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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

arrival: the red spring.

[ Gyro has had enough time to start getting acclimated to the idea of being here, which is to say that he's about halfway through his stages of grief about not actually being dead. Or anywhere near the not-entirely-short list of people who will either be in danger without him around anymore, or just pissed that he's up and left without even having the decency to be normal-dead. He's had just enough time since arriving to have something akin to a poker face back in place.

Whenever his roommate arrives, Gyro's sprawled across his bed on his half of the room, a small bag of stuff laying on the floor at the foot of it. He looks very much like he's probably sulking, although his expression goes further neutral when someone enters.

He gives only the barest of greetings ('hey') and then ignores any attempt at conversation in favor of short, quick replies...for maybe another half hour. At which point he seems to snap out of whatever his funk was, and reach over for that bag at the end of his bed. ]

You know that bar in the carriages? [ His grin is a bit too bright. Yes, those are customized grills. No, he's not aware that they're both trashy and a perceived anachronism, considering he's come from the year 1890. He chuckles and reaches a hand into the bag, producing...many nip bottles. ] They had a lot of these!

Want a few? [ This is both a coping mechanism and a potentially-obvious ploy to gain enough trust to ask questions. Answer wisely, oh roommate. ]

mirror, mirror: pure of heart.

Leap of faith, huh? [ Gyro's taking this sign at face value: nothing else here has followed riddles or trickery, so...

He frowns over at the bridge, brows pinched. He's seen one other person wander across, so far. It's just that...

How heavy is his soul, huh? He considers his familiar, who abandoned him in the cave but returned on the way to this town and the bridge to its north. She's a small enough horse - pony-sized, really, and that's sort of an enormous fucking shame if he's honest - but she's also very clearly winged. ] I'm guessing you can't fly me over to the other side, huh?

[ She snorts and stares at him.] Didn't think so.

[ Anyone coming close to the bridge now, or who has already passed it, will get the chance to see Gyro...approaching it at a full-tilt run and then taking a flying leap. That's what it said, right? He feels nothing under his feet for half a heartbeat too long and thinks he was right to doubt the weight of his own sins, and then...invisible support is under his boots. Gyro lands in a crouch and nearly slips right off the edge of the sudden makeshift bridge, eyes wide and no smarmy comeback ready yet. ]

...Didn't think that would work.

quest: shadlin showdown.

[ Gyro's still on the fence about how much he believes that they 'can't' send him back, as opposed to just not wanting to, but when he stared at that virtual billboard (app?) he found he couldn't resist the call to help for long. Why sit around in his little room and sulk if someone's getting hurt, or might eventually be, out here?

The Edge of Dusklight Woods is, well...spooky as hell. Gyro misses his steel balls from back home - he even arrived with them, but he can't ever get the spin right, no matter how certain he is he's thrown it correctly... He's slowly starting to believe the assurances that his own powers from back home won't work here. ]

It's not even a power, [ he grumbles to himself, carrying one in his hand as he walks the perimeter of the woods. ] It's a technique. [ Sure it is, Gyro.

As night seeps more deeply into the landscape, Gyro startles when he hears something - another person, also trying to suss out the woods, but he mistakes it for yet another one of those endless pairs of haunting eyes at the edge of the deeper woods. ]

Hey, you! Stop right there! [ His voice is pretty commanding and confident, for someone who's barely managed to learn to use his new alchemic magic to turn quartz into regular stone. He's aiming what he's holding - literally just a small, green steel ball - at the other. He seems very much convinced that this is a good weapon of choice. ] Who's there? Don't try anything funny!

don't see an option you like? feel free to pm to plot, or i can have gyro tag into your character's tl. also feel free to wildcard any of the above scenarios a bit.

