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.

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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.

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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...

 

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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.

 

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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

[sandinmyhair]

He flops back against the carriage seat as though finally allowing himself to feel his own weariness, but the smile doesn't quite leave his face. "You have no idea what a relief it is, not seeing big and little disasters coming," he sighs. "I feel bad for your friend."

A beat, then he looks over at Felih again. "What's it like, seeing the past?"

[seasoflight]

Felih hums. "It's not so bad. She sees glimpses of the future, good and bad, mundane and miraculous. She handles it well," he answers after a moment's thought, before he sighs at the question he gets.

"Enlightening, but often inconveniently painful," he says. "More than once have I come to after a vision to be told I was writhing on the ground in agony before losing consciousness, not that I can ever remember it."

"Aside from the physical discomfort, 'tis quite helpful. Gleaning information from the past is incredibly useful in my line of work. Lost knowledge may thus be reclaimed, and plans for today and tomorrow set in motion thanks to it."

[sandinmyhair]

He grimaces sympathetically. "Oh, uh... wow. And I thought mine were bad. You look remarkably okay, for all that..."

'Remarkably okay?' Really, Bruno?

"I mean, for something that painful. Heh, look at me, by comparison. Okay, maybe don't, I'm not the best example, haven't seen the sun all that much, lately," he should stop rambling--"Oh, look!" A distraction! "Hot drinks! That sounds great right about now. Hope the coffee's strong..."

That's him, Bruno Madrigal, master of conversations.

[seasoflight]

Felih laughs at Bruno's observation, puffing himself up and looking proud. "Yes, well, I do take good care of myself. First impressions are important, and I like to keep myself looking well-groomed," he chirps.

Bruno's rambling is amusing, and he tries to hide a smile behind his fluffy tail, replying, "The drinks are lovely. Feel free to enjoy them. They are meant to help warm us up until we get to the springs, after all."

"But you need not fret about me. 'Tis a burden I've become accustomed to, and its aid is worth the cost."

[sandinmyhair]

For the first time in this conversation, Bruno's smile reaches his eyes, a small warm delight banishing a little of his ever-present lugubriousness. Lugubriosity? Who knows. He picks up a drink and the smell of coffee tinged with something alcoholic wafts into his senses. He would have preferred the coffee by itself, but maybe this'll be better. Loosen him up a little--he feels so tightly wound that his hands are trembling.

Wait, no, they've done that for a while.

Burden. Oh, boy, is that an idea Bruno is familiar with. He nods a little sadly. "Yeah, it is. Worth it, I mean. Well, usually." He'd argue his own isn't--wasn't--but hey, why talk about him when there's so many more interesting topics of conversation?

"Were you always able to do that, or is it new?"

[seasoflight]

Felih hums, tilting his head again, ears twitching as he picks up all the little inflections in Bruno's voice. Seeing the future is quite a burdensome skill, after all, especially when he recalls how Mikoto struggled with her own.

For now, he goes back to grooming his tail. "Always, since I was a kit. Though, as I grew older, they became more frequent, more in-depth, more detailed and more painful," he explains with a soft sigh. "Though I've no idea why it's become more painful. Perhaps 'tis becoming more taxing as the visions become more vivid...?"

He shrugs after his musing. "And you? Were you always able to see the future?"

[sandinmyhair]

Bruno takes a bracing sip of the spiked coffee. And another. A third. This is definitely warming him up from the inside, now, too.

"Ever since I was five years old, which is pretty young. See, everyone in our family receives our gift, our magical ability, on our fifth birthday." A wry chuckle escapes him. "I remember being scared the first time it happened, seeing things that weren't there. And once I figured it out, I started playing around with it, a little kid spinning predictions about everything. I'm sure Mamá and the others got pretty tired of hearing what their day was gonna be like before they even left home...." Another laugh, though bittersweet.

"It started small, things that would happen in a few hours or days. Personal things. But eventually people started asking about the growing season or so-and-so's childbirth or who was going to marry whom; was there money in their future or love or travel..." He sighs and drains the rest of the coffee in one gulp. "Every day. Every day we would go out and Julieta would heal people and Pepa would make sure the plants got rain and I would answer question after question...."

Whups, he's getting a little salty.

[seasoflight]

"I see... so your family each receives a singular type of magic?" Felih asks, intrigued, his ears perking forward as he mulls it over. "A healer, a meteoromancer, and you, the seer. What a talented mix of siblings you are. Is this the norm in your realm? Folk all get such magical gifts at such a tender age? Or was it merely your bloodline?"

He listens to Bruno go onwards, before he hums, noting the bitterness slipping into his tone. "You sound as if you did not enjoy being able to offer others advice and portents."

[sandinmyhair]

Huh. Interesting word, 'meteoromancer.'

