TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 4

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you. If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. It's a fast process, as they no longer have to collect possessions and pets from drowning in the waters, so they're only needing 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 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, a pair of earbuds, and a winter cloak** 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 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. For the month of February: there are complimentary chocolates placed on the pillows that make you feel warm and fuzzy when you eat them, all the rooms have been temporarily redecorated after hearing about Valentine's Day after an announcement about an upcoming Valentine's concert to be held by the off-worlders. They wanted to celebrate love too, and help the newcomers feel welcome! Unfortunately, this means that the two-person bedrooms only have one bed this month... maybe you can get a roll-away? 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. 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. As the snows give way to rain and the cold persists across Avalon, it may seem as if some of the local businesses are suddenly short-staffed. A favorite spot might have shorter hours, longer wait times. Whatever it is, it seems that there are fewer Avalonians as the days go on. It is not long before there are signs posted outside local businesses and every clinic, there is an illness striking the populace and adventurers seem to be immune. While the healers can cure this malady, they are short on supplies and some of them are not easy to obtain. All are urged to take up a task and gather these ingredients. Anyone who does obtain one or more of the required ingredients will be given a Fairy-blessed Tincture of Wellbeing from one of the faeries who stayed behind after the tournament. It is said to bring healing no matter where you are when you sprinkle it on the ground in front of you. (Note: The tincture will teleport the nearest healing mage to your location. This information is not included with the tincture... surprise!) A ⦿ Ingredient One: A Can of Sprite Sprites can be found in and around Avalon, and thankfully so. The first task is to obtain a small can of magic dust from a sprite's wings. Now an adventurer may think to capture and take this by force, but be wary: sprites always travel in packs and will be so inclined to curse any would-be attackers dance till they drop, literally. Sprites are mischievous sorts with a wry sense of humor and can be quite fond a flower which grows near the Red Springs called the Cinnabar Paper Bush. Bring them a bouquet and beg for their cooperation, but be cautious of breathing in the flower's pollen-- the sprites will not warn your character that it's a potent ingredient in probability spells, so breathing it in may cause sudden repeated visions of 15 seconds of a potential future based on every choice your character could make in a particular situation. Getting out of the pollen's effects takes a full day of going through visions of parallel possibilities if there's no one to help you, and the sprites will be long gone by then. You'll need another adventurer to use their magic to get you out of this or prevent the pollen from spreading... good luck. B ⦿ Ingredient Two: Deez Nuts Within the Brocéliande there grows a certain tree. Even in winter, this tree produces tiny star shaped nuts that when ground into a powder are a key ingredient in many healing tinctures. However, the nuts are coveted by the wildlife for they taste quite sweet when eaten straight from the tree. Adventurers are tasked with entering the woods and retrieving baskets full of these tiny nuts. A warning was given to not go unarmed, those animals can be very protective of their food supply and they are rumored to be coveted by the Bear Fir, who won't hesitate to come for you. A warning to the wise: do not eat them yourself. They can be quite tempting. A tiny call will induce the desire to devour all of them, burrowing deep within your conscious. Not only would an adventurer fail their task but they would fall gravely ill for a period of two days. With these obstacles in mind, it may be best to team up and go at this task together to make sure everyone comes out alive and well. C ⦿ Ingredient Three: Wait, isn't that a Pokémon? The hills to the south-east of the Red Spring are home to the elusive Hill Trolls, who never leave their hills, but like to engage with any traveler who does come through. Most try to avoid them as they are extremely rude in every way. However, for this particular remedy, there is special bluegrass known as poliwag grass, so named because the seer who discovered this unique grass had seen the creatures it is named for in an alternate world and found them endearing. The catch? Only the Hill Trolls know now wherein the hills the small patches of this grass can be found. Adventurers are tasked with entering the hills, engaging the Trolls, and requesting a guide to the grass. Avalonians will advise doing anything the troll asks of you, it’s the only way to appease them and get the prize. Characters will be set about various household and yard chores by the Hill Trolls, who will lead them to believe that this grass will take several days journey to reach and they simply can not leave their home and yard in such a state when on a long trip like that. Make sure to complete all your tasks, though, try not to be too angry when once their yard and home are spotless the Hill Troll produces a satchel of poliwag grass straight from their cupboard. They didn’t say you had to go on the trip with them and they will need to replenish their supply after, so they're not apologizing for anything. A video is sent to everyone's devices, a strong magic spell making certain that it opens. Morganna's face appears. Morganna, after all, is to be listened to when she speaks. She seems to be looking at her nails as the recording starts, not looking at her captive audience.