( Gyro isn't the only one who's arrived here with the instant suspicion that there are ulterior motives at play — hard to believe there are any good intentions when one feels as though they've been terribly displaced against their will. moreover, it makes one curious how the people of this one particular place happen to know exactly the solution that the universe needs to return it to its natural state...it feels oddly convenient.

but, Alucard might just be feeling extra irritable in general, given that he went from feeling alone but haunted by what was all-too familiar, to feeling alone and completely out of place. it leaves him feeling more adrift than before, and he thought before was getting bad.

after a silent caravan ride to the Red Spring, he files into the resort with a tense silence between himself and his familiar — a large black dog, its coarse fur seeming almost intangible at its ends, and its eyes almost imperceptible aside from two iris rings staring like stones. honestly, it makes the case stated here a little more compelling... who would give a captive access to more power? he feels the link to the grim like a gravity, telling him that it is truly linked to him...not that he's ever had a familiar before. he's had none of this experience before now.

he wants to be alone to process everything that's happened between the last time he stood foot on Romanian soil and now, so he's glad to be taking up lodging as soon as he arrives...

we all know how this turns out.

Alucard is so spent mentally that when he finds his room occupied by some stranger, he doesn't even know how to react, therefore, he doesn't...which is possibly the worst result, but it seems the man is willing to ignore him in return. he's thankful for that.

he isn't tired, but damn if he isn't weary of all of this, and he takes to lying on the remaining bed in the room — cloak removed and down to his full outfit, boots and all, laying on his back and motionless, staring upward like a body in wait of an autopsy. he couldn't say that he isn't fantasizing about doing just enough work to afford a coffin and take an antisocial nap for as long as is possible before someone comes to bother him again...

and then, the man says something. Alucard blinks slowly before shifting his gaze over to the other in the least urgent way possible. he watches him openly, but with a narrow gaze, low-key but not shamed as the man digs through a bag.

Alucard was actually concerned for a moment that this idiot was pulling out empty bottles, showcasing how much he had consumed, and make him have to hear about it. somehow, it's a relief to see they're all untouched.

still— ) You stole liquor from the caravan. ( the words come on a tone low and dim as molasses, melancholy, almost bitter. it isn't a question. it's clearly a judgment passed onto the man. it's detestable — he should tell him no. he wants to tell him no.

he really wants to tell him no.

he's definitely going to tell him no.

Alucard rolls his head back to stare at the ceiling. )

... Throw me one.

[ A big black dog, huh? Gyro eyes it but doesn't ask, same as he doesn't address the other elephant in the room. (It's actually a pegasus, albeit one the size of a large dog or a mid-sized pony, and not at all sturdy-enough looking for Gyro to think about trying to ride it. So far, it's ignored him but lingered close by.)

Anyway. Neither of their animal companions-slash-new-sources-of-magic look too interested in Gyro's offer.

Neither does the man himself, who was a tall and intimidating-looking guy before he flopped on his bed and started sulk-snoozing like a teenager. (Ignoring that that's also exactly what Gyro himself had been doing just a few moments prior.) But Gyro waits him out and...

His chuckle is a loud, rolling thing as he picks out three of the little bottles. He underhand tosses the first two at the man's head and aims the third at his stomach, all thrown slowly enough that if the guy looks up for them, he'll probably have time to catch all three.

Probably. ] I didn't steal it. Most of it. I had some money on me.

Hope you like...what the hell is Hpnotiq? Anyway. [ He pops open his own tiny bottle of blue liquid and downs it in a single go and also with a bit of a wince. This is not the most masculine shot that's ever been drank. ]

( the possible outcomes of the night seem rather apparent: Alucard is going to have to put up with this man for the night; he can choose to sustain his patience while sober, which isn't looking good for anyone's health or safety, or...Alucard can have a few drinks. if it gets him to stop caring about the severity of this astounding predicament for a few hours before what he expects will be a tense night of ill sleep, well — why the hell not.

the man excudes an impish, juvenile demeanor; he throws multiple bottles, and with different timings, and Alucard realizes this a moment too late while trying to anticipate an unexpected two-piece delivery with swiftly-lurching hands. the third one is at risk of going lost to the floor —

but it goes into the grim's mouth, instead. the dog... didn't make any urgent or fantastic movements to capture it, either. it's almost as if the bottle had been... pulled from the air to the creature.

