avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

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⚔️️ View Top-Levels Only ⚔️ IMPORTANT NOTE: The calamity is visible in the north area of the sky from all locations as of February's event. There is currently no sun or moon visible, making the world in a persistent state of dusk for now.

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, and normally the mossatees would still be helping this time of year... but it seems like they haven't shown up. Instead, a very helpful band of octopi have joined the cause. They range in size, from large enough to scoop three characters out of the water with their plethora of wriggling tentacles... to a band of tiny,

palm-sized baby octopi working together to try to heave a single person out of the water. No matter which you get, they all seem to have unique personalities, but animal mages may note that as a species, they all seem to think of the otherworlders as fun little playthings. These little otherworlders are so funny.

If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. 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. 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 and rain. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console. 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

D ⦿ Light it Up

a magical lantern

With the sun and moon temporarily gone, some fae have put forward a solution to fight the dusk off for a little while. They have made special lanterns holding a spell which, when powered up with any kind of magic, activates a small energy field large enough to comfortably fit up to five people. This field takes its form straight from the magic-providing person’s mind - so whether they're feeling homesick or just really want to be stuck in a deserted island for a while, the lantern will make it happen! Naturally, all of it is an illusion so nothing is actually real... but it feels very real, especially to the person providing the magic. The lantern will not make illusions of other humans or animals - just places, buildings, and flora - and those taking part will be able to move around and explore… but be careful not to get too excited, or you might just end up moving your real body and knocking another person out of the illusion, or falling out of it yourself to a very disorienting awakening.

If you don’t mind being crowded together, the energy field could squeeze in up to ten people, but the risks of someone being nudged out accidentally go up as more people enter. After that, anyone else who tries to step in - invited or not - will find themselves repelled by an invisible wall around the outside of the illusion.

There is, however, a time limit on this. While the spell can last up to twelve hours, it's advised that the lantern isn't used for more than a few hours at a time. If this guidance isn’t followed, it’s possible that after the lantern is deactivated the people who took part will keep seeing the illusory scenery around them for some time afterwards. If a person uses the lantern for the whole twelve hours, the illusion will continue for up to three days in the form of intrusive, imaginary objects and buildings that only they can see, or even faint shades of people from their own worlds.

E ⦿ Getting More Familiar

With Elphame and Camelot in better relations than ever thanks to the efforts of Otherworlders, Queen Elphame and King Arthur are working closely together to accomplish the next step of her plan, despite some tension about her not sharing what she intended to do with the Fisher King from the get-go. But they're talking now, and the place that everyone needs to go next is a place only familiars can reach.

The first thing that needs doing is a little bit of magic practice before anyone can go on the full mission. This will be much easier for those who have been here longer, bonded with their familiars longer, but will certainly not be impossible for those who have just arrived. Team up with another person to help balance

glass sphere in forest

your brand new and unstable magics to accomplish what amounts to changing bodies with your familiar.

Form a circle with another person and both of your familiars at equidistant points on the circle. Your familiar should be to your right. In the center of the circle, a bowl filled with a strong alcohol, enough to cover a chunk of malachite (a stone of transformation, associated with the heart and throat), vervain (to purify the spell of interfering spirits and offer protection, as well as assist in astral connection), purple coneflower (increases ritual powers by calling upon local deities), and violet (dedication and loyalty, to hold steady the bond between familiar and mage). Both mages in the circle should take the deepest breath they can and hold that breath, hold each other's palms up facing each other, and light the bowl on fire. It's important that you hold your breath for as long as you can, because malachite is toxic when exposed to liquid and will be released into the air during the spell. As the spell casts, a light will glow from your chest, up to your throat, and at the moment when you can no longer hold your breath and have to let it out, your soul will exit your body along with that breath. The protective qualities of the vervain will have kicked in by this point, and the fire of the bowl will go out. All four souls will swirl over the bowl slowly, like a turning galaxy, for a few moments, until they burst out and the souls find their way to their new host: yours in your familiar's body and your familiar's in yours.

Result can be unpredictable if you step outside of the lines with this spell, depending on which part you mess up, so players should feel free to come up with their own mishaps based on what each of the above ingredients for the spell are should they wish to go that route.

Once you've managed to become your familiar (and your familiar you... good luck with that), you need to practice being your familiar. Get the hang of moving, the hang of your familiar's characteristics, voice (or lack thereof), and how to function as them. Exactly how to do that will be a personalized experience based on what your familiar is, so there's no clear means to practice... which means it's a good time to send you on a softball, but useful quest to practice before the real thing! Each of you who have done this should head into the Brocéliande and look for silver flowers that look like daffodils. Within them are drops of what appear to be water, but those drops are actually enchanted glass spheres only visible to familiars. Be careful- the silver daffodils are guarded by skunk-like spirits that spray knock-out gas, then they will drag you to a random location in the forest. You really could get lost very easily, but don't come back without your sphere! Those will be super important for bringing back the sun and moon soon.

• 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 as long as the characters are currently in or join the game during the application period. If new players do not want their TDM to be considered canon, they should state as much on the OOC intro once accepted.
• Both current members and potential new characters can post to this TDM log. Anyone may reply to any threads or start top-levels. Whichever you prefer!
•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. This particular one is a little different. 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Does Elsa have gold with her just for this? Yes, yes she does. Usually she pays with her phone for everything but this was a special occasion. She drops the right amount into the tin.

