TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

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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. It's a fast process, though they do take their time as they need to go around hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals. 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 and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console, with a special feature for warm winter drinks like hot apple toddy and butter beer. 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. 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.

 

---

 

 

Last month, players were invited into the fae territories in Elphame for the first time for the Winter Solstice celebrations while King Arthur and Queen Elphame enter talks regarding the next steps toward saving the multiverse. In the meantime, a special camp hosted King Arthur's knights has been created on the riverbank just inside of the Forest of the Felled to act as a midway point for travelers going between the two points.

 

A ⦿ Snow More Cold
	The Forest Camp is quite a stunning outpost for Camelot. Given the snowy, cold weather, the campsites have been built with the knowledge of some of the snowier fae in mind and have resulted in what some are referring to as "Igloo Glamping." Artfully carved out group rooms, dining halls, and storage for supplies, and more have been carved out of snow to create a surprisingly warm solution to keeping safe as a Forest halfway point. Admittedly, it's not the your standard glamp-- but there are TVs, board games, and long fur-lined beds to keep you and four other people warm cuddled up together at night! There's also a snow port-a-potty that you probably don't want to face, but sometimes we face challenges in life. There are also a number of planned activities to keep people out of trouble while they stay.
...Or if they do get themselves into trouble, they can also end up in snow jail, a special igloo built with extremely tough ice stalagmites that will be hard to break out of until authorities can come pick you up and take you back to Camelot.

 

---

 

B ⦿ The Great Avalon Bake-Off
One of these activities is inspired by a surprising store of buried baking supplies like flour, sugar, butter, yeast, and eggs that was found in the forest. It's been there a long while, but it seems to have been protected through magical preservation, so there's really only one thing to do about it: a bake-off! It's a little tricky out in the snow, so outside of the igloos, a trench has been dug and all contestants have been given a campfire. Alchemists have helped by creating clay ovens in the snow for contestants to bake their culinary creations in. The most impressive confections (not just the top scorer) will earn a copy of (Spell) Thirst. This spell can make someone feel thirsty, even if they aren't.

 

---

 

C ⦿ Ingredient Hunt 2022
	The real trick is finding ingredients to make your confection something to stand out and come up on top of the contest, which you may need to wander into the Forest of the Felled to look for. There are a variety of winter berries able to be found, herbs and flowers buried under the snow if you can find them, and most importantly, a couple of truffle bushes from which chocolate and vanilla truffles can be harvested. There are quite a few tasty flavors to be found throughout the forest, and since it hasn't been repopulated yet due to the harsh winter, it's relatively safe to wander around no matter who you are. If you feel like you need protection though, maybe ask around camp to find someone who can fight for you.
Just be wary as there are a few ingredients you can find in the forest that may cause a few unintended side-effects to your taste-testers: Cider Berries: These berries appear to have a fiery glow coming from within. That is because they will temporary cause anyone who consumes them to breathe fire when they exhale for about 10 minutes straight... definitely a problem when you're living in an igloo. They have a great apple-y smell though! Strangler Figs: These fig trees grow around other plants and strangling them as if they were anacondas around prey. They produce the most brilliant looking and tasting figs, even in the winter time. Unfortunately, having been in Avalon long enough, they have absorbed magic into their roots and are now able to defend their fruit by creeping up anyone who touches them and trapping them in their grip. They cannot move while you are looking at them, so don't blink and hope you can outrun them. Little Leeks: These are very, very small leaks that seem to be hanging out in small vials found about an inch beneath the surface of the snow. They all seem to have different faces painted on the front of the vials, though the vials do seem to be a part of their body. The simple faces match the effect you'll get-- a crying face will result in your character having an uncontrollable sob fest, a happy face may make it seem like nothing phases them, some angry eyebrows on a frown could result in your character wanting to fight everyone in a fit of anger, and so on. The most tragic part is that these will continue effecting you until they are fully digested-- so it could take hours to stop bawling.

 

---

 

 

Back in Camelot and Elphame, trouble is brewing of a different variety.