Alucard doesn't notice — he's looking at the gem-hued bottles, eyes narrowing with gentle scrutiny at the liquids inside. ) If I don't care for it, I can easily blame you for the matter. ( said so growlingly-quiet, so level, it's evident that Alucard doesn't mean what he says.

(hopefully...)

he twists the bottle open (after investigating the cap at the end, confounded only momentarily that it isn't a cork inside the opening) and takes the first drink at its fullest, and...comes back with a disgusted twist to his face. )

They call this liquor here? ( it's sugary, more than the suggestion of the presence of fruit really warrants, and at a level that he has never faced before. perhaps the 1400s are just simpler times...or maybe the dhampir prince is just such an embodiment of concentrated bitterness that he might be naturally adverse to something this sweet. ) Hmph, that's one way to keep people from excessive consumption. ( oh, Alucard...if only you knew.

but if he is anything, it's...stubborn, and with the blue bottle emptied to a clear container, he twists the cap off of the rosy pink one. ) Definitely blaming you for whatever the next one does. ( put him in a coma, hopefully. he was planning on taking another one of those before this wonderful disruption occurred. it's only now that he's wondering if these carry any unexpected bonus affects that no one is asking for... )

[ Did that last bottle just-- rocket sideways? Into the dog's mouth? That dog didn't move, did it...? And then he's distracted by the guy talking.

Gyro's chuckle is bright, loud, and...maybe best left used sparingly. ] Good one! [ He compliments the joke (because this guy's joking, right? he doesn't mean he's actually going to blame Gyro for shitty liquor? right??).

Both of them end up grimacing over their bottles, though. The flavor is so...odd. Gyro isn't from a time period that has to worry about a lot of artificial fluff ingredients yet, so he doesn't know the word for it, but right now he's turning his nose up at the next potential bottle like a PTO mom who just got handed a McDonald's hamburger. ] Guess so. Or maybe they're fucking with us? Think they gave us the bad stuff that they don't like drinking? Assholes...

[ Gyro drains his next one just as fast though. The bright green liquid is...marginally better. He coughs into a closed fist before tossing the emptied bottle aside. He's not one for layered subterfuge...just knows how to cushion a blow before it's dealt. Casually, with just the slightest edge of the unhappy distrust he's carrying along with him since he woke up wet and half-drowning in a pond earlier, ] What do you think about these guys, huh? You buying their story?

Hm.

I wouldn't know, and I hardly care. ( to answer the man's first question; that is a sufficient answer, right?

Alucard hasn't risen from his place on the bed, only tilting his posture as much as is necessary to have grabbed the bottles, to look them over, to drink them — he's on the second one now, looking even more suspicious about it than he had been to consider them originally. if this is the worst thing he's had to encounter today, then it can't be the worst thing that has ever happened to him. (no, that bar is set pretty damn low, and...Alucard also lives on that very bar, so he now knows exactly where it's positioned in his life.)

the stranger in the room is now putting Alucard in a position to consider if this small talk being presented to him isn't in the category of 'worst things to ever happen to me.' )

I suppose I'm not in a position to argue their claims. I'm here, regardless of what I think. ( Alucard thinks he sounds thoughtful; in reality, he sounds just north of dejected. he glances to the dark shroud sitting idly beside the bed he's laid on, and knows that...the magic bond between himself and this familiar isn't all talk. he's never entered a magical contract with another creature, but he knows that what he senses is rife with energy... the same that he feels trickling through his flesh when odd moments arise, such as the carriage ride to get this far. that much is a compelling detail.

alas— ) Whether I intend to contribute to their plans or not, I have not decided. ( because that is what Alucard hasn't had proven to him yet; 'the universe is frozen' — that one is a bold claim, and by an enterprise that can track it, pluck people from it, imbue them with a seed of magic, and then harvest the output from them. is it impossible? Alucard isn't the one who can say if it is or isn't; but he isn't exactly feeling charitable yet, either. )

[ Gyro isn't by nature a planner. He's always had his entire life's story mapped out for him in advance - he follows because it's always been what he does. Only so very recently, these past few months traveling in America, has he started exploring what things mean to him. Only recently has he started wondering how to put together his skills and thoughts and drives and create something outside the boundaries of what he was told.

