avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

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arrival banner

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.

ice turtle

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

person riding horseback and looking at phone

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.

hot springs covered in steam

Frosty Forest Glamp

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

igloo interior w/ 5way bed

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.

honey walnut fig cake

C ⦿ Ingredient Hunt 2022

a very small plant

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.

They Grow Up So Fast

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

teddy bear emerging from egg

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.

a gashadokuro skeleton monster

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.

• 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.
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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Somehow she senses that this is a difficult topic for Gokudera. Although, she doesn't know why she makes a mental note to avoid the subject in the future. So she's silent during the explanation but she absorbs the information. So time stops in their timeline, and if they leave here, then it doesn't leave much of an impact on the world.

She obediently follows after Gokudera as they walk over to a less dense area in the forest. The ingredients are present even in this part of the forest, so Chrome starts to pick some berries she finds on the nearby bushes. She pauses when she hears that Gokudera has gone home and come back.]

Y-you've gone home? But you were aware that you left and came back when you returned to Avalon?

[Obviously, he wouldn't be aware of that when he returned to his timeline, he already said that their memories in Avalon would probably be like a dream. Still...]

...how did that feel?

[It's probably a strange experience. They've been through time travel so it's not like they don't have the knowledge to fathom it, but it's still a lot for a person to accept. Though Gokudera is more intelligent than most, so maybe it's not too much stress on his brain.]

[It’s just not something pleasant to talk about. If Chrome gets settled into this world, and ends up growing close to anyone, she might feel the same way. Gokudera’s just lost a lot of people. But, he’s also gained many.

He’ll be aloof in his upset. It’s not her problem, and he’s not interested in discussing it, or… how it upsets him. Instead, it just is what it is, and that’s that.]

Right. It all felt like one dream, but I woke up and I remembered home vividly. When I first showed up here, it was right after the Ring Battles. Then, I went to two different worlds, and home, and woke up here. It felt like I was gone for years, but it was all crammed into a week of sleep.

[He gives her a little shrug.]

Like when you take a nap that feels like it’s years and years long, but was actually fifteen minutes? Kind of like that.

[He doesn’t think that this demands intelligence, but he is able to roll with the punches. Gokudera isn’t as fixated on lashing out at everyone as he used to be.]

I woke up and found someone to talk to, but he didn’t believe I’d left. One of the worlds I was on left a… [Gokudera touches his fingertips to his neck, where there is a hint of scarring wrapping about.] Weapon on me, which I had removed. There were a lot of little changes, so I know it was real.

Still feels like a crazy dream, though.

...hm?

[ Chrome listens to Gokudera silently. Her large eye studies the other attentively. She's not the most talkative person, but she's certainly observant. Maybe because she tends to be in survival mode most of the time. Though, it does seem like Gokudera has been through a lot, even if it just seems like a short slumber, for all those memories to come to him in such a short span of time is incredible.

It seems real. There's no way the Storm Guardian can make something like that up. Though the memories almost seem like second-hand experience, despite it being so real to Gokudera.

She focuses on the scars that Gokudera gestures towards and from the markings she knows it's not an ordinary weapon. She's a little curious on how he even had a weapon attached to him, but she doesn't ask.]

...it almost sounds like your body traveled, but it took your mind some time to catch up. Maybe this world suppresses some memories, or maybe those other worlds were in a different flow of time?

[She's not really sure how Gokudera was able to travel from home to other worlds and back, but he did and there's some sort of valid explanation, but she doesn't know it.]

Though I'm glad that weapon came off, it sounds...painful.

[ Chrome frowns almost as if she could feel it piercing her own throat.]

[Gokudera wishes he would be making it all up, that he'd just come from home like her and the Tenth instead of being spirited away to two different worlds before home and then Avalon. The changes to himself he made in order to survive now make him feel strangely different, creates a sort of rift between him and the Tenth. It makes him sad, but... he won't focus on it. There's nothing to be done now for what he's been through.

It's all a matter of moving forward, getting stronger, and supporting his family the best he can.

That weapon has been removed and is locked safely away inside his apartment.]

Probably a different flow of time. The first world I went to, I met another Chrome Dokuro. [They weren't close, but then, they weren't... strangers.] And Mukuro. Another version of the Tenth, and the baseball idiot, and our Cloud Guardian, too.

[If she's going to refer to Gokudera as Storm-Guy, then he will accommodate and refer to Hibari as the Cloud Guardian. It makes it easy.]

That world had that weapon on me. But there... it was a collar. Harmless. Going to a different world made it malfunction. Luckily, I found a few mages here to help me take it off without it, you know...

