avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

Entry tags:

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

{ QUICK NAV }
Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary

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 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. You'll definitely see other new arrivals plopping in. If you can't swim, a red-headed woman known only as the Lady of the Lake will drag you to the shore if she doesn't spot someone else near you helping so no one ends up drowning. She's a little busy casting directive magic to make sure everyone lands safely and playing lifeguard, so if anyone attempts to talk to her, she'll tell them to head up to 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

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 earbuds to everyone before getting them settled in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and give them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: 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 nip bottles. 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. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies.

If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing.

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.

A ⦿ Get Fresh

Upon arrival in Camelot travelers are ushered to a large set of wash rooms where they can clean up and make themselves presentable for the Welcome Feast. They are informed that once the feast concludes there will be an announcement on where they can seek lodging and how to begin their magic studies.

B ⦿ Be Merry

After they freshen up, travelers are led into the main dining hall. The decorations range from simplistic to a little more grandiose, it is likely everyone will find something familiar. A modern mash up with a medieval flair. The jester makes his rounds, perhaps he has a joke or two to tell, go ahead, give him a listen or perhaps volunteer to participate in one of the jester's shows, like knife-throwing or hypnotism. Within the crowd of staff there are mummers, a juggler, here and there dabbled through small troupes perform mini skits, perhaps they’ll perform a well known verse from a traveler’s world or tell a tale of fancy from this realm.

C ⦿ Eat Well

A banquet is prepared with food that while all “rustic” in appearance are usually a version of modern dishes ranging from basic roast chicken and veggies to Korean-Mexican fusion and French patisserie. The drinks are much the same; while served in old fashioned goblets, they are drinks modern travelers will be familiar with.

Have a seat, meet a new neighbor, find a roommate, maybe a new or old friend? Talk to the person to your left, your right, across from you. Mingle, enjoy the food, the music, it shouldn’t be long before the information promised is provided. Till then take your fill and get to know your fellow travelers.

You've been here a few days now and have gotten a chance to settle in, find a place to stay, and Camelot's citizens have decided that you've been here long enough to start living your life again. Well, your new life.

A group of citizens have decided to give everyone their first quest.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" a man in chain mail with a tablet with his statement typed up on it declares to a crowd from atop a pedestal. There are two other citizens around him with phones to post the video to AOL later to make sure the word gets heard ye all around.

"Those with magic, we beseech thee! Findeth us a grail most holy hidden in the depths of the Brocéliande! This holy grail is known to grant thine wishes three, a most noble quest for noble souls! Great reward will come to those who find it and proclaim at least one of their wishes to find the great Excalibur for King Arthur!"

This is the first you've heard about King Arthur, and it seems curious that he hasn't yet shown his face around town. It also seems strange that this guy is speaking like he's stepped out of a bad period piece, and probably should be the clue that this is more or less an attempt to haze some of the newcomers by sending them into the forest... but no one is telling newcomers this. It's better to get them out there and start praciticing, after all.

A ⦿ Lost, and Lost, and Lost Again

The Brocéliande is well-known around Camelot for being a forest that's both bountiful and mysterious. Oddities are known to happen that may never happen again to the point that even if something weird happens and you can't prove it, most citizens will assume you're telling the truth.

Which is what makes it peculiar when you keep passing the exact same locations over and over again, as if you've been traveling in circles or reaching the end of the map in a video game and coming out the other end. You're stuck in a space loop. The only way out is to successfully find the one difference in each loop five times in a row and collect it. Maybe it's a strange frog, a crystal that wasn't there before, a small wooden step that doesn't lead anywhere, or some other singular item, you've got to find what stands out... pick the wrong item, and you'll have to start your five count over again, and again, and again...

B ⦿ Grail, and Grail, and Grail Again!?

If you either missed the space loop or managed to get out of it, eventually you'll come to find one of... quite a few copies of a grail with holes in the side placed throughout the forest. They look like they might be good for draining noodles, but that's about it. Though they're spread out, it's entirely possible you'll find more than one, but each of them are placed in situations where it's impossible to get to by normal means. You'll have to use magic! It may be hidden in a bird's nest at the top of the tallest tree, inside of a hole in a rock with bars that prevent you from reaching in (perhaps an animal friend could reach it), inside a boiling pond, or inside the body of a bear fir... there are a load of possibilities, and now's a chance for you to try out your brand new magics! Use one of those samples, find something from the bestiary, or come up with your own adventure to get your hands on that less-than-holy grail.