...So this answer makes him sigh, dramatic and loud. ] Damn! Was hoping you had a better read on this than me. [ He whistles in disappointment. Gyro's learning to plan for different futures, sure, but he hasn't had a lot of practice yet and considering back home it eventually got him killed--

Yeah. He was just kind of hoping for a bit more help here, buddy. Gyro eyes the pegasus, the squat and fat little pony with wings that's been by his side more or less since he arrived. It doesn't talk, nor does he feel any sign that it's trying to communicate with him telepathically, but there is...a sense of energy from it, for sure.

Not everything he's been told is a lie. But was it the entire truth?

Bottle number three ends in him grimacing with his tongue out a moment. ] Blech. I don't mind a second chance and all, but it's a tall order that we all just died and woke up here, and that that's the exact moment our worlds supposedly all froze.

[ At the shouts, Tsukuyo slowly emerges from the darkness through a gap in the trees to come ace to face with a man she doesn't recognise brandishing what looks to be a... ball at her. Okay. Weird.

She narrows her eyes at the stranger, tucking away the kunai she had been holding in her own hand. Evidently, surprisingly, she doesn't see the ball as a threat but she's still on her guard. Less against this person and more so against the things she can't see lurking in the woods.

Well, except for their eyes. She had seen plenty of those and there's an eerie feeling that she just can't shake. ]

I'm just here for the quest.

[ Gyro is on high alert - he doesn't really get this place yet. He's still not sure it isn't some sort of non-Heaven, non-Hell afterlife. Purgatory, maybe, except everything feels so damn real.

Like the threat of someone stalking out from the trees to reveal themselves as...a woman. Hmm. Gyro's eyes are narrowed and he's still got that stupid steel ball in one hand, like a round object is the pinnacle of possible weaponry (it is! or it was!).

But at the coherent and not-monsterish response, he at least tilts his head to one side to consider it. ] Yeah?

You seen anything suspicious yet? [ He's definitely attempting to do the cool, tough thing and stare her down the entire time he waits for her reply...but perhaps reminded of this issue by his own use of the word suspicious, he glances in intervals at the deeper woods to his right.

Green eyes, uncomfortably similar to his own, blink back at him and then shift to disappear. ]

[ So cool, so tough. He gets a pretty blunt, aloof looking stare in response.

...And yeah, she's still definitely not getting the ball thing. Maybe if someone were to swing it hard and fast enough it could do some damage but... doesn't really seem that practical in the grand scheme of all possible weapons you could pick. ]

You mean aside from the very suspicious glowin' eyes?

[ Yeah, he's not the only one. ]

...Actually yeah, since I already saw those. [ But it's another sign that they're probably on the same page, here.

He sighs and turns fully to stare into the woods, although the feeling of being angrily watched just worsens with it. (Makes him feel more adamant to get to the bottom of this, if anything.) Well, if they're just going to stand here, both supposedly doing the same thing...he's stubborn but the initial paranoia fades quickly enough. ]

Seen anything like that around here before?

[considering she got ko'd with a pen by her former babysitting charge, that little sphere is incredibly threatening right now. Reimi mostly freezes out of surprise, trying to squint through the gloom to get a better look at this stranger's face. did he live here? or was he the owner of one (or more) of the eyes fluttering at the edge of her vision?]

Hey! This isn't ambush, you know!

Better not be! [ Look, after the catastrophe that was the illusion in that cave that housed some of those mirror-crystals that they wanted them to collect, Gyro's just being practical. The fact that she's a girl and also looks pretty young just means she could get closer if he's not on guard.

...But he doesn't move to throw the weapon he's holding. ] I'd ask you if you're real, but that probably won't help, because if you weren't you'd just lie...