"As far as I know it's kept to my bloodline. People marry into the family and don't gain any special powers but their children do."

At the last part, he sighs, looking away. "I... I used to. But you can only take so much of being seen as a harbinger of disaster and your every word being taken as a prediction before you get sour. 'Bruno makes bad things happen.' It gets old after a while."

[seasoflight]

"I see... how interesting. So magic is very limited in your realm, perhaps...?" Felih asks, tilting his head, before he sighs and offers Bruno a sympathetic look.

"Though, I can understand such pressure. Folk always desire to know what the days coming have in store for them... 'tis human nature to be afraid of the unknown, to want to be prepared for what may be. Still, that's no reason to pin all their misfortunes on you. It's not as if the prophecies themselves cause bad things to happen. Anyone with even rudimentary knowledge in prophecy and their natures know that they are not written in stone, and that the messenger does not create the future they witness."

[sandinmyhair]

"I guess it is?" He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. "I haven't ever left the village and news of other places is kinda... sparse." Well, that and one doesn't get much news of the wider world from inside the walls of one's own home, but he's not going to scare this possible new friend with such things.

"Rudimentary.... I guess that's beyond most people where I'm from. Beyond almost everyone, really." A beat. "Even me, it turns out. I heard it so much I started to believe it."

[seasoflight]

"Then, I presume that the study and practice of prophecy are likely not common in your home," Felih muses, curiously. "In the realm I hail from, such studies are commonplace. One of my dearest friends specializes in prophecies, and I know plenty more who frequently divine the paths before us."

"So heed me, Bruno. Don't let the misconceptions of others taint the view of your incredible power. You are no more a bringer of doom than any other man."

[sandinmyhair]

"It's pretty rare, yeah...."

The emotions that play out on Bruno's face are almost tragic. A hesitant kind of hope shows through the pain and weariness. He's wide-eyed and breathless.

"That's... I...." he flounders, "thank you. They may seem like obvious words, but... they're still good to hear."

Again, he finds himself struggling not to tear up. His gaze darts and lands on the minibar again. He picks up a drink and quaffs it for no other reason than he's desperate to have something to occupy his face with.

[seasoflight]

"...darling," Felih says after watching Bruno down another drink. "Is... are you doing alright? If this is a sensitive topic, only say the word and I can speak of something else."

"It wouldn't do to drink too much so early in our journey, after all. Your body is still warming up, and liquor can sometimes impede that, despite how warm and flushed it makes one feel." The tiny fox kit yips from the basin Bruno's feet are in, the creature fluffing up more as it keeps the water warm.

[sandinmyhair]

"I... don't think I am. Okay, I mean. I thought I was but I guess I'm not."

At the admonishment he looks at the empty glass in his hand. Oh, he's probably gonna regret this in a bit. "You're right, it... it's not the best way to relax, is it?"

"So!" He puts the glass down. "What's it like where you're from?"

[seasoflight]

"Not always the best way to relax, anyhow," Felih says with a soft laugh. "'Tis better saved for happy occasions and celebrations."

He's all too happy to talk about where he's from, however, perking up a little.

"I hail from a region called La Noscea- a place that varies from temperate to tropical, though I grew up in the tropical part. Right on the sea- or in the sea, some might say," he chirps, his tail fluffing up and aquiver. "The waters are crystal clear and the sands soft and warm, the coral reefs colorful and beautiful, the oceans bountiful. I'm very at home in the water. It's my favorite place to be."

A small purr has kicked up in his chest. "As long as the water is warm, anyway. Miqo'te aren't really suited for cold climes."

[sandinmyhair]

Bruno honestly didn't think it was physically possible for a tail that fluffy to get any fluffier, but it's done just that. Not that he's complaining--they're sat so near to one another that the warm fur is comforting. He resists the instinct to pet Felih's tail. No matter how catlike he is, he's still a person, after all, and a relative stranger for all their deep conversation.

He suspects, however, that because of that depth of conversation he'll miss Felih when they have to inevitably part ways. That thought gets pushed into the back of his mind, though, as he listens. A fellow warm-weather-dweller....

"'Miqo'te...'" He rolls the exotic word? name? about in his mind. "Is that your family name?"

[seasoflight]

Felih's so used to people wanting to touch his tail, that the moment Bruno even glances at his fluffy tail, he laughs softly and lets it flop over the man's lap.

"Go ahead," he says simply, eyes shining in amusement. "You're certainly not the first to wonder. Folk always seem to be fascinated with Miqo'te ears and tails," he hums, before adding, "As for 'Miqo'te,' it's the name of our race. Us feline folk, split among two clans: the Seekers of the Sun, and the Keepers of the Moon. I'm a Sun Seeker. Most Seekers don't have a 'family name' in the sense other races do, merely a tribe they call their own, or a lack thereof."