C ⦿ A Quest Completeish

Or it would be, if you could ever find the guy who announced it... The AOL posts have since been deleted. You may end up spending a lot of time trying to find the guy. At this point, citizens will start telling you that you shouldn't take quests unless they're on the quest board or else you're going to get scammed... that's definitely an olden times themed noodle strainer. If that doesn't make you give up, or perhaps motivates you to find the guy to kick his ass, you'll have to head out to the farmland and chase them through a cornfield. (Be careful not to get lost, it's a maize in there.) If one of the boys are caught, they'll explain they were just testing you-- and hey, you got a free addition to your kitchen! If pressed, they'll apologize and give you a bit of money for your trouble. It's not much, but it'll get you at least a meal.

MOD NOTES:
• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. This is the first one, ignore this note today!
• 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.
• For the first month only, there will not be a quest board. Starting in December, quests will be posted on the 1st of each month for current players. After that point, quests may be used as TDM prompts in addition to the presented TDM prompts. A link will be provided as a bonus prompt option at the end of the post.
• The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM. 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

Arrival

There was something to be said about being in a void, between the realms of the unconscious and conscious, dreams and reality, with the Universe at your fingertips but unable to really do much but drift within a sea of stars as time flowed on only to suddenly find yourself splashing into an actual sea and water filling your nose and mouth. He felt something clamp onto the back of his jacket and drag him up, allowing him to break the surface with a gasp and sputter. He shoved his hair from his face, coughing up the sea water as he clung to the massive black mass that pulled him towards the shore. His nose burned, causing his eyes to water as he struggled to wrap his mind around what was going on.

Once they got to the shoreline, Minato flopped onto his back and draped an arm over his face. It was salty and wet, he was getting sand everywhere, but honestly, he didn't care because he had a more important thing to worry about. Just where the hell was he?

He felt a cold, wet nose press against his cheek and nudge his arm away. Minato squinted at what he now realized was a large black dog that had pulled him to safety. He always liked dogs, Koromaru coming to mind. He reached over to pet it. It was pure black and there were wisps of something flowing from it. It clearly wasn't an ordinary dog. It wasn't a Persona either, although it felt a tug against his soul similar to one. A bond? Hm...

Church grim are the words that floated to his mind. Huh. "What's a church grim doing pulling me from the ocean? I'd died a long time ago."

It didn't answer for now, just sat stoically. Well, until it stood up and proceeded to shake its fur out. Minato curled away from the splash of water and he scoffed. "Alright. Alright, I'll get up."

He couldn't exactly peel off all his clothes, but he pulled off his school jacket and began to wring it out. His MP3 player was probably long dead now due to the water. He sighed heavily, eyes taking in the beautiful beach and water. Along with several other bodies plopping right into the water like he had. Just where did he end up now?

Training Grounds

There is one (1) sleepy formerly dead high school student being tugged to the training grounds by a big black dog. He yawned, letting himself be led so he could finally start practicing after nearly setting a napkin on fire the night before. Minato got the impression that the grim was doing it more for his own sake than Minato's, although he didn't understand how. Wasn't the dog already dead?

Yes, but do you want to die again?

Okay, point taken. He sighed once they were there and then looked at his hands. He wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. He was used to using Orpheus or any other persona with fire-based magic. How was he supposed to do it on his own. It was cool and crisp this morning, so he rubbed his hands together to get some warmth.

And abruptly jumped back when he sparked a fire between his palms. "Uh."

Stop laughing at him, grim.

Eat well

Eat well, indeed. Minato held a plate absolutely filled with all kinds of foods. His familiar even gave him a judging look, black eyes going between his small body and huge plate. Yes, it'll fit in his belly, don't worry about it. Besides, he wasn't that short, geez. He was pretty average for most Japanese teens. The church grim grumbled and probably rolled his eyes but Minato didn't noticed as he tried to find a table. He meandered through the crowds, carefully avoided the jester, and even found a spot.