[as long as she's not being actively attacked then everything is more or less fine...Reimi's pretty sure, anyway. just in case she's remaining exactly where she is for the time being.]

I could say the same for you!

[but she's not, just pointing out the rather discomfiting impasse they've found themselves in. she's got no doubt that this is a real person - and she's fairly certain it isn't just her trusting nature talking. how to solve this problem, though..?]

If I did a little magic, would that settle things for you?

Well-- But I'm real! [ Which is objectively a nonsense response and gets them nowhere. He sounds indignant nonetheless.

But that offer catches his attention for sure. ] ...What, can only good guys do magic around here?

Sure, let's see it. [ He still hasn't seen a lot of this world's magic performed, honestly. He's all ears. (Eyes?) ]

[Gyro took the leap and found his soul light enough for the bridge to form underneath him!! ... But standing right in front of the plaque in the ground, Marnie's stopped entirely and doesn't even seem like she wants to try.
She has her reasoning, of course. But it does make things a little difficult.

She looks at the bird on her shoulder, looks down at the plaque... before turning that look up to Gyro himself.]

'Scuse me!
You wouldn't be willin' to give me a hand, would you? I'm afraid I won't be crossin' this without a little help.

[She's so small, and sounds so sincere in asking for help - it's a wonder she thinks she needs it in the first place.]

Hm? [ He only barely turns to look over his shoulder - this mission is serious stuff, it seems. This entire world is serious stuff, and while Gyro had his doubts when he first arrived, he's seen just about enough by now that he's bought into what everyone running this place is selling. He's focused, in other words.

He only stops in getting back up and turning to walk away across his own personal invisible bridge because whoever this is is...

Small. Way, way too small. Gyro grimaces and his father's voice is in his head, telling him to just ignore something this messy and not get involved.

Gyro clears his throat and speaks loud enough that he's sure his voice will carry over the short gap between them. ] No.

Not 'cause you look like you won't make it over, but 'cause this is dangerous. You're better off on that side.

[... Part of her really wants to argue that she's dealt with things more dangerous than a river - she's scaled mountains and crossed valleys all on her lonesome, and that was just for a few Pokémon battles.
But at the same time, she knows arguing that probably wouldn't give the best impression, either. It's a little haughty.]

I don't want to get left behind! If this is somethin' so important that we've all head out like this, then it's only right that I try an' help, too!
I've already come this far - d'you really think "it's dangerous" is gonna be enough to get me to stay over here?

[She pauses a bit, looking down at that plaque with the smallest little frown.]

... Y'know I'll just ask someone else to help if you don't. Someone is gonna say yes, eventually.

[ As she keeps going, Gyro is hoping she's just full of childish hot air — and maybe she is, but then that ultimatum gets dealt. Gyro makes an indignant noise (probably not incorrectly called a squawk) and grimaces. ]

Wh— Well maybe no one but me can get across! What then, huh kid? [ Is he turning around fully to argue with a child? Yes, yes he is. But he's also now sweating it out about which is really the lesser of the current two evils - aiding a kid into danger (in the hopes he can keep her safe) or doing nothing and hoping no one worse at defending themselves comes along and lets her over in his stead.

He sighs, dramatic and long, and then straightens up again. Hands go on his hips and then he comes forward a few steps. ]

Fine.

But if you get hurt, it's your own damn fault! Not mine. [ And then he kneels down and holds out his arms, expectantly, clearly thinking the solution is for her to jump into them and get carried across. ]

[Well! He'll be happy to know that was exactly her plan. It shouldn't put him out too much to carry her over, right?
Though, her plan has a step before it first.]

Wait, wait - you should come back over on this side first. If havin' me with you gets rid of the bridge somehow, I don't want you to fall in and get swept away.
I'm not plannin' on gettin' you hurt on my behalf.

[So basically, she wants to test it to make sure it's safe for the both of them first.]

Kid, I really don't think you're gonna wreck the bridge. [ Why would she? What's a kid done that's so horrible?