Izumi seems nervous, but Elsa also feels the same. The butterflies are wild today and Elsa keeps wondering if this was such a good idea.

Though why... wouldn't it be. They're helping the medicine shop and it's just a kiss.

J-Just a kiss with a very attractive girl.]

I... I'm ready whenever.

[No turning back here.]

( It's fine. This is really no different to that time she kissed her friend back in her school days. She was very pretty too. Wait, was Izumi nervous then, as well?

HMMM that's something to think about another day, right? Right! Maybe like, the 11th of Nevervember. Instead, she has a job to do and funds to raise, and so she will.

Except, the booth feels like it's really in the way right now. Like leaning over and pecking Elsa on the lips would give her a bad impression, though why Izumi is worried about that is a door she doesn't want to unlock right now.

It still manages to win out and make Izumi hop onto the table, sliding herself over so she's sitting with her legs dangling over the kissing booth sign, facing Elsa as she reaches out, cheeks reddening considerably, to brush her fingers over Elsa's cheek, slide them back into that ice blonde hair and leans in.

It is, of course, a simple kiss. Chaste. Izumi's nose nudges Elsa's gently as her head tips to one side, and wow Elsa's lips are soft, as beautiful as Izumi's always thought they looked. And maybe she lingers a bit longer in this kiss than intended, trying to commit the silken feel of Elsa's hair, the petal-soft touch of her mouth, the warmth of her body and the scent of her to memory. )

[Elsa honestly expected this to just be a kiss across the counter. Izumi sitting on the counter and being so gentle with her... yeah that wasn't what she was expecting at all. Hoping...... maybe... but not expecting, definitely. It was such a sweet and gentle kiss and Izumi's lips were so soft. The feeling made her completely forget the lip balm, which did make her feel more upbeat, but there were definitely other, much stronger feelings there present.

And the butterflies in her stomach. They were going wild. This moment was much better than she ever thought it would be. As a first kiss... it was definitely top tier.

She definitely doesn't mind Izumi lingering and she wouldn't mind if she stayed even longer. Thoughts that she quickly tries to put out since it's probably the lip balm effect that makes her want more. Yes. The lip balm.

Was she ... supposed to say something to this though? She's not sure. It's kind of awkward and she's unsure how to act in a situation like this.]

Uhm... I can definitely feel the effect of the lip balm.

( Sure. It's the lip balm. That must be what it is for Izumi too, right? After all, she's been at this all day. Maybe it's just... build up? )

R-right? They're potent!

( Help.

And, before Izumi knows what's coming out of her mouth, she finds herself adding; )

Um, if you want to try one of the other effects, I'm happy to demonstrate!

( ... What just came out of her mouth.

help )

[Was... was she just suggesting they'd kiss more...? Elsa feels her cheeks turn red a little bit. More than a little bit.

When did her heart start beating so fast?]

Oh... I do have some extra gold, so I could donate more for more samples?

[It's for a good cause, too... That's what it was for! Definitely not just for the pleasure of kissing.

... maybe a little bit just for the pleasure of kissing.]

( Samples! Right... what samples does she have? That was the mood boosting one, and clearly it's doing its job, because Izumi feels near giddy with the prospect of more kisses from Elsa. )

I have... A shielding balm. And this one called "vacuum"? ( Oh, and what are these two? ) These ones are unlabelled. I wonder if that means they aren't enchanted...

( Take your pick, Elsa. )

Hmm...

[Elsa gives it some thoughts. Shielding and vacuum at least have names so you can expect something. The unlabelled on the other hand seem like either a risk or the safest bet.]

I'm curious about the shield one.

( Izumi would probably have gone for shielding too. It seems the clearest on how it works. She has no idea what vacuum means, and unlabelled things? In Avalon?

Surely that's dangerous. )

Okay. ( She'll have to wipe some of the last balm's residue from her lips first, but that's done quickly enough. And then... A quick slick of shielding balm and Izumi leans in, kissing Elsa before she has a chance to reconsider this balm-addled decision of offering her more kisses. )

[It could very well be a curse or some kind that someone has sneaked into the kissing booths for malicious reasons. Too risky.

While Izumi got ready, Elsa dropped some more gold on the tin. She does briefly wonder if this is really a good idea, but doesn't give it too much thought as, again, charity, right?

But the second kiss is as welcome as the first. She can feel something changing around her (likely the shield effect?) but it's not a visible thing it seems and doesn't seem to affect kissing in anyway. This time around Elsa is a little bit more responsive, even if she does it completely without realizing it.]

( Exactly! Maybe she'll put those balms at the back and give them to the quest giver later. Just fore safety.

But she has a job. Right. That's what she's calling kissing a pretty lady. A job.

And it's a good kiss. Izumi isn't the most practiced of kissers, but she's careful, tender. Her hand brushes softly against Elsa's shoulder as the magic begins to tingle and take effect around them. But even the curiosity of what this shield looks like isn't quite enough to cause Izumi to open her eyes or pull away from the kiss.

... Kissing booth kisses aren't typically meant to last this long, but oh well. )

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

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