 

A ⦿ Calls You Daddy
Strange eggs with even stranger tiny legs have started wandering into the city and making their way into peoples' homes. Inn rooms, houses, apartments, tents, tree trunks, igloos, even townships have found residents waking up with a tiny little egg snuggled up to their side to keep warm in the morning.  These eggs act just like babies too-- they cry when they need to be fed (they'll roll around in the food to absorb it), are extremely picky about their food (and each egg has its own unique palette), need to be cleaned after eating, and they need to be kept warm or they will perish.
One touch of an egg to direct skin will result in a parental instinct being imprinted upon whoever touches them, so you may find yourself wanting to care for this egg as much as it wants you to care for it. Eggs come in a variety of colors and designs and will seek out at least two parents, so you may find yourself in an unlikely relationship for the next week or so until they hatch...

 

---

 

 

B ⦿ Aurora Bearealis
	After about a week, the eggs all seem to be antsier than before. Many of their legs disappear and their colors start to glow gently at night, as if some kind of strange nightlight. Eventually, the top of the egg will burst open and out of it will hatch a slightly oddly shaped bear creature, which looks almost like a living teddy bear. The bears themselves have strange glowing markings that match the outside of the egg that they used to be in, and when they step out, a mysterious flow of light comes out of them- like an aurora borealis. At this point, there are two real problems that have started: Touching the aurora borealis lights will also make you glow with aurora borealis lights for 48 hours. They are bears and they act like bears and they get into everything and fight everyone like bears, except their perceived parents.

 

---

 

 

C ⦿ Go on, Git. CW: Mentions of poaching, beheading in last paragraph.
	These fierce little aurora bears are causing destruction and pain in both Elphame and Camelot alike, so a decision has to be made: the bears need to be led by their parents and some fighters out to the nearest forest and set free to live in the wild, as they probably were intended to. Those in Camelot who release their bears there will find a heart-wrenching goodbye interrupted by a rather dramatic battle. The natural predator of aurora bears, the flaming lions known as Fogueria, have come out of the Land of Rot to hunt them down. I hope you brought someone with you to help save both you and your beary good friend from this flaming enemy. Fogueria cannot be defeated without using magic, so you've got your battle set out for you!
For those who have taken to Elphame, they are not faring much better. As it turns out, these little eggs have made quite the impression on some goblin poachers released from prison last month. These goblins are hunting down the newly released bears for capture to sell them as circus side-shows, food, and more to more devilish creatures. They love gold much more than they love anything else, except perhaps the fierce beast that accompanies their party to help them devour anyone who would try to stop them: a gashadokuro, a fierce skeletal demon formed of the bones of fallen travelers. It is known to bite off the heads of travelers and drinks blood. You'll have to defeat the whole party to ensure your newly released bears remain safe.

 

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. 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

Alphys | Undertale | Cognitive & Alchemy...?

[hikikosaurus]

The pilot episode - (The Caravan to Camelot)

[ Alphys's arrival is something of a blur, with the shock of cold water waking her before the cold left her sleepy enough to sink, if it weren't for the rescue. Even the shock of the sight of the cliffs, especially the sky above the cliffs, isn't fully enough to break through. But the climb up helps her warm up, enough to pay attention to Archimedes' explanation. ]

S-So I've been... isekaied? You mean, all those weird readings were... all of time getting destroyed? O-Or, frozen? Oh my god, I can't believe... I'm gonna have to tell...

[ Sans, she means to say. When... she sees him again. If she sees him again. She hopes she sees him again. But that means, she'll tell nobody, on account of none of them are here. It's starting to sink in that her whole world is frozen, and a few minutes later she's pacing anxiously by one of the carriages. ]

B-But why did... why d-didn't you... You know, pull someb-body who's brave, and st-strong, and doesn't m-m-mess everything up???

[ The spectral cat she addresses with these last questions is unimpressed by it, and licks at its paw to start grooming its ear instead of offering any answer.

