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

[beaumains]

[ So that... that was she she'd heard the name. This was the guy behind all of that? No one really seemed to push anything onto him. Really, when she'd arrived, everyone was much more concerned with the other Crypters, and of course those Alter-egos working for the Alien God. But even so, nothing about what he said felt false or exaggerated...

... But even so. ]

You've come to me in pace. I'd shame my knighthood, but most of all my own beliefs, if I treated you as a villain. How my fellow knights, or Master, or anyone else at Chaldea would react to that doesn't matter...

This is what I believe. You haven't given me a reason to change it.

[ Even if... he did something like that. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

Yeah? What kind of reason could I give you?

[It's a compulsion—Kadoc has to push. He can't let himself off the hook. Even in the thick of things, when he'd been actively courting Chaldea to fight alongside him to take down Ivan the Terrible, the thought of them doing so out of any affection or sympathy for him had turned his stomach: of course they hated him and wanted revenge on him for what he'd done, and if they didn't, then dammit, they should, and it could only be out of ignorance that they didn't.

It turns out that feeling doesn't fade so easily in the immediate aftermath of things having ended.

He shifts his gaze away briefly, but no, he makes himself look at her again across the creepy, dim little tent, mouth set in a line.]

I've probably got it, whatever it is. You're one of Fujimaru's Servants, right? We tried to kill all of you. Fujimaru, Kyrielight, and everyone backing you up. I don't feel bad about that. All I regret is that I lost. Is that enough for you?

[The honesty of all of that is, to say the least, a very complicated matter that Kadoc may not have been able to settle on himself. But the words come easily regardless.]

[beaumains]

[ He did seem to say it all so effortlessly. Almost too effortlessly. She had to wonder...

Despite his escalation, she tried to keep herself calm. Mostly because while there was that bubbling inside of her, the "wolf" within growling to be let out, most of the barbed, blackened energy of anxiety, doubt, and anger... came from him. ]

You haven't insulted Master yet. You haven't insulted my fellow knights, or my King. You haven't insulted me.

[ Honestly, he didn't even seem to have much of that type of spite in him. ]

What's more, you haven't attacked me. And if you did, I don't doubt I'd just overpower you...

[ Even if she lacked her Heroic Spirit body and its benefits, her intuition still told her she'd have him down if he actually tried that.

... and it didn't feel like he wanted to. ]

Battles happen. And even if you tried to kill my Master, and Lady Mash... Revenge isn't becoming of a knight.

[impostorsyndrome]

[His lip curls at first—but then, I don't doubt I'd just overpower you. Yeah. She's got him there. It may be dark and dry, but Kadoc can't help but let out a little snort of a laugh at it. It breaks a little of the tension, because that's the position he's in, isn't it? He'd already come to accept that when he'd woken up in a cell after Chaldea captured him alive. He's no longer in a position where he can do much against anyone. And now here, without his own magecraft and with his knowledge and control of his new Light-based magic incredibly paltry . . . he's even more at the mercy of everyone else than he was before.]

Insulting your Master is the easiest thing in the world for me, so don't get me started. . . . Seriously. Of course you could take me. I'm defenseless. And however else I feel about it, I can't throw my life away, so I'm not about to pick a fight with you. I just don't get why you're so casual about it.

[beaumains]

There is nothing casual about this!

[ That... got a much more firm tone from her. But it seemed less like a response from anger and more like... scolding him. Scolding him for rolling in his mire of negative energy. Even if the tension had been broken, he was still... ]

What's done is done. In this world, we have no reason to quarrel, so I won't. We have everything to gain from working together.

If you refuse to do that, then fine. I can't force you to set aside all of that... But I want you to try. Every bit counts...

[impostorsyndrome]

[Ah, scolding. Now that he's used to. He automatically cringes back a bit at her tone, even though it's not entirely unwelcome—in a strange way, it's comforting. Being browbeaten by a young woman over his own stubborn points of view and assorted failings feels just like home.]

Sorry.

[He murmurs, automatically, the way he does. Shit. So embarrassing . . . she's right. Kadoc's not an idiot, and he knows well what it means to work with your enemies towards a common goal. His body curls up a little where he sits, and he brushes some hair that wasn't really in his face out of his face.]