”"As infamous as Arthur and Merlin are, there are many magics they are unfamiliar with. They live in the realm of basic magics, the ones you all have touched and trifled with. But there are skills you will need in the future that require something a little stronger. Now if you came to me seeking spells, I would ask a fair price, dears... but it is my universe you are all saving too, so I will offer you a taste." She finally looks directly into the screen. Despite that it's just a recording, it looks as if she's looking directly into your soul. She sees you even without you responding. Her lips curl up in a little smile, friendly and yet mischievious. "Magic is stronger when more than one person performs it. Where you would be able to toss fire, you could create a fire tornado or rip the earth until it spits the fires of hell up as lava. To perform this kind of magic, you must be entirely in sync with your partners. Of one mind, of one movement. Open the attachment and it will place a memory of how to perform Synchronic Magic with a partner into your mind. It will still take practice, of course. Baby steps."

Magic-infused technology is a hell of a thing-- those who listen after the video ends and open up the attachment will find themselves rapidly flooded with what amounts to an instructional video and a visual sample of witches moving exactly in sync. After a little finger painting on each other's face and collar bones and some deep meditation while performing the spell, the caster of the spell will have complete control over the movements of the person the spell is cast upon. For the duration of the spell, the person who the spell was cast upon will mentally reside in the caster's head outside of their body. Their body will do anything the caster's does. For this particular version of the spell to work, it requires the consent of the person it's being cast upon, though there are other forms of the spell that do not that are not. With that knowledge, get practicing. A ⦿ We Succeed Together When a goddess gives instructions to learn something, you learn it, and so some of the locals have set up meditation tents at one of Camelot City's parks. The tents are filled with incense, steam, and have a spell cast on them to provide relaxing sounds-- babbling brook, yoga music, rain on the ocean, a crackling fireplace, the cries of your enemies, the relaxing sound of change falling from your favorite plinko machine... It will respond to your emotions and find the sound that's most relaxing to you to help you clear your mind. If you trust the person you're with, the spell will go smoothly and you'll be able to perform the much simpler practice spell provided in the tent: a shadow dance. Follow the dance steps around the circle on the floor of the tent; shadows will begin dancing along the walls of the tent outside of their light source. Your shadows will be able to separate from your feet and travel without you once the dance is completed. It will return after completing whatever task you need from it. If you need some help developing your trust in the other person, try playing a game of twenty questions or partaking in some of the sparkling ginger shots in front of you-- they've got a heated kick to them that's sure to warm you up and make you fire out a secret to the person you're sharing the tent with. B ⦿ We Fail Apart If you aren't perfectly in sync with your partner to cast Synchronic Magic, all kinds of things can go wrong. People who do not trust each other may end up accidentally sealing the tents shut and trapping themselves inside until they tell each other a secret they've told no one else, thus forcing them to trust each other. People believe the exact opposite at their core could end up temporarily body swapping with their partner until they wipe off the body paint and break the spell. And of course, even if you're completely on the same page and the person controlling both bodies has two left feet, a mistake in the shadow dance could cause the shadows to enter your eyes, turning both of your vision to complete darkness until you've been in sunlight for about 15 minutes straight. I hope you weren't practicing at night. C ⦿ Loss and Gain After performing the Synchronic Magic, magicians of all kinds are going to feel a little strange. It's a magic outside of their field of expertise used to perform further magics, after all, and they've shared their essence with another person to perform it. There's a chance that characters are going to feel very alone after being separated from the synchronic magic. Alone, tired, and wanting to feel connected again even if you're normally the lone wolf type. Synchronic magic makes you feel connected to others in a way that's hard to do otherwise, and without it it leaves a sense of loss and disconnect. It's not a side-effect that was discussed ahead of time, but the citizens of Camelot have prepared for it for anyone who wishes to stick around after their spellcasting. After the magic is done, at the center of the tented area, everyone is invited to gather around a huge, prismatic bonfire taking place in the center of the park that the tents had been set up in. The bonfire is filled with flames of all colors, like a prism reflecting light and warmth, and acts as a beacon for casters' shadows to find their owners and reconnect with them. It also is enchanted to encourage affectionate feelings. This may inspire people to be more... touch-friendly than normal, wanting to hug and hold onto or simple be shoulder-to-shoulder with the people around them. These feelings can easily be fought even if they're present, but fulfilling them will help to eliminate the sense of loss from the synchronic spell ending. At the end of the night, little rainbow fireflies will begin to fly away from the flames, having been hatched within them, and fly off into the night as the flames turn to embers, and then to charcoal. It is said that if you catch a rainbow firefly, you can make a wish on it, and when let go they will take those wishes to the heavens with them. Some wishes may actually be granted, so if your character has a wish, submit it here. 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. • 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 present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. (This month, please check updated method of inventory collection at the Rent-a-Ride and the "February Special" rooms at the Red Spring.) • The Shadow Dance Ritual is a form of advanced dark magic; this means that yes, after significant practice, a dark magic user may be able to do this on their own with only their own shadow. Even if your character isn't a dark mage, they can do a ritual to perform out-of-discipline magic. More information on rituals and how to unlock them will come in the future! • Please comment with wishes regardless of new/current member status if you want to participate! :) • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ. *This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count. **Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size.

