TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 17

[avalonmods]

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⚔️️ View Top-Levels Only ⚔️ IMPORTANT NOTE 1: For the month of March, magic is acting unstable! Magic fuck-ups are at least twice as likely to happen, so new characters may find it harder to do basic magic.  IMPORTANT NOTE 2:The sky is not normal anymore! The calamity is visible in the sky as of February's event.

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. The water is cold, but not enough that you can't handle it on your own. The Lady of the Lake is nearby, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of mossatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Mossatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plant life growing on its back. While some are fully green, others sport small flower blossoms that haven't yet grown in or various types of mushrooms. Green mages will be able to note that the plants growing on its back seem to give off "surfer dude" personalities.
If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the mossatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. 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. 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, but... Hm....

---

When everyone arrives it seems like during the siege on Camelot the training grounds were absolutely trashed!

A ⦿ gArBo HuNgErS
	With everyone focusing on recovering Camelot main and the bulk of the resort facilities at the Red Springs, the training grounds at the Red Springs have gone a little neglected.. at least enough to be taken over by a band of local decay sprites. Now, these fairies aren't what they sound- they're not dead, they're little garbage sprites. Perfectly harmless, they often go around picking up trash from natural habitats. They look like garbage bags and bins with googly eyes.  However, the Red Springs's magical attributes combined with magic going a little haywire have caused them to go a little off. Right now, their googly eyes are flashing angry colors that should come with a seizure warning straight out of an old Disney cartoon. They're not just picking up trash, they're eating everything!
What's more, they grow in size each time they eat something new, so some of them are already big enough to swallow an orc! Don't worry, the trash goes into a hammerspace to decay over a long period of time, so if you get swallowed, there's still a chance for someone to get you out... which they can do by fighting the decay sprite. Decay sprites can suck things up similarly to Kirby, though they do not gain your powers, so finding a way to keep your feet on the ground with magic should be your first step. Beware though, defeated sprites will spin in a circle and fall over, and everything they've eaten will spill out onto the ground... so you're going to have to clean it up yourself.

---

B ⦿ Slightly Shabby
The state of Camelot isn't exactly great when everyone arrives. It's been ravaged by siege. Things are broken, scattered, and though many of the buildings are still standing, most people are focused on things like taking care of kids, rebuilding, or rerouting the new arrivals since the inn is not available right now. The castle rooms are already pretty full of people whose homes got trampled during the siege, so new arrivals are going to have to find their own place to live. Thankfully, some tag-alongs who came down from Nicnevin with the Elphame traders have got the solution! It's the Wink-Wonk Dream-Donk: a ball you can press the button on and it will suck you inside for a state of stasis! Good dreams guaranteed! Side effects that the mystery helper doesn't mention are that you can't get out on your own, someone else has to press the button, and you'll have warm, vaguely submissive, fuzzy,
kinda clingy feelings toward anyone who lets you out. Though acting on it can be fought with strong enough willpower, it's certainly going to get you and a stranger much closer than you planned a lot faster. It looks like you may have gotten caught up in some kind of dark web experimental product... oops.

---

The start of the month begins with the usual March rituals like the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies before flowers start to bloom throughout Avalon. Once things start to get cleaned up, some Camelot citizens think of ways to get Camelot back to its normal glory.

A ⦿ Running of the Moon Rabbits
Doing the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies often attracts Moon Rabbit kits. These friendly small rabbits do eat a lot though, and it's important right now that the youngin's are nourished without depleting Camelot's food stores.  Thankfully, the Moon Rabbit Kits love to play tag. So throughout Camelot, people have started playing a massive game of tag. The rabbits will chase you around, so the goal is to chase people and head out toward the Broceliande to get the Moon Rabbit kits out to nature where they're intended to be. Per Camelot rules, if you're touched by someone's magic it is considered as being tagged-- so hands or spells will count as a tag.. just be careful, magic is a little unbalanced right now! Be careful not to step on any of the little rabbits while you run!