It's easier for her to get a grip on herself once she really starts poking at the gifted smartphone, and seeing what the internet here has to offer. No music for the ride, though - it's a little tricky, using earbuds as a lizard. Maybe she should have asked if they came in a different design... ]


The obligatory hot springs episode - (The Red Spring)

[ It's a long day until they reach the town, and the motion of the carriages has been... disorienting, to someone who's never really been in a vehicle besides a boat. The chance to just hide in her inn room for the night to play videogames, distracting herself from everything, is deeply, deeply tempting. As is the idea of just hiding in the room and never leaving. But mention of a hot spring, one with various restorative powers, is enough to draw her out. ]

Oh my god, this is as c-comfortable as all the shows make it look?

[ She settles in the water low enough that her face is barely peeking out and relaxes, finally warm enough. Of course, if human shows have any truth to them, then who knows if somebody's trying to peek through walls to get a look at somebody they have a crush on, or something ridiculous like that. She was already thinking of sneaking back to the room quietly, so... maybe she'll just stay here and relax, until there's nobody else around. ]


The egg baby episode - (Calls You Daddy & Aurora Bearealis)

[ By the time they hit Camelot and she's had more time to read up on things, it's all a little less crazy. In some ways. Apparently Archimedes meant it when saying that just being here and bonded with a familiar would provide energy for the big workings that would save the universe. Which is... the idea that just existing, by itself, could make the world better? It's one Undyne and various friends have said over the years, but never really sunk in. Maybe... it will, this time.

Of course, she's heard there's various ways to help beyond just existing. But she's not about to go raring off on dangerous quests with just a dab of magic she hasn't even figured out yet. And she's not crazy enough to go willingly off to a place where even the buildings are made of snow, where she might just turn into an Alphysicle. So it's sticking to Camelot and figuring out what to do with herself, now that she doesn't have anyone relying on her specifically.

...At least, until she wakes up to a baby egg monster. One that she sees and just knows she needs to take care of it, like... it's hers and it really needs somebody to look after it, just like Mew Mew is counting on her to help this whole world.

...Mostly her. That fluttery feeling of nervous pride is dashed the first time the egg pulls the makeshift baby leash taut, rushing to the nearest person and cuddle up to them instead. She's left following with frazzled doubts about her parenting and a deeper slouch than usual. ]

S-S-Sorry about that, don't know wh-what's gotten into it... You don't, uh, happen to know how to take care of an egg monster, do you...?

[ Whether someone else ends up feeling the need to help raising this little egg monster, things sure don't get easier once it hatches and reveals a teddy bear monster inside. Not with how it's gone from looking from potential parents to looking to pick fights. It reminds her a little of Undyne, but it's a little too late to go changing names - especially when she's busy running through a marketplace to catch it. ]

No no no no, bad Roary, get back here!


Omake - (Wildcard)

[ ooc: Interested in something else? There's a lot of other things I can see, between new arrivals who fell in together, the various shenanigans of figuring out new magic (accidentally astral projection? picking up bits of memories from peoples' things?), the dangers of bringing the bear into the woods, or the buying of a copy of Wizards Gone Wild once she hears about that little publication ;) - feel free to tag something else, or pm me to hash something out!

I'm working off one of the happier neutral endings for her here (all three hangouts), and I'm still voicetesting - tag speed may be erratic. If it's helpful for me to drop the stutter ooc please let me know, just assume it continues ic ]

The pilot episode

[corruptedsave]

This place isn't picky about who it grabs.

[The voice might sound a little familiar, or maybe not, as it comes from a kid who looks kinda like a certain human Alphys would know. If the kid wasn't wearing a green striped shirt that is, and their hair was a little shorter. Look, hairdressers cost money, okay?

Anyway, the kid is near the carriage that the monster was pacing by and just overheard her talking so, of course, they're going to check out who was talking.]

oh hey o/ fwiw I'm still tagging from mobile

[hikikosaurus]

Yeah, that's obvious...

[ Alphys doesn't quite startle at the comment, because she knew she wasn't actually alone with the cat over here. There's loads of people - loads of humans - all around. Still, it helps that this one reminds her of the human she's met before, short brown hair and striped shirt and all. And partly because of that, her eyes go wider and even more panicked when she realizes what she said. ]

I-I-I mean! That! It's obvious! Because I'm h-here, not because of you, or anybody else!

[corruptedsave]

[Oh boy, they had almost forgotten how... Nervous Alphys can get, so they try (and fail) to hide the look they get on their face at her panicking.