Comments

Sagi | Baten Kaitos | light (maybe)

[scension]

[1-A: arrival // the White Cliffs]

[Traipsing up the cliffside slightly behind the other waterlogged new arrivals, this teenage boy is too busy goggling at the bay below to watch his step, so maybe it was inevitable that he would fall off halfway up the stairs. Even he doesn't look particularly startled when it happens - at least until a second later, when he manifests a pair of heron wings out of thin air only to find that they don't break his fall in the slightest.

Before he can realise what's happening, he's plucked out of the air and returned to the stairs with nothing worse than some sand stuck in his green hair for the ordeal... but that just leaves him even more disoriented than when his wings came out, because now his adrenaline rush has nowhere to go. Instead of resuming the climb, he ends up just standing there, thoroughly awkward.]

Huh? What just...?

[He leans over the edge of the staircase, squinting below at wherever the giant hand disappeared to. Between the bird wings on his back and the six-foot-tall horned humanoid monster watching him from behind, there isn't much room left to squeeze past, so be careful not to get a faceful of feathers! Or simply push him off again, because he might not yet have learned his lesson about leaning just a little too far.]


[1-C: arrival // the Red Spring]

[Sagi finds it difficult to relax indoors, so instead he opted to step outside and walk around the inn for a bit. For once, this worked out pretty well for him. The spring is warm, pleasant, and decidedly not covered in bafflingly tiny machines that everyone else in that caravan seemed to get the hang of instantly. Nobody expects you to think big, world-saving thoughts while inside a hot spring, either. It's nice.

It's so nice, in fact, that it doesn't take him long to start falling asleep. His head is slowly slipping down one of the rocks at the side as he dozes off. Maybe he'll drown today after all.]


[2-A: sprites]

[Quests, in contrast to machines, are one of the few things Sagi understands deeply. Luckily for him, he figured out from some aimless asking around that it would be polite not to go after the sprites empty-handed either, albeit not much else. Accordingly, he's now walking toward a pack of the creatures on the outskirts of town with a bunch of Cinnabar Paper Bush clutched in his hand, and not a shred of guile - but he stops in his tracks when he sees someone else approaching the same sprites with a similar bouquet.]

Oh, are you trying to help the doctors out, too? I can come back later.

[Wouldn't want to annoy them, right?]


[3-B: meditation tents]

[Sagi pokes his head through a tent-flap to the quiet whistling of a gentle breeze through high treetops, and immediately quirks an eyebrow when he recognises the sound. Surreal. But that's magic for you, apparently. He steps inside anyway, holding the flap open for you if you're the second one inside.]