---

B ⦿ Eggxacting
	With the streets clearer and Camelot finally starting to look more like its former self (albeit a little sparser) a culinary wizard has taken to trying his hand at a kind of magic that should help to quickly decorate the city and encourage floral growth. Using a wild combination of animal magic and green magic, the wizard created a special brand of eggs he's calling Oeufs de fleurs. He's selling them for a low price (hey, he does need to bring in some income to afford his expenses) for everyone and new arrivals get half a dozen OdF eggs for free! Just make sure that you follow the directions and there won't be a problem! The directions included with each pack of eggs states: 1. Blue eggs should only be thrown at night. 2. White eggs should only be thrown at day. 3. Do not eat them. More information is available on the chef's Instagram page, of course, but that's all that's included. The further information lets you know that blue eggs are
photosensitive and will turn into bear firs if thrown during the day, but if used correctly will blossom into moonflowers at night. The white eggs react to the moon and will grow into 60 foot tall trees if you throw them at night... but if you're throwing them during the day, they will become beautiful morning glories that only blossom during the light. Lastly, foolishly eating a flower egg is known to result in latent hanahaki disease. If you don't love someone now, this may appear at any point in the future when it does happen. It can only be cured by a skilled green mage. These eggs do expire, so make sure you use them by the end of the month!

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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

Sakura Matou | Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel | cognitive/bargaining

[petalscatter]

A. slightly shabby
[Whoever is kind enough to free Sakura from the Wink-Wonk Dream Donk will find she's clinging to their sleeve, cheeks flushed and not quite able to meet their gaze in embarrassment.]

Thank you for helping me. C-can I... stay with you for a bit?

[She'd shown up on her own, not knowing anyone here, and this was the first person who had really helped her. It's selfish, but she can't help but feel a little clingy after all that.]


B. eggxacting
[It's early evening, and Sakura is crouching and admiring a few moonflowers she'd thrown as eggs on a bare patch of grass earlier that day. The white blooms sway in a light breeze, and the evening chill has her wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm, suppressing a shiver.]

Pretty...

[She speaks under her breath. She doesn't feel like she did anything much. And she only was able to grow these to begin with because someone gave the eggs to her, not through any of her own efforts. Yet she helped make the city more beautiful. That's something, isn't it?]


c. wildcard
[choose your own prompt or pm me and we can hash something out. i'm playing from the movie adaptations, just fyi!]

A

[gwenhwyfar]

[ Ironically, had the positions been flipped, Gwenhwyfar would be doing the same thing as Sakura, clinging onto her rather than the other way around. She's lost, so far away from her party, and further from home than ever before. Deep down, Gwenhwyfar is terrified, trembling slightly.

In a way, the physical presence of the other girl is propping her up, literally and metaphorically. She may have used too much of her strength -- a fresh bruise and cut on her cheek.

Normally, that would be a good thing, to have her wounds regenerate but it won't bode well later. With her heart settling, she turns to look at her. It's not that she's upset with her, this other girl who seems to be equally lost and distressed.

It's her situation. She swallows it down, schooling her face to a blank expression. She tolerates the clinging...

Because she clings right back. The feeling is mutual but it may take some time to adjust to a human outright attaching herself to Gwenhwyfar. And after a long, awkward stare-- ]

Uh.

[ Eloquent words. ]

Yes? It's, uhm... nothing.

[ Inhuman strength but Gwenhwyfar is banking on Sakura blowing past that. ]

[petalscatter]

[Sakura didn't expect the clinging to be returned, but this person seems to be far more frightened than she is. Well, that's fine. Sakura forces a smile and looks up to meet her gaze.]

Oh--! Your face is bleeding.

[She pats herself down, checking her pockets, and produces a handkerchief, reaching up to wipe the drying blood away.] Does it hurt?

[gwenhwyfar]

I've had worse... it's only an annoyance.

[ Is likely not the most reassuring thing to say to someone. A hint of her facial scar can be seen through the white locks of her hair. She's almost stunned into silence, bitting her lower lip and casting her gaze downward as Sakura wipes the blood away.

It stings, only a little, but nothing like losing an eye. ]

You... you don't have to do that. I'm fine.

[petalscatter]

N-no... It's okay. You helped me, so I want to help you too. [Once she's satisfied she's gotten the worst of the blood off, she finally relents. She wants to ask about the scar on her face, too... but, well, that would be rude.]

I'm Sakura Matou. Should we, um... sit down somewhere until you calm down?

[gwenhwyfar]

[ She looks Sakura over, head to toe, casting a look of reluctance. Gwenhwyfar feels ridiculous; she had helped Sakura out and she's the one teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Gently, she covers her cheek, wanting to hide it and discourage any sort of worry. It's hard to disconnect her mind from the worries that the genuine concern for her well-being has an ulterior motive.

Sakura is close to her age, so it gives Gwenhwyfar enough pause to have a change of heart.