[He slides the tips of his fingers against that scar, indicating it would have cut his head off. Hang gestures are easier to deliver than the more vivid details. Like how the collar sent either pain or pleasure through his entire body at random or based off of sounds around him, or just whenever it maybe was doing a routine scan.]

I'm glad it's off, too.

[He could have just said that, but instead he's shrugging it off now and moving forward.]

Do you know what kind of magic you have?

[That's a lighter topic, right?]

[ Chrome's violet eye lights up when Gokudera mentions meeting another version of her as well as Boss and his family. Her eye just twinkles with recognition, but she is curious about their counterpart in that world. Wouldn't anyone be?]

...What were they like? Were they different from us in any way?

[ Their personalities shouldn't be that different from their world, but the circumstances can easily change someone. She understood that from when they traveled to their future.

Her eyebrow just quirks up as the bomber explains how his collar malfunctioned. She wonders how that could have happened, but she's glad for the resolution of having it removed. She spares Gokudera a small smile.

Yet she almost seems to be caught off guard when Gokudera poses a question towards her. Her magic? Well, she saw a glimpse of Gokudera's elemental magic, so it makes sense that the other teen is curious.]

Well...that I'm not too sure. I was trying to practice when I first arrived, but it doesn't seem like I can cause physical harm with it. So I tried mediation, and...I think I was able to leave my body for a moment. It was only for a second, but...I definitely had an out-of-body experience.

[Although, it wasn't weird for her. Perhaps with all the times, Mukuro had possessed her body, maybe her spirit might have wandered since then.]

[Gokudera gives a little huff of a sigh. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to her about the worlds he's been to, and the parallels of his friends. It's just... complicated.]

I've met six different Yamamoto Takeshis... They were all different, but only by a little bit here and there. All determined that they were going to stay and help.

[His tone is very bitter.]

You were kind. Actually... the only person in that world that wanted to help me. It was split up. Everyone in that world was split into a caste system based off of -of all things- hair color. So... dark hair... every other member of the Vongola in that world was Elite, and I... [He heaves another dramatic sigh and gestures to his hair. Silver. Grey. Dirty platinum-blonde. Whatever it is, it's not dark.] Was a mongrel.

So... you wanted to help me out, and then some other random person did, and then when they ended up being fucking stupid, and a bunch of other stuff happened... I was in that world for almost two years.

It was awful.

[He nods to her and that small smile. Thanks, let's not linger on this. Maybe some other time when they aren't first meeting. It's... a lot, and he's not trying to dump trauma on her.]

I feel like, if you wanted to cause physical harm, you could do so with any magic here, even healing... sort of like how Sun flames work. But you left your body?

It must not be a type I've learned about yet.

[Because he goes to magic school and is focused on his and the Tenth's magic. Gokudera punches the side of his fist into his open palm as if he's just remembered something, the cigarette on his lip tipping as he makes an 'oh' with his mouth before speaking.]

There's a magic school here that will pay you to attend, and they'll help you with your magic, so you can find out more about it. I've got Light and Elemental. The boss has Elemental and Green magic.

Your familiar should be able to help you with your magic. Maybe.

[He's met some familiars that seem like absolute jerks, unhelpful and even taunting towards the people they're connected with.]

[ It relieves her that her other self was kind, but she sees that Gokudera didn't have a good experience in that other world. So she allows the conversation to drift to a lighter tone. He's right, this is probably not the best time to divulge into his trauma, but she did want to be a listening ear for him.

Focusing on their magic seems like the best route at this time. She looks down at the berries she's picking, Gokudera could be right, there might be some way to cause physical damage but she wasn't aware of it yet.]

Yes...it wasn't a daydream either, because everything was flowing around me like normal. It was only that my body was still, while I was able to move around like some sort of apparition of myself? [She waves her hands in front of her in dismissal.] L-like I said, I couldn't hold the form for too long.

[ Oh, but she isn't aware of the magic school. It would be useful to her to enjoy and master her gifts in a classroom setting. She feels a little nervous about attending a new school, but it'll give her a sense of normalcy in this world.]

...Kagura, my familiar has been helping in her own way.

[The bakeneko isn't present now, but Chrome finds that she appears and disappears whenever she wants to.]

But...I will probably go to the magic school, just to understand my type of magic better. I also want to try to do potions, too.

[If she wants context, he might fill her in at a later date. They've never been very close. Plus, she's close to Mukuro, and even if that illusionist isn't in this world, he still doesn't trust him. Enough that telling Chrome too much feels like a risk.

Maybe things will be easier if he can help her. If she can settle into this world knowing she has support.]