Honestly, I still don't get how this works, but let's give it a shot. How are you feeling?

[He has plenty of trust to go around, at least for the purposes of this exercise. He does not have any sense of rhythm whatsoever. Good luck.]


[3-C: the bonfire]

[Maybe that could have gone better. It comes to an end regardless, leaving Sagi a little bereft of his usual cheerful attitude. Without really thinking about it, he ended up sitting down a little ways away from the crowd, arms around his knees, staring directly into the colourful fire.

Still, he's not so committed to his personal space that he won't offer a smile to anyone coming to sit nearby. Actually, if you sit close enough - compelled by the enchantment or otherwise - you might find a broad, teal-blue, feathered wing reaching across from Sagi's shoulder to drape gently over yours.]

...Sorry. [He'll relent no more than a few seconds later, feeling faintly embarrassed. Both of his wings vanish as abruptly as the impulse surfaced. He's always been bad at reining those in, but they usually aren't so invasive.] I guess it's all still sinking in.

---

(ooc: open to other starters, hit me up at blitzente if you want to plot!)

3B

[melonlord]

[Toph's sense of trust is hindered by her ability to be actually open to others, and she's having trouble finding any of her actual friends. So sure, why not?]

Fine. You know how to meditate?

[The sounds for Toph are the slow drips of water in a cave, the echo making the entire space feel bigger.]

[scension]

From the sound of things outside, we just have to be calm, right? That doesn't seem too bad.

[They may have said slightly more than that, but that's how it came across to him. Auspicious start.

He decides to sit down in a corner of the tent, because it's a small enough space without him towering over her, whoever she is. He isn't incredibly tall, Toph is just tiny.]

Though, if you've got any suggestions...

[Tiny or not, he figures it's safe to assume that everyone here knows more about what they're doing than he does.]

2-a

[compendiem]

Oh.

[ Minato breathes his surprise almost at the same time Sagi does, although his footsteps are slower to stop. Holding the bunch of flowers in his hands, he wonders if he should feel guilty, or embarrassed, like he'd been caught on his girlfriend's front steps bearing flowers, by her boyfriend also bearing flowers. ...That says more about himself than anything, and he decides that, rather than any of that, he feels confused more than anything. ]

Why come back later? Wouldn't getting more flowers at one time be better?

[ Less annoying, in his limited-energy opinion. ]

[scension]

[Whoops, the guy's evident if mild disorientation means that Sagi probably said something weird again.]

Hmm... I was thinking it'd be an extra person to bother them, but you're right.

[Well, awkwardness is natural in any new place. He isn't going to read much into it.]

Alright. Shall we go ask them together?

[compendiem]

[ Constant disorientation at least isn't unusual, and serves as a reminder to keep his eyes and mind open. More flowers at one time seems to him like a good idea, but if both of them go...

Well, whatever. It'll work out. ]

Yeah, let's go together. Don't really know where to look, but... If they like these flowers, they probably hang out near where they grow?

[scension]

I think so. There was a whole flock of them earlier...

[But are they still over there, hovering near one of the other hillside flower patches? He leans off to the side to peer behind Minato, since he's not nearly tall enough to peer over.]

Shoot, it looks like they moved on. Oh well. Let's go find another.

[He's not about to have his positivity dampened by something as minor as that. He just turns away from Minato to traipse further uphill.]

[compendiem]

[ He follows after, but why uphill... Sagi... Minato's calves are still recovering from the climb up the cliff a while back, but he supposes he shouldn't complain, that there's no reason not to make use of the endurance he's built up over time. ]

A sturdy tree, maybe? If we find somewhere high enough, we'd be able to spot them instead of searching everywhere.

[scension]

[You might think this went without saying, or that it was the only obvious reason to go further up the hill right away instead of checking out some of the other flower patches - but Sagi genuinely hadn't thought that far ahead, so the suggestion gives him a moment's pause again. He even looks impressed.]

Sure, why not? That would save us some time. Didn't we pass some trees a while ago...?