But not enough for Gwenhwyfar to give her name. ]

I can sit. [ Not because she's nervous, of course! She turns away from her, hesitant to keep her gaze on Sakura for long ]

I think you need it more than me.

[petalscatter]

No, I'm all right, now. [Which isn't a lie, really. She now has someone she wants to take care of, for some reason -- it doesn't even occur to her that the strange ball she'd been trapped in might be to blame -- and now that gives her something to focus on.]

Come with me, then. [She's still a little embarrassed, cheeks tinged pink, as she leads her over to a bench. The city might have taken damage in the siege, but at least there's still quiet places to sit in amongst the clean-up efforts.] Is here okay?

B

[greedyvixen]

[Rin may have not been that surprised seeing Ereshkigal here for one reason or another... But she stops and looks like a deer in the headlights for a while as soon as she sees Sakura. No way? It's obviously her, Rin would recognize her anywhere but it still takes her a moment to believe it.

She feels like she sure hasn't seen Sakura even for a second in forever. She'd left Lunatia before Rin arrived there, she never returned there while Rin was around almost until the end and then Rin was busy with winning the war on her timeline -- and after that? Guess they both were busy with other things even though Rin wants to fix their relationship back home someday. But Rin's been in Avalon since people first arrived here. So, it --- it sure has been a while and Rin misses her a lot more than she could ever put into words.

Tohsaka takes a deep breath like this is her biggest challenge ever. Yep, that's what this sure is and that's not even an understatement. She doesn't even have any idea how Sakura feels about seeing her, or which timeline she is even from, but there's at least one way to find out. Okay, she can... Do this. And then if Sakura doesn't want to see her, well, Rin would certainly deserve it. But she'll at least try a friendly approach first.

So, Rin walks closer, looks at the flowers and smiles at Sakura.]

Very pretty.

[petalscatter]

[Sakura freezes for a second, shoulders tensed. She's probably just imagining things, right? She's feeling sorry for herself and imaginging things. But she sees movement from the corner of her eye, and sure enough--]

--Nee-san?

[She gets to her feet, her heart swelling in her chest with relief, and beams at her.]

Do you think so? I grew them myself. [Well... threw them on the ground... But it's still an accomplishment, right?]

[greedyvixen]

[Rin's pretty sure this is just one of her many dreams of Sakura showing up here. She could at least see her in Avalon again, she is so happy to know that Sakura is happy with Shirou in another timeline. Though after Rin moved into a big house with some others here, she's -- seen more dreams of her again. Dreams, where she can invite Sakura to live with Rin again, welcoming Sakura home once she moves in or whenever she returns from somewhere and getting to spend time with her again. And then she always wakes up to realize, that it was just a dream again. Can she please, please not wake up this time?

Wait, what? NEE-SAN?! Rin can't even try to hide how surprised she is after hearing Sakura calling her that. Okay. So. She's definitely from a different timeline or from somewhere further in the same, where Rin's from... She is so cute, calling her that and beaming at her like that.]

Hello, Sakura.

[... Sorry, little sister, Rin hasn't heard you calling her nee-san since the day when Sakura left from the Tohsaka mansion. But as wild as it is to suddenly hear that word again? Rin loves hearing it, it's one of the best surprises ever. She smiles at Sakura again!]

I really do! How did you grow them? Do you have Green Magic?

[petalscatter]

[Sakura giggles behind a hand. She'd seen that reaction before when she'd first called her it back in Shirou's kitchen, so it's funny to see her get flustered all over again. It had been strange for both of them at first, but she herself has gotten used to it by now.]

No, I don't think so. [As much as she'd like to have green magic, she's stuck with magic she's not sure she likes the sound of at all. But no one says she has to use it, right? Right.] A wizard gave me some, um... magic eggs.

[She blushes slightly. It sounds childish when she puts it like that.] You throw them, and flowers will bloom there at night.

[greedyvixen]

[Hearing her giggle like that makes Rin smile softly at her. Rin may not have any memories of hearing Sakura call her nee-san before but she could get used to it too.]

Too bad, not that the other options are bad either, but that would have fit you well.

[But she could think of other options, that could also fit her. Says the girl, who doesn't really know her own little sister as much as she'd love to know her but maybe they'll have their time to fix everything!! So, she's, in fact, still kind of hoping that she won't mess this up somehow.]

Eggs from a wizard?? [She blinks. Wait. It could sound weird but instead... Rin pulls a carton out of her bag and opens it. Hello, weird blue eggs.] Like these? Or the white ones, I bought those too. Do you want to throw more of them there together?