You'll get better with practice.

[He gives her a reassuring nod, then lifts an eyebrow at the mention of her familiar. Gokudera looks around as if he could see Kagura.]

I know some skilled alchemists.

Ah- my familiar...

[Gokudera moves his bag from his shoulder and kneels down to rummage through it. He takes out a drawstring bag, a few sticks of dynamite, a canteen, a few rocks, and a bag of marbles while muttering to himself. Every time his attention is directed back to the contents, the canteen changes into a rubber chicken, a mallet, a pile of fishing net, and then a pile of slime before settling into a plastic toy dinosaur.]

He's around here somewhere.

[ Her association with Mukuro is certainly problematic, and she kind of understands if he doesn't trust her. Though, if he must be sure of anything, then she definitely wouldn't betray Tsuna.

She's not expecting anything at all, she's still getting her bearings on this world, and she's not really sure how reliable she'll be since she's still getting accustomed to her magic. Though she would like to be someone Tsuna and Gokudera can rely on.

She smiles at the vote of confidence from Gokudera, she definitely intends to practice...a lot.

She then Chrome looks curiously as the Storm Guardian starts taking out all the contents of his back in search of something. He has a few interesting trinkets, especially the canteen that changes into a rubber chicken. What even? Though her eyes watches as a pile of slime changes into a small reptile.

She points it out to Silver-haired teen.]

Um...are talking about Larry? Didn't he disappear earlier? ...Or maybe he's related to that replica of him there?

[Is that Larry?]

[He doesn’t suspect she’ll betray the Tenth. Gokudera just suspects that any bit more of himself he offers in will draw her into caring about him, and he can’t have that. Doesn’t really want or need more people focusing any attention on him.

They were never close and he isn’t sure if he wants to ever be close. Gokudera isn’t going to be needlessly mean, but he won’t be entirely accessible.

She didn’t do anything wrong. He just isn’t eager to open up to others. He’s already shared too much.]

Yeah… Well, he can turn invisible, and likes to use illusions to hide…

[Where did that creature go? Gokudera’s grumbling and scratching his head. The dinosaur toy turns into a folded length of rope.]

Where?

[He looks over towards where Chrome is pointing, but those all look like his usual travel supplies.]

[ Chrome also has an issue with opening up to people. Especially since she doesn't feel comfortable calling people by their name unless she feels close to them. She isn't very forthcoming herself, so she can't expect the same from someone else. Chrome is just as much a mystery as Gokudera is, and honestly, she never really felt the need to learn more about Tsuna or his guardians. But due to the circumstances, maybe that will change?

So Larry sounds like a tricky familiar since he can hide from the eyes. He seemed like a docile creature earlier, unless he's really mischievous. Chrome tries to gesture to the toy dinosaur, but it changes into a rope. What?

She walks closer, kneels down to take the rope into her hands. She holds it gently as if it's a precious item.]

...it seems he likes playing tricks on you.

[She's not sure if Larry will reveal himself, but she can definitely see through his illusion even without her mist abilities.]

[Gokudera has grown jaded with all the traveling between worlds and through time and space. If he looks forward to the Vongola growing around him anywhere other than their home world, he will also be looking forward to disappointment.

Larry is only hiding from Gokudera, and the rope likely feels odd. Rope-adjacent in texture, but not as limp as rope may actually be. There’s a little face, and it blinks up at Chrome.

The bomber watches and gives a groan, putting away his belongings, shouldering his bag, and standing to hold his hands out.]

He’s just strange.

[His tone is apologetic. Larry wiggles, returning to looking like a little toy plesiosaur, but the same color as the rope.]

[ As the face appears and blinks up at her, Chrome realizes her guess is correct. Slowly, the toy dinosaur reveals himself, changing into its original form, but now a different color.

As Gokudera holds his hand out for the familiar, she surrenders him over as she stands up as well.]

...he's not strange, but playful. He must like you a lot.

[ He's already told her how some familiars aren't helpful to their masters, but she doesn't think that's the case with Larry. After all, it didn't hesitate to listen to Gokudera and help her when she was in a predicament.

She then goes over to retrieve her basket. Chrome was able to pick a good amount of berries for her cake and even a little extra for a snack.]

...are you leaving? I'm done here as well.

[Larry clings to Chrome’s hand and cries about being returned. Gokudera just lifts an eyebrow at her stating that the familiar likes him.]

He doesn’t hate me.

[But he’s still going to think he is strange and playful. Larry pats about in Chrome’s hands and then coughs up what look like little pearls. They scatter about and some land on the forest floor. Gokudera’s picking them up and squinting at them. Without his glasses it’s hard to tell. They’re tiny glass beads and pearls.]