You're not wrong. Right now, we've got no choice but to work together on this thing. I'm not gonna destroy our chances before we even take them. . . . So, fine.

[beaumains]

[ Honestly... it was fine. Part of her didn't really like having to do any of that, but in the end, she managed to do something a bit more like her eldest brother... she wondered if he'd be proud, of how she solved the issue. Gareth managed a smile, warm, but a little tired. ]

Let's start again, then...

[ This time, instead of going rigid in attention, she just extended a gloved hand, palm open. ]

I'm Gareth. It's nice to meet you.

[impostorsyndrome]

. . .

[He just looks at the hand for a beat too long, as if he might not take it. But that would be an idiotic decision. What's the point of refusing to shake her hand if they're about to move on to what's sure to be much more intimate than this meaningless gesture? So at last he reaches out to shake it. He shakes hands like a man who doesn't do that much and doesn't especially enjoy it when he does, because those two things are true. But he doesn't jerk away quickly, either.]

Kadoc Zemlupus. You know that, but . . . I guess that's not the point.

[beaumains]

I look forward to working with you, Kadoc.

[ Maybe it was all a little too eased, but it really only sounded like that. There was still an energy between them, one that seemed to crackle like raw electricity. But that unease was something Gareth was willing to fight through... even of the other was more hesitant. ]

Shall we begin properly, then?

[impostorsyndrome]

Yeah. Let's get this shit over with.

[It's funny; despite the harshness of his phrasing, there really is something more at ease in his tone itself, as if maybe he's smiling just a little on the inside. Maybe. Dark humor is still humor! And what else can you do in a situation like this but laugh at how fucked up it kinda is, for them both?]

. . . You think we're good to jump into it by now? Or do we need to "bond"? Me, I feel like I just did enough social interaction to last me a few days.

[beaumains]

Part of me feels like... I understand you. And I'm not afraid to move forward with what I feel and understand already.

What about you?

[ That confrontation, after all, showed so much about them that a questions game probably would have never truly revealed. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

I'm not that deep. And you seem pretty straightforward, even if I'm not sure I'd say I "understand" you.

[He feels he has a grasp on her, and that's good enough for this. It's better than could probably be expected of any two randos thrown together into something like this, in all its intimacy. So now, what, they dance? Kadoc stares down at the footsteps outlined on the floor for them to follow; now that he remembers that the next step is them getting up and dancing together, his ass feels like it's made of lead, pinning him to the floor. Uuugggghhh, do they have to?

No, no, he drags himself up. He did say he wasn't going to ruin their chances, and this is a small thing to deal with in the grand scheme of things.]

. . . This should come as no surprise if you feel like you understand me, but I'm not what I'd call a good dancer.

[beaumains]

As it happens, part of a knight's training is learning formal dance! [ Gareth nodded, with some level of confidence, but... it faltered just slightly when she realized something. ]

Although... I've never actually danced with a boy, before...

[ Some of the women she'd danced with had been taller, sure, but this was a little different... ]

[impostorsyndrome]

I doubt it's that different. Just think of me as a really clumsy girl or whatever.

[Well, he does know there's the whole matter of leading and following, and that's probably the crux of that issue. If Gareth's never danced with a boy, does that mean she only knows how to lead? . . . This is a totally new dance that Kadoc's decided in advance he's going to suck at either way, so he may as well suck backwards. He has no pride in that kind of thing.]

I don't mind following.

[beaumains]

[ He was about a full head taller than her, but she could make it work. With a confident, if softer, smile, she nodded, looking down at the steps to take in the pattern...

And then stepped towards him, in the lead position, hand out to take his... ]

May I have this dance, my lord?

[ It wasn't meant to be cheesy or embarrassing. It was really a matter of trained formality ]

[impostorsyndrome]

[Oh, it's embarrassing anyway, but mostly because Kadoc's embarrassment threshold is abysmally low. He is the kind of guy who gets embarrassed just admitting to liking something more than a barely above-neutral amount. This? He never stood a chance. For a moment he just blinks at her hand, trying to will the stupid, reflexive rush of color out of his cheeks; that doesn't work, of course. But he can't balk at this part when he's already made more serious concessions! This is just dumb!

He takes her hand, eyes on the dance steps on the floor, a convenient excuse. Gotta study those to get this right, