is.]

[For nine (almost ten) years, Lucy allowed the DNA Voice to influence her, but enough was enough. She stands her ground, even as she begins to sweat a little. She may be facing her fear, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared while doing it.]

That may be, but I can choose to fight against you. I'm never going to stop trying to figure out a way to block you out completely. If Nyuu could go for so long without hearing you, then I can too. Maybe not now, but eventually. Now--get back in your cage where you belong.

[The last part comes out as a snarl. The DNA Voice falls silent and slowly fades away, but instead of an empty space, Lucy sees the small light spirit. It smiles at her, and points in the direction where the crystals are, shining a beam of light at the location. Soon, Lucy is also collecting crystals, placing them in a bag given to her for holding them in. At first, she's awkwardly quiet, unsure of what to say after being forced to have such a private conversation put out in the open. But after a minute or so, her hands pause and, without looking at the man, she finally speaks.]

Don't speak of this to anyone, and I won't share anything that I heard either. I'm not one to stick my nose into someone else's private matters.

[(Unless they tell her of their own accord.)

She could have asked more politely, but that's not Lucy's way with strangers. This trial has also struck a nerve, putting her on edge.]

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

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