Then again, it doesn't fully dawn on Chara that she might be from a different timeline.]

Right. And hey, everybody is useful in their own way yeah?

[Go attempt to cheer her up?]

[hikikosaurus]

Sure! Of c-course they can be!

[ The problem here is half the nervous fear of causing offense, half the world falling out under her. Being useful requires figuring out what that way might be, and not screwing it up, and - at least for Alphys - knowing she has friends who have her back. With none of them around...?? She just does her best to smile like she's been reassured. It's a little sickly-looking. ]

And, I'll, uh... I'll definitely f-figure out what that way might be! Beyond just... existing, here?

[Alphys gives the cat another glance. She maybe wasn't listening as closely as she probably should have been, distracted with the revelations of sky and frozen world, and trying to get a response from her own phone.]

[corruptedsave]

Well, there is whatever magic you end up with. That's a way to be useful.

[That is if one gets a useful combo of magics, unlike Chara with their Dark and Blood magics. They also give a glance to the cat with Alphys, slow blinking at the familiar and mentally going "Oh that kind of fits her" what with her love of one Mew Mew Kissy Cutie.]

But just existing here is fine too, especially if things back home weren't that great.

[hikikosaurus]

R-Right, he said something about that... different magic...

[ She wipes at her face, brushing nervous sweat and the hint of tears from it. Not that any of it stands out, when she's still damp from the drop in the half-frozen lake, but it's the principle of the thing, to try not to cry in front of a kid who's trying to reassure her. She can almost imagine Undyne lifting her while Papyrus insists she's got this... Oh, that's undermining the whole effort. ]

B-B-But... Things were... Th-Things were actually, really good, back home. We were... Well, we weren't getting free any time soon, but I was... kind of happy? I mean, uh.... It's fine! I'll f-figure it out.

[corruptedsave]

Yep, everyone gets something.

[When she mentions not getting free though, confusion crosses Chara's face before it shifts to a blank look. They finally getting that oh, she's from a different timeline. Unlike them and Asriel it seems.]

Can you really figure it out without seven more kids having to die?

[And whoops, just letting it slip that they maybe are from her world there.]

the egg baby episode

[letmewin]

( If there's anything that surrounds this world, its the unique magic. As any monster from his world would be, he was primarily used to the magic and bullet patterns that he grew up seeing. The egg baby's themselves were definitely unique to what he's grown accustomed to, but he knows that this world is full of all sorts of surprises.

He watches as one of the eggs approaches him, prepared to say something in response--

Only to hear an all-too-familiar voice.

He freezes in his steps then, swallowing. First Sans, and now Alphys? At the least, he wasn't afraid of Alphys as much as he was of Sans. After all, Alphys wasn't the one who caused RESETs like Sans had. Still, Asriel can't help but still feel fear when it comes to the idea of anyone from home finding him here.

He had rather mixed feelings when it came to the scientist. She was the reason he was able to come back in the first place -- the reason why he had become a flower without a SOUL. Then again, because of everything that had happened... He was able to help break the barrier, too -- even if it was the cause of a lot of pain in the process.

But then, he knew the secrets tucked away in the secret lab. He knew what she's tried so hard to hide.

He keeps his back to her -- contemplating on walking away without saying anything, but he settles on a hurried -- )

... Uhm -- It's okay.

[hikikosaurus]

[ Alphys picks up on some of the tension, but for once in what feels like ages, her first thought isn't those mistakes she's tried so hard to hide. Those are all frozen in time, not making a difference to what she does here, with no sign that anybody knows or could let it slip. She has a chance here to start over.

...So, of course, she's messing it up first thing in different ways. There's so many humans around that she half wants to make conversation with those who aren't, just for the sake of talking to another - not monster, maybe 'fae', but someone who at least resembles another monster. Though, this one actually, looks a little like a short Toriel from behind...?