[sandinmyhair]

Oo, this is comfy. He gently pets the fluff, idly watching his fingers disappear into the sheer volume of fur as he listens.

The lack of any kind of tribe to call one's own strikes Bruno as very lonely. He finds himself wondering which would be worse--hiding in his own home with no contact like he did or being completely alone and separated, though without that tantalising nearness that set his own thoughts mocking him in the night when he couldn't sleep.

He couldn't decide.

So instead he smiles slightly. "My family all live together. Three generations--it's a lot of people in a large house. Kind of like a small tribe, I guess."

[seasoflight]

Felih is fine with people touching his fur so long as they ask, and they're gentle. Bruno is certainly being considerate with his light petting and combing, and Felih is content to leave his cloud of a tail across the man’s lap.

"Ooh, is that so? That sounds similar to how Moon Keeper families operate. A multi generational family that keeps to themselves, and usually the men are off on their own as soon as they're of age, leaving their households mostly full of women. It sounds quite close-knit!"

Felih laughs softly. "Keeper tribes take the name of their matriarch. The Aliapoh tribe is so old that their name is spread wide and far. Seeker tribes are usually denoted by a sound, a prefix to their name that indicates their tribe. For example, a member of the Boar tribe may be named B'han. Seekers without such prefixes are tribeless."

"Is your family the lively sort?"

[sandinmyhair]

He gives a laugh that's half wry, half affectionate toward the subject at hand. "They are very lively. Every morning I could hear them waking up, have a noisy breakfast, go to work in the village, in and out all day and evening, just as boisterous."

Between the drinks and the relaxing warmth and his own exhaustion the words fall out without his noticing how odd it might sound.

[seasoflight]

"I see. You didn't go out with them, then? Is it your duty to mind the house?" Felih asks curiously, ears perked forward. "Often Seeker men are left to guard the dens while huntresses are off patrolling." He is content with the petting his tail is getting, purring softly as he relaxes.

The fox kit, meanwhile, is chirping up at the two of them from beside the basin it's keeping warm, demanding pets too. Felih laughs and leans down, gently scritching the tiny thing's head and ears.

[sandinmyhair]

Ay, me and my big mouth.... "Uhh, yeah! Yeah, uh, minding the house! Yep, that was me, House Minder, defending our casita from... from ne'er-do-wells!"

Bruno is painfully aware that he's not fooling anyone--his whole family are terrible at lying, really.

He sighs. "No, not really. I... it's a long story but I guess I'd better tell it because it explains a lot... or so I'm told." His gaze settles on the fluff draped over his lap and he rests his hands in it. "You remember when I said my predictions weren't taken well by the village? They weren't taken too well by my family, either." He gestures randomly as he talks. "Well, one of them. One prediction, I mean. You see, my sobrina Mirabel didn't receive a magical gift the way the others did and Mamá was worried that the magic was fading and so she asked me to look into the future to see what happens to it and I did and I saw everything cracking and the magic dying but at the same time it didn't--the vision showed two different outcomes but Mirabel was at the centre of it and I knew, I knew that everyone would think she was going to destroy the magic so I hid the vision and then I hid myself and everyone thought I left but really I lived in the walls for ten years and...."

Only then does he realise he's rambling. He sighs again, curling his arms around himself. "Yeah. I couldn't talk to them or anything. Until Mirabel found out and, well, she solved it." He gives a nervous laugh. "Got me out of the walls and back into the sun, you could say."

[seasoflight]

Felih raises an eyebrow at Bruno, clearly unconvinced, but says nothing and simply waits for Bruno to explain himself. He knows a terrible liar when he hears one, and usually they'll ramble out the truth eventually... he just didn't expect Bruno to spill this quickly and this much.

He's left blinking in surprise, trying to process the rush of words, before Bruno cuts himself off, giving Felih a chance to catch up.

His expression softens. "Good for your sobrina, then," he murmurs, tilting his head curiously. "She did a wonderful thing, solving whatever the issue was. That meant you got to truly return home, yes?" he murmurs. "Though, that means you'll have to learn to properly groom yourself again," he teases playfully, slender fingers coming up to fiddle with some of Bruno's tied-back hair.

"We'll get you used to being out and about again. As magical as this place is, I imagine you'll fit right in, and it's quite a fascinating place to explore and meet new folk."

[sandinmyhair]

Bruno unconsciously leans into the touch a little, smiling. This is nice.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly the picture of fashion," he admits, softly. And it's true. His shirt and trousers are baggy and threadbare, his ruana is literally three sizes too big, his hair could use a trim and a decent curl treatment. But most of all, he could use a full meal and a good night's sleep.

"I'm all about meeting people. I love people...." he rambles. "Really missed just... being around them. But I'm not sure I remember how, y'know?"