[He has to think for a second longer, his gaze wandering absently skyward.]

Yeah, down that-a-way. [A whole little copse of them, with a few treetops visible over the crest of the hill. So uphill was the wrong direction after all... Welp, it happens.] OK, let's try that.

[Off he goes again, walking casually but briskly. And, for now, oblivious to the ethereal, barely audible giggling carried by a breeze...]

2a

[fooligans]

It's fine. Here's hoping that they won't make us duel to win their affection.

[ The snickering that can be heard nearby—most likely the mischievous spirits have overheard Akira's response—is a little concerning. ]

Or I'll just give up and be your wingman instead. [ If he only knew about the wings. ] Two bouquets are better than one.

[ With that said, Akira offers Sagi the Cinnabar Paper Bush he has gathered beforehand. ]

[scension]

[Sagi is about to accept the extra flowers and thank him, but his hand stops as soon as Akira's words catch up with him a moment later, and his face turns a faint shade of pink.]

Wait, their affection? Is that what they're like?

[That wasn't the impression he picked up before, but it would make sense of the flowers... Oh no. He believes it utterly.]

...Are you sure you don't want to do it?

[He holds his own bouquet out to Akira instead, just in case. Two of them.]

[fooligans]

[ Sagi...oh my god. ]

Oh?

[ Surprised by this reaction, Akira blinks a few times before taking the bouquets off Sagi's hands and accidentally breathes in some of the pollen, oops. ]

This might go terribly wrong. I can see it.

[ Literally. The vision unfolds in front of his eyes and yet, it involves a Dancing All Night bad end in which they never get any magic dust. ]

[scension]

You think so? [Sagi looks more nonplussed than relieved at what sounds on the surface like Akira having a sudden case of nerves. He feels a little bad now. This is why he never thinks.] I mean, we can go ask them together if you're worried.

[If he's worried. It's hard to read his expression, actually. Is he even looking anywhere near Sagi's eye level?]

Uh, is something the matter?

[Of course, trying to puzzle this one out means Sagi isn't paying attention to that ongoing giggling. Concerning indeed.]

[fooligans]

You can't see this?

[ Akira's pointing his finger at one spot in the air which looks perfectly normal expect he can see another bad end unfold before his eyes—this time the sprites are unnecessarily rude to them before disappearing into thin air. ]

They're going to trick us...I think. I'm not sure. That's how I see it.

[scension]

[Sagi leans over to squint at the place Akira seems to be pointing, because he'd be a hypocrite if he didn't give people the benefit of the doubt about seeing and hearing things in empty space... but try as he might, he isn't close enough to the bouquets to see anything unusual, much less the same vision.]

All I see is your finger. [Speaking of hearing things in empty space, he quickly glances somewhere off to Akira's side.] What about you?

[Nothing but silence answers him.]

Nothing either? Hmm. Maybe it's magic again?

[For lack of any other ideas, he cautiously waves a hand in front of Akira's finger. It beats just standing there and staring.]

1-C

[takoyakitori]

[No, no drowning. Tamaki was content to keep to himself at the spring, as he often is, but when he notices the other boy starting to tip into the water he can't just watch.

That doesn't mean he doesn't hesitate. But eventually he wades across the water and very awkwardly puts a hand on the other boy's head, passively holding him up.]

Hey.... you're going to drown.

[scension]

Bvv??

[Sagi jolts upright at the touch with a minor splash. Yea, he was close enough to drowning that his mouth was nearly in the water - he instinctively goes to wipe it with the back of his hand, getting more water on it in the process - but now he's wide awake! Crisis averted.]

Oh! Well, not any more. Thanks.

[Judging from his cheerful smile at the older boy, he clearly doesn't begrudge the interruption.]

I guess we were more tired than I thought.

[Weird pronoun choice, but okay.]

[takoyakitori]

[We. Huh. Okay.]

You should probably get out. If you're falling asleep in the springs you could do it again, or get too hot and overheat.

[Honestly, he should keep this to himself, this guy probably doesn't want to hear it from him. But... well. After a moment, and now that he's certain this guy isn't going to just collapse into the water, he pulls his hand back and moves to retreat back to where he was before.]

[scension]

Aw. [Sagi looks mildly put out for a second, like a kid getting a minor scolding from a parent, but he can't deny this logic.] Yeah, I suppose. And they went out of their way to get us beds.

[May as well sleep on one if it's there. He stands up slowly, shivering a bit as he reaches for the towel he left on the side, but a stray intrusive thought gives him pause before he can finish wrapping it around himself.]

... Does that happen a lot here? Drowning?

[takoyakitori]

[Tamaki very pointedly focuses on the sky above them when Sagi statnds up, expression wiggly and uncertain.]

I don't think so. I didn't want to be here and watch you be the first. Sorry.

3-C

[skybound_knight]

[Link is not very possessive of his personal space: Zelda never respected it, Groose never shown to respect it either and... the Hylian is more or less used to have people step in it. The wing? It merely surprises him but he doesn't seem bothered- quite the contrary.]

Oh, no no... feel free to keep them out. How... is that a spell?

[The Skyloftian may be a bit envious of him as well, but he's mostly curious. Is that something he may be able to do by himself?]

[scension]

[It's a natural enough question, and this guy doesn't seem hostile about it, but it's still the kind of thing nobody would ask about back home. Between that and the lingering effect of those attempts at shadow magic, Sagi's smile definitely looks a little strained. Still, there's no reason to make that Link's problem.]

No, they're just my wings. Don't worry about it.

[Though it's a surreal thing to hear himself say, for sure. At least he's used to seeming weird.]

If they were magic, maybe I'd have a head start on that dance thing. It didn't go so well.

[skybound_knight]

[Link's eyes are basically sparkling right now. Yes, perhaps that means he will have no way to attempt copying a spell and get a pair of wings himself, but...]

That's amazing! [He's a big bird lover and he adores taking care of his winged companion, but... a winged person? That's just- so fascinating!] Do you mind... I mean, could I see again? Touch them, perhaps? Are you able to fly? Your body doesn't seem very aereodynamic. No offense intended.

[The teen grins just a little.] Well, it didn't go well for me as well and I have no wings getting in the way...

[scension]

[Though Sagi quirks an eyebrow at the barrage of questions, it honestly puts him more at ease after that initial embarrassing impulse. Nobody who gets such a kid-like level of excited about a regular-sized pair of wings can be a bad person, right? Particularly if they flubbed the dance stuff, just like him.]

Um, sure!

[He looks up at the sky and concentrates for the brief moment it takes to manifest his wings again. On closer inspection, they're more like the entire back half of a bird: feathers all the way down the back of his jacket, a wedge-shaped tail at the base, two long yellow plumes coming off his shoulders. On even closer inspection, they're see-through, despite feeling perfectly solid to the touch.]

Normally they're easier to use, but they don't seem to work properly here. Whether that's something about this dimension or just me, who knows. There's been a lot of stuff to get used to, either way.

[Putting it mildly.]

[skybound_knight]

[Link just grew up locked away in a floating city, birds have been part of his life since he was a child and he can't even imagine a world without them. And while the knight is a graceful and skilled fighter, he's also... well, he's got two left feet when it comes to dancing.]

Fantastic!

[He bites his lips with excitement as he waits for Sagi's wings to show up again, despite being almost an adult he's definitely acting like a child right now. The man is quick on his feet as he starts moving around the other and studying the wings that just appeared. Oh, now he's definitely envious, those are beautiful!]

Mhm... I can't say anything really changed for me since I arrived here, but at the same time I know many others are suffering from powers not working properly and- excuse me, but those are magical, aren't they? [Sorry, he seems unable to keep any conversation going right now if it doesn't directly involve wings.] Does that mean you have no need to preen yourself? Do you molt? And do you have full sensibility on them? I- excuse me? Just let me know if I'm...

[He mumbles something before reaching forward, his gloved hand tentatively touching the feathers. Link doesn't want to invade too much the other man's personal space, yet at the same time he'd like to pass his fingers between the various feathers. Yes, he's also feeling a strange need to be a bit more affectionate toward others, today.]

I... wow... I wish I had anything like this.