Or what he hoped was a spot.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Wildcard

Wanna do something else? Hit me up!

[OOC: I'll match your preferred style, brackets or prose!]

Edited 2020-11-01 15:50 (UTC)

Noctis looked up from his phone, which he was still scrolling through. Once he realized it was indeed him who was addressed, and that someone was looking at him, he quickly starts moving.

"Oh! Uh - yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind," he quickly says, wincing a bit at how awkward he sounds. He picks up his jacket from the spot next to him and lays it across his lap instead, gesturing for Minato to sit down next to him.

His own plate has been half-eaten already, but it's full of ... meat. Only meat, in fact. Ribs, all types of chicken, beef and pork, and any incidental veggies have been studiously stacked to the side of the plate.

Minato waited patiently as the older teen seemed to fumble with clearing a space. He couldn't help but notice the entirely meat platter though. He saw some veggies on the side but clearly in a manner that suggested he wasn't going to eat those. Once he set his plate down and sat down, he pointed to the vegetables with his fork.

"I can take those if you don't want them," The black dog that was following him settled on the ground under the table and gave a huff in his mind. Yes, he can fit it in his stomach. Stop judging!

After watching the dog settle on the ground, a small head pops over the side of the chair, looking down at the other person's familiar. Carbuncle, all big ears and tiny body, gives a chirp of greeting to the grim. Noctis, meanwhile, gives a small laugh, pushing his plate over a bit.

"If you want 'em, they're all yours. I'm not a vegetables guy." He has zero shame about foisting his vegetables onto other people. He glances over Minato's plate, giving a hum. "Looks like you're enjoying the feast, though."

The grim rumbled a greeting as well, resting his snout on the chair. The long wispy tail wagging slowly. Minato took the plate with a hum of thanks and took a bite of a few.

"Why not?" He asked. His voice wasn't judging, but it was almost deadpan. He looked over at his own plate and shrugged. "The food looked good. I couldn't decide and I figured trying it all wouldn't hurt."

Noctis gives an almost exaggerated shrug.

"Just don't like them. Most of them taste too bitter or the texture's all weird." Really, the only vegetable he would ever reliably eat was the onions in the altissian soup his father occasionally made for him. But the second part, he can agree with.

"Yeah, I'm actually pretty impressed by the spread they've got out. Then again, this is our first meal here; bet they pulled out all the stops." After a moment, he adds, "I'm just glad it's not a royal banquet, and they're not harping about the forks we're using."

That, more than anything, probably explains the pickiness.

Hm... Minato wasn't sure about the bitter part, but he could agree that some veggies did have weird textures. He just wasn't a very picky eater himself. Minato took a bite of a big turkey leg as he listened. A royal banquet? Was he royalty?

His chewing paused at the mention of forks though, his eyes going to the utensils on the table. There was an almost comical pout on his face, given his cheek was puffed with food.

Chew and swallow.

Minato huffed and did as told before looking at Noctis. "There's different kinds of forks?"

At the very least, Noctis doesn't seem to care much if Minato wants to stuff as much food into his mouth before he actually swallows. If anything, he seems a little amused about it, picking at one of the turkey legs on his own plate.

"There are different kinds of forks," he confirms, with a grave tone more befitting someone imparting dire news, rather than a discussion of cutlery. "And apparently, if you don't use the right ones on the correct foods, you can cause all kinds of incidents. Or so I've been told."

He rolls his eyes after a moment.

"It's a bunch of BS if you ask me, though."

Edited 2020-11-01 18:12 (UTC)

Minato almost believed Noctis for a second there, until the BS comment. He huffed a little, eating his food as he thought about this. Even if it were true, it sounded pretty dumb. Table manners were one thing, chopsticks were there own beast, but forks too?

"Why would it matter what you use to eat more than how you're eating it?" Minato couldn't help but ask, chewing more of the turkey leg thoughtfully. It just seemed weird, hearing about more etiquettes. People just need to enjoy their food, sheesh.

The worst part is he's not joking; Ignis, his royal advisor, has trained court procedure into him since he was old enough to walk. But he still hates it, even if he can practice it with his eyes closed. Which is why he's relieved to not see a salad fork or a dessert fork in the vicinity.