(Ignoring the fact that children can be found guilty of terrible crimes where Gyro's from. Ignoring that. A frown passes briefly over his expression, like a cloud across the moon. It's gone by the time he's getting up again and huffily walking to the very edge of the bridge.) ]

Come on, let's go. Besides, I'm a pretty good swimmer. Kinda... It'll be fine.

[Her normally pretty stony expression manages to pull into something more of a frown than usual, hearing that...
But she goes ahead and steps up to him anyway, her familiar flying off her shoulder so it's not in the way when she's picked up.]

I'm just tryin' to plan ahead, 's all... I'm a Dark-type expert, and this place recognized it from the moment I woke up here. Even shackled me up with dark magic from the get-go... though all I've figured out how to do is throw globs of the stuff around.

But that's gotta be light magic, yeah? [Said with a sort of vague wave at the invisible bridge.]
Even puttin' aside the fairytale "pure of heart" stuff, who's to say my dark magic won't negate it?

[... And then she shuffles a bit before folding her hands behind her, a little embarrassed that she got so close to lecturing a stranger like that. An adult, at that.]

All I'm sayin' is... it's good to think a couple steps ahead.

[ A dark-type expert? Oh, shit, right, okay...so she's talking about the new magic here? Except she had it back home, too? Gyro saw some wild shit back home, but he's still not sure what to do with that summary. He grimaces and comes closer and then finally sets one foot back on regular land so he can get near enough to crouch down and go in to grab her-- and he does so the way you'd grab a kid much smaller than her, like that's what he's used to, and like he was once very used to it. It's the matter of fact grab of a parent dragging a toddler up against their shoulder.

He then immediately grunts with effort, and sways slightly, but he keeps his balance. Crisis averted. (Probably.) ]

Look. Nothing here makes that kind of sense so far. You know what I can do? I can turn one thing into another thing. I don't think you need to worry about matching types of energy, if this world doesn't even care about lead into gold and all that bull. Not that I've done that yet... That'd be useful...

Anyway. Let's find out if you put the whole bridge out or not, okay? [ And forward he steps, two feet on the invisible bridge... ]

[Honestly? The fact she doesn't complain about getting hefted up like that might be kind of surprising, but she's just kind of... used to this sort of treatment.
With how protective her brother is, it's probably not the first time she's gone through this kinda thing, really. All she really does is do her best to steady herself, frowning a bit at the way he sways.

... And the vague way he describes his own magic, of course. But she'll give him his dignity by not commenting on it.
Plus... it'd be a bit hard to criticize something like that when he just walks toward the bridge so brazenly, she can't help but wince when his foot first steps out onto the bridge --]

... Oh.

[Based on the way she leans up in his arms so she can see the "ground" - or lack thereof, considering the bridge is invisible - it's pretty clear she's surprised to see it worked.
Somehow. Despite being a thoughtful person who's done nothing but show concern for others' wellbeing. She's surprised. Yeah.]

[ She doesn't complain about getting picked up, a fact that Gyro barely registers separate from the issue of having to carry her, and which he gives no further thought. The bridge...remains. In its strange, invisible way. He's still getting used to the idea that it's judged himself worthy.

His first step is solid but hesitant...and then he bulldozes forward as soon as he establishes he's not pitching to his death.

The look he shoots the kid in his arms is a bit wary and concerned though, eyebrows pinching in. ] See? Not that dark, after all.

Even if I don't know I'd call you light, [ he chuckles, a suddenly vibrant and brash noise, like he thinks he's hilarious.

The water rushes past under his feet, but he's quick to head for the other side now that the magic's shown to be consistent. He doesn't put her down early, even though logically he could have — but unless she struggles prior to it, he only moves to put her down (so, only remembers to put her down) once they've crossed the entire length of it and he's stepped on the other side's ground. ]

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

gyro zeppeli | jojo's bizarre adventure (spoilers for steel ball run in 'arrival' prompt)

—arrival

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spoilers for steel ball run be here

shadlin showdown

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pure of heart;

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