However, with the way they turn away at the sight of her, not even wanting to look her way? She cringes, all too aware of every little thing she doesn't like about her appearance, of what they might think of her for having such a poor handle on the egg. Maybe they're just shy and avoidant about conversation, like she is... But with the egg dashing away from her to other people, despite how much she cares and wants to help, it's so much easier to revert to assuming it's about her and what a screwup she is. ]

Th-thanks for saying so, anyway... I'll keep a tighter leash on it, I really don't mean to be a bother!

[ She tugs on the leash harder to pull the egg back, and with her urgency to end this situation tugs too hard. It's pulled off balance before she realizes, and it's only at the unhappy cry that she startles and ducks down to pick it up and check for injuries. There aren't any - the egg's surprisingly sturdy - but it's just another way she's accidentally hurt someone counting on her. Not her first thought... but the second, easily. ]

[letmewin]

( Asriel turns a little then. Did she... really not recognize him at all...? Then again, they didn't exactly meet at home. He was afraid that she might come to the conclusion about who he was, especially considering that she knew both of his parents at this point in time.

Then again, there's... a chance that she could be from another timeline, too - just like Chara was.

It's still a little scary, and he doesn't want to take the chance in hurting anyone, given the situation at home. But, it wasn't just that -- a more cowardly part of him is scared for others to know the truth. )

I-It's alright. ( He says, a bit more relaxed this time. ) It probably just wanted to say hi, huh?

egg baby episode

[facebite]

[Susie has gotten used to just having Noelle (and that kid version of Asriel???) around Camelot, so to see someone who can only be Ms. Alphys approaching inspires an expression of 'oh, crap', an instinctive reaction to trying to dodge being caught one time too many skipping class. She absolutely does not want to encounter her outside of school. Even if she can just scare her off, just getting spotted in the first place is more of a hassle than she wants to deal with.

But wait, they're in another world where that stuff doesn't matter. What's she doing here? And with an... egg? On a leash?

Belatedly, Susie tries to hide her surprise by scowling down at the egg now cuddling up to her, then at Alphys, shoving her hands in her pockets.]

How the hell would I know? You're the teacher, aren't you? [A shrug, then--] Just eat it.

[At least Susie's not mean enough to just kick the egg away, tempting though it is.]

I'm so glad for the AU confusion available here

[hikikosaurus]

Wh-What are you saying...? I'm not going to eat it!

[ It's just as well that Susie didn't go for kicking it, as the pinched expression as Alphys pulls the egg back to her is surely familiar enough to Susie already. Startled, appalled, feeling the need to protect a littler creature under her watch from the girl. But there's no spark of recognition in Alphys's eyes as she gathers the egg up to her chest, patting it once like maybe the idea of being eaten hurt it somehow. ]

I'm t-taking care of it, and... Wait, what do you mean, teacher? I'm a s-scientist, that's not really the same thing...

[ Sure, she's stopped by Toriel's school a couple times to visit Undyne, but the occasional lunchtime visit is hardly enough to be mistaken for a teacher. It's not like she's started rambling about ideas more than once or twice, and besides - okay, actually, this teen could be a monster from home, but... Maybe the human's told people about her? ]

same!! sorry for the delay

[facebite]

Scientist? What do you study, anime nerd science? [She's seen what you watch on your phone in class, Alphys. And your questionable screensavers. And your posters. And... Okay, it's not even a secret, no matter how subtle Alphys probably thinks it is.

It's at this point it occurs to Susie there might be more weirdness about other worlds going on with Alphys not recognising her, but it's too complicated for her to really understand, so she just shrugs in annoyance.]

Whatever. Don't let it run off, unless you want someone else to eat it.

o/\o

[hikikosaurus]

[It may be no secret to anyone who's paid attention to her Undernet postings, or another Alphys's teaching habits... But she makes a face like she's accidentally revealed a secret anyway. It's a preoccupying enough accusation that she does her best to ignore all the comments about eating the egg, keeping it safely cradled against her.]

I-I mean, some of it, kind of... It's for inspiration!

[If anybody were to search all the shelves of 'research' materials labeled human history and question her on it, that'd be her story and she'd do her best to stick to it. They have at least given her the ideas of giant sword designs, and aspects of Mettaton's body. And more recently, the notion of converting the geothermal energy not into magical electricity, but something to trick the 'lock' of the barrier... with explosions.]