"Oh, it matters how you're eating it too," Noctis complains. "But it's only something stuffy old people worry about, so maybe whomever is King or Queen here doesn't actually care," he continues, tone hopeful.

And, not wanting to continue boring his poor companion with talks of dinner forks, he looks down at their familiar.

"... I don't think I've seen a dog like that before."

"...were you a prince?" Minato couldn't help but ask, despite how much Noctis was grousing about the need for learning that kind of etiquette.

Still, he was glad for the subject change and nodded as he took another bite of food. "He's a church grim. His name is Kuro. What about yours? He doesn't look like anything I've seen back home."

"Yeah." Technically a King, now, but it was hard to be King of a city that was burned down, and now apparently in a world on the brink of destruction.

Noctis leans down, offering his hand to the grim to smell, the way he'd been taught with dogs.

"Kuro, huh? I've never heard of a church grim before. And this is Carbuncle."

The familiar in question gives a little chirp, ears wiggling in greeting to Minato. "He's supposed to be a symbol of protection, back home."

Oh wow, he was with a prince. That was actually pretty cool, although the fact that this guy was complaining about food etiquette and speaking so casually let him know that Minato didn't need to worry about it too much.

"Never heard of a carbuncle," He replied in kind as Kuro merely stared at Noctis' hand for a moment. His eyes drifted to Minato's who gave him a nod. Kuro leaned forward for pets.

"You can pet him. He's a lot more intelligent than normal dogs. Church grims protect churches, usually just one. They make sure the dead aren't disturbed and such. I think they were mostly in the west though, churches aren't much of a thing in my country."

His father can be credited to that normalcy. He sought to give Noctis a fairly normal childhood, though he probably regretted it when it came time to hand Princely duties to Noctis.

Noctis strokes his hand over the grim's head, then shifts to scratch behind his ears. He smiles at the dog, and then looks back to Minato.

"Huh. We have churches in Insomnia, though they're pretty small. The Astrals are more worried about shrines, if anything." He gives a one-shouldered shrug. "No legends about grims, either, but if there was going to be protection for the dead, that'd also be handled by the Astrals."

Magic is not a thing Jack really believes in. Not really. Miracles, maybe, and even then mostly in hindsight, but his world had been a simple one when it came to the supernatural. Either it was God, or it was your imagination.

Coming here has been a pretty big shock to his system. So while he's at the training field, it's less to practice magic and more to see what the style of physical warfare takes in this world, and maybe sneak some glances at people with actual magic. He hasn't even worked out what his own is, yet. (Talking horses don't count. That wasn't... that was probably just a thing horses in this world do, right?) The purple butterfly keeps landing in his hair; whenever he notices it, he tries to wave it off irritably.

The kid making a spark with his hands makes him jerk in surprise. "How did you do that?"

Minato stared at his hands and then back at the guy who asked the question. He could only shrug because he really didn't know how. Kuro sighed grumpily.

Rub your hands together again. Or snap your fingers.

Minato looked down at the grim with an uneasy expression and then snapped his fingers. He jumped when he ended up with a small fireball in his hand and it took everything in him not to wave it around because it was pretty obvious it wasn't burning him. "...oh."

"Wow." Jack is kind of staring a little, because he's seen some crazy shit already in the past half a day since his dunk in the lake, but he has yet to see anybody make a tiny fireball in the palm of his hand.

Until now, apparently.

First question, as he eases closer to try and get a look at Minato's hand: "Does that hurt?"

The man sitting next to where Minato sought to sit was an odd one. His plate consisted of a what appeared to be half a pumpkin pie next to what looked like feed for something... not human. Various seeds - fried pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and other assorted seeds - filled the plate as he casually ate the pie.

"I will not stop you," he replied before a small smirk curled his lips. "Though I will commend you for being the one mortal at this table to have the fortitude to approach me so brazenly."

As he spoke, he reached to the pile of seeds, plucking four pumpkin seeds from the pile and inserting them into his scarf as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

Minato Arisato | Persona 3

eat well!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Training

no subject

no subject

Eat well