For her?

[Larry nods.]

I’m sticking around to support the Tenth. Here.

[And he’s pouring the palm-full of beads and pearls into a little drawstring pouch, then handing it to her.]

Larry usually gives people marbles. Maybe this is because he’s so small.

[Gokudera takes one bead and throws it against a nearby tree trunk. The bead bursts into a little flash of light and leaves a bit of sparkle behind. He looks on at it in confusion.]

Usually they turn to shields…

[Larry flaps his webbed paws happily. Tiny sparkles! Cute!]

[ Chrome looks apologetically at Gokudera as Larry starts to protest. She doesn't know why his familiar is being defiant. First with morphing into different items and now causing a fit at returning him to his master.

Though toy dinosaur seems to do something strange, spitting out something from his mouth. Is that normal? She looks suspiciously at the round orbs that scatter onto the forest floor. From where she's standing she can tell that it's two different types of items: pearls and glass beads.]

To support Boss? Are you in the middle of some mission?

[ Because Chrome doesn't believe he's sticking around on her account. There was a reason he happened to be in the forest too, so maybe that's what he's doing. She watches as Gokudera pours the small pearls and glass beads into a pouch. She extends her hand out to accept the bag.]

...Is that why you have all that stuff?

[It almost seems like he's going on some expedition. Though she doesn't get to ask any further questions since the bomber is throwing one of those beads towards a tree and it explodes with light and sparkles.]

...oh? Maybe it's a gift from Larry.

[ She turns her attention to the familiar and pets the top of his head.]

Thank you, it's really pretty.

No… Usually around this time of month, people start to show up. It’s just been the two of us for so long, I support him no matter what he’s up to!

[He takes being the Tenth’s right-hand very seriously! That title is not just reserved for business!]

It’s hard to forage with this place being so magical. If I can be prepared, it can’t hurt…

[Gokudera nods at her thanks, and Larry gives a little trill of excitement.]

It is. Usually Larry gives people marbles, and those turn into bubble shields on impact. It’s useful and pretty. He’s a nice guy like that.

[Larry trills again, and then his color changes to a bright pink.]

Anyways, I was going to forage for ingredients. I can’t bake, so… I just wanted to have them in case the Tenth could use them.

[Of course, Chrome is aware of Gokudera's devotion to Tsuna. Tsuna is lucky to have someone like the Storm Guardian at his side. Though, his plan is very smart. She doesn't know much about the world, but what she has learned is that Avalon is, indeed, magical. And the magic might make regular tasks even more difficult.

She watches as Larry changes color again and wonders what does it mean? Does it concede with his mood, maybe?]

That's really useful to have, and he makes those within his body? That's very neat, I'll be sure to put them to good use.

[She didn't think she was worthy of such a gift, but she will take good care of it.]

...I think that would be smart to do as well. [Especially since she doesn't have a lot of money.] Do you need help getting enough for you and Boss?

[Gokudera does make some smart decisions every now and again. He also creates a great deal of trouble for his boss, so he really could mess and fix things at the drop of a hat.

Larry may be changing colors because of his mood, or for any number of reasons. Gokudera doesn’t focus too hard on it.]

He eats all manner of things in the lake and in the sea. Usually trash. I think it’s kind of the same thing with oysters and mussels making pearls. Larry has powerful light magic, and he uses it to hide himself. If he could eat real food and produce real waste, people might be able to prove he’s real.

[And the fun of having a cryptid as a familiar is in being a mystery hunter. Larry must therefore be mysterious.]

And we can’t have that~ [He says to his familiar. Larry wiggles his head about, flaps his fin-paws, and then makes a wobbling metal sound.]

Hm? I’ve already gathered plenty. What were you doing near that tree?

[He should be offering Chrome help, right?]

[ Larry is an interesting sea monster. So he uses light magic to create illusions and he eats garbage but produces precious stones. He certainly is a unique creature. Though Larry has light magic and so does Gokudera then Chrome can only assume they share their magic with their familiars.

As Chrome watches Larry respond to the bomber's last comment, she doesn't know if it's a happy response or one in protest. What's wrong with being seen as real? Larry's still mysterious regardless. She pats his head reassuringly and says in a hushed tone:]

It's okay. I know you're real, Larry.

[As for the tree that attacked her, she kind of doesn't want to revisit it. She looks up at Gokudera.]

Oh, that was a fig tree! I was trying to gather some figs, but it must not like people picking fruit from it. I wanted to get some for my cake, but...it's too dangerous.