Has U-Undyne been... telling you guys things like that?

[facebite]

Uh, hell no? I don't talk to the cops.

[She just trashes their cars and steals and eats their chocolates. Sometimes. Maybe.]

Why would she know something like that anyway? Are you friends or something? Not that I care, but whatever. [She mutters that last part under her breath. Okay, so she might be a teensy tiny bit curious.]

Obligatory Hot spring

[clevebro]

Mm, they're usually super cozy! Or at least most of them tend to be.

[From her own experience at least. Anyway, she leans herself up against the side of the spring in question, naturally floating to the surface. This whole situation has been... really strange. BUT! At the very least the ship girl is doing her best to take it all in stride?]

Haa... warm water really helps take all the edge off, doesn't it?

[hikikosaurus]

Yeah, it's... it's so different from showers? I didn't r-really imagine...

[ Not that she showers as often as she probably should, back home - especially with how often someone's hanging out in there. But if hot spring bathing is like this? Maybe her fresh start here can be a lot fresher and more comfortable than the day's ride gave her any inkling of expecting. ]

[clevebro]

A hot shower's nice too. But there's something different in just laying back and soaking.

[She hums and lays her head down into her arms. Maybe they could ask for some drinks here? That would make everything just... perfect~. She stretched herself out more, legs pushing back with a groan. This was feeling more like a vacation than some urgent save the world-esque mission. And she was used to plenty of those!]

So, this is the first one you've been to.

[hikikosaurus]

Mmhmm.

[ Alphys nods before she thinks of it, only for the motions make waves just large enough to ride up on her face. One downside of the hot spring bath, how much easier it is to get water up her nostrils. She wrinkles her face as she pushes herself up a few inches, tail wagging to help her tired arms get enough lift, and settles back with the water just below her chin. ]

There, uh, weren't any I could... get to. Exactly. Maybe there's some places kind of like it, if you don't mind going down by the magma...? But this is a first! It's kind of, um, exciting? Seeing one in real life? As much as everything is.

[ Which is to say, exciting and profoundly overwhelming. Thinking about her favorite shows, visual novels, and games with scenes like this is giving her something to fixate on... But between learning what's happened to her world, seeing the human again, and seeing so many other humans, it's a lot. There's a too-wide quality to her eyes and mouth as she smiles, shakily. ]

[clevebro]

[She nods her head, turning around and looking at... the woman? She looks like a dinosaur! Which is all sorts of exciting! And far more friendly than the usual, transdimensional beings she's used to.]

Ah- I get that. It was the same way back home. Usually with less magma. But still.

[Alphys does look super nervous though... hm....]

Want something to drink?

[hikikosaurus]

[At least they have that in common, first time hot spring enthusiasts.]

I-I should have brought some water in with me, huh...? It just seemed silly to bring a glass in to a place full of water...

[That, and it very much hadn't occurred to her that she might dehydrate with the heat. It's not usually a concern - she's used to the dry heat of living low in an inactive volcano, after all. But something to the question catches her attention again.]

Or- oh, ehehe, I could probably use something to, um, help me relax. That's... Thank you, that's a good idea.

[clevebro]

Mm, relax and hang on.

[She goes ahead and rises out of the water, stretching before stepping up and out of the baths. Mist covering her body just like in one of those animes, how convenient!]

Did you have anything specific in mind?

[It obviously didn't have to be alcohol, just whatever helped Alphys calm down and enjoy herself a bit more! Don't worry, let Aniki help you relax~!]

Pilot episode

[ricketybiscuit]

What's an ees-say-kaid?

[Says that alligator kid that's just been. Standing there.]

Oh don't be so hard on yourself! I bet you're all kinds of brave and strong and don't even realize it!

[hikikosaurus]

But not the kind of brave and strong as...!

[Undyne, she could easily say, or Asgore. As much as frustrated indecision or grim duty had weighed on either of them, at times. But she doesn't want to go venting her hear out to another little kid, so she shakes her head, scattering bits of sweat and water.]

I-I mean! Isekai, it means, um... something about, 'another world'. Stories about, you know, p-people winding up... in other worlds. Like we h-have.