[And she's smiling at her again.]

A for AAAAAA SAKURAAAAAAA—

[excalibeam]

[ This was... a lot.

First of all, she was already surprised when she found and opened the ball to find Sakura was inside... but then she started clinging to her too. She's a good and kind girl, and Saber thinks fondly of the time she spent with her during the earlier stages of the Holy Grail War...

But not only is she still surprised to see her here, the clinging is certainly new. ]

Erm, Sakura...? Are you certain you are alright?

[ The route difference is showing in the unassuming, yet worried look on Saber's face. ]

[petalscatter]

[She can't meet Saber's eye. She doesn't even have a right to touch a Servant she used and defiled, does she? But the ball had a strange effect on her, and she doesn't want to let go either.

This Saber doesn't remember anything, so maybe she can play pretend, just for a little while. Even if it's wrong too.]

Y-yes. I just don't want to be on my own. I'm sorry...

[excalibeam]

...

[ It's strange... but still, Sakura was a friend Saber was fond of. Even if she were aware of what was going on underneath the surface... what keeps her from meeting her eye, but ultimately it wouldn't change much. Not for very long, at least. ]

Yes, of course... it must be quite lot to take in, being here.

[ Especially since she got trapped inside a ball so quickly after arriving here! As far as Saber knew, Sakura wasn't a mage either... so she'll smile gently and reassuringly at her. ]

[petalscatter]

Mmm, that's true. [She peeks for a second at Saber and that gentle smile, the smile of someone who doesn't blame or resent her for anything, and it's enough to create a lump in her throat, to quickly duck her head down again before she starts to tear up. Saber doesn't remember, does she? Shirou should be the one here to see her again, not her, and all she can do is selfishly cling to her for help.]

You're very kind, Saber-san. [That's about all she can manage.]

[excalibeam]

Mm? Is that so...?

[ Her concern rises... she doesn't know what, but there's something Sakura isn't telling her. That being said, if it's something she doesn't want to bring up, she's not about to push her for it... ]

Not as kind as you, though, Sakura.

B

[unknowntodeath]

[Archer is just taking an evening walk. Just a normal evening walk, that's all. He's stopped, however, when he notices someone very, very familiar.]

Sakura.

[Unfortunately his cognitive magic is acting up so his thoughts are projected instead of kept in private.]

[petalscatter]

[The sudden thought in her mind startles her, and while she hasn't used much of her cognitive magic yet, she answers on reflex,]

Y-yes? Hello? [She gets to her feet, looking around for who spoke to her.]

B

[escardos]

Oh, did you throw the eggs, too?

[ it seems like flat has a blue egg in his hand, still not thrown. ]

Isn't it interesting? I wonder if these eggs are like giant seeds? Or if you could make some sort of fried egg with it? Oh, but they do say not to eat so I wonder if they're poisonous or something...

[petalscatter]

Ah, yes, please don't eat them. [She gets to her feet, smoothing down her dress, as she turns to regard Flat.] They said these are just for throwing, so you should just eat ordinary eggs if you're hungry...

[As much as she likes cooking, she's definitely not going to take her chances.]

[escardos]

Ah, that’s a shame!

[ although flat doesn’t seem that upset by it. if anything, he’s just happy that she’s talking to him. ]

You see, there’s a kid’s book out there that’s about green eggs and ham, so I wondered if blue eggs would be any different. But if they really are poisonous, well, that’s just no good.

[ he shrugs, like there’s nothing to do about it. c’est la vie. ]

Do you know what happens to those that eat it?

[petalscatter]

[She giggles a little; what a strange-sounding book. To his next question, though, her expression falls.]

Well... Nothing good. Actually, it can make you sick, even if it doesn't happen right away. [She lowers her gaze a little.] But only if you fall in love with someone, and they don't return your feelings.

A

[thedreamrenewed]

"Hey, no problem!" The pointy-eared girl grins, not minding the way Sakura is clinging to her arm. She'd probably be feeling a little jumpy too if she'd just been trapped in a tiny little egg like that. Must be what an item in a VRMMO feels like when it's sent to storage, huh?

"Sure you can stick around. I'm Yuuki, what's your name, li'l lady? You feelin' okay after bein' stuck in there?"

[petalscatter]

"I'm alright now, thanks to you," she says softly, flushed a little in embarassment. The other girl seems kind and friendly enough, so her grip relaxes a bit, though she doesn't let go just yet. "I'm... Matou. Sakura Matou."