[ She doesn't want Gokudera to risk it. What if he gets hurt?]

[He is. Gokudera has met some individuals that cannot communicate with their familiars, and that don’t seem to share magic. He wonders if it’s just working out well for him since he is just as interested in the Lariosauro as the creature is interested in him.

Larry is so small in this form that the gentle pats make him squish his head down. He looks up at Chrome with watery black eyes, blinks one, then the other, and opens his mouth before blowing a bubble at her. Playful.]

I always try to leave something when I gather things… Like a trade, or a payment. Maybe Larry can help us get some. C’mon Larry. Want a fig?

[The creature bobs up and down in his hand, excited.]

[Chrome giggles a little at the bubble. Very cute, Larry.

Leaving something behind seems like a good idea, but she's not sure what she can offer forest in compensation for what she takes. Maybe, she could leave one of Larry's glass beads?

She then frowns at Gokudera's willingness to get the figs.]

...Are you sure? That tree tried to hurt me earlier. Maybe there's a safer way to retrieve them without disturbing the tree?

[She offers Larry back to Gokudera, and hopefully he's more agreeable to returning to his master now.]

A tree tried to eat me once, I’ll be fine!

[He waves his unoccupied hand dismissively at her worry, accepts Larry with the other, and leads them back.]

You can stay back if you’re worried. Just watch Larry use his magic to get a few down.

[Maybe he’s a bit too confident about this?

He’s not going to just march up and grab a fig, though. Instead, he sets Larry down, and the familiar tackles the tree.]

!!!

[That’s a lot of figs. Gokudera just wanted a couple!]

Not like that, Larry!!

[The familiar slides back, a fig in its mouth that it picked up on the way. Gokudera reaches down and snatches up the Lariosauro, holding him to his chest, then using his other hand to create a barrier so he can approach.]

This, smelly lizard, is what I meant… Just a bubble? You know! I’ve seen you do it. It can’t get us through it.

[Unless it does some creeping under the barrier.]

[ A tree tried to eat him? Chrome really shouldn't be surprised, but no matter what they've all been through things like that still bewilders her.

She also assumed that Larry would use his magic, but instead he uses a simpler approach. She jolts as the sea monster charges towards the tree and bodyslams into it. Well, that's one way to accomplish their goal. Suddenly, the tree is raining figs, the young illusionist stares in awe. It was really that easy?

As Gokudera scolds Larry, Chrome looks warily at the tree, and she has this bad feeling that they pissed off the tree. Since Gokudera looks away from the tree that activates the tree into motion. The roots do manage to crawl underneath the barrier, slithering under the ground they stand on. The roots sneakily start to seep up to the surface and try to capture the bomber that way. Though Chrome notices from her position, and immediately whips out her polearm, swirling the staff around her fingertips before slamming the pole down on the creeping limbs.]

Look out!

[They really did anger the tree this time, and there's bound to be more roots sprouting up from the ground.]

[Gokudera’s suddenly aware of the roots creeping towards him as Chrome is hitting the ground with her staff. Larry thrashes about in the boy’s hold, and is being set down, where he grows much much bigger. He’s around the size of a horse, heavy, still kind of goofy in the face, and creates a large bubble around the three of them.

Gokudera walks inside it, approaching the Mist Guardian cautiously. And for good reason. Larry rolls the bubble along, on top of those roots. There’s no footing to be had, and Gokudera stumbles back before walking backwards, hands out to help Chrome stay up as Larry rolls them a safe distance away.]

Close one.

[There’s so much going on.]

Edited 2022-01-17 13:08 (UTC)

[ There is a lot going on. One minute they're contending with the fig tree's crawling roots, the plesiosaurus grows bigger, and then she finds herself inside a bubble. Huh? She looks through the bubble to see they are rolling over the roots, and the tendrils do reach up and try to pierce the orb, but the magic is too strong.

Chrome struggles to keep upright, nearly falling down completely before Gokudera comes to support her. The Storm Guardian must be used to this by now. So she mimics how he walks in the opposite direction that Larry rolls the bubble. Well that helps.]

...thanks.

[ She's glad she managed to grab some figs before things went awry. It's probably best they leave now, who knows what else could happen. Though it's a reminder that she's definitely not in Namimori anymore, and she has to be better prepared when she ventures out.]

Ah, thank you too, Larry!

[She waits until they get to a safe area and the bubble around them dispels. She retracts her staff, placing it into her basket of ingredients. She bows apologetically towards Gokudera and his familiar.]

...I think I've troubled you both enough today. So, I'm going to head back now. Though, I'm glad to know you and Boss are here. I'll do my best to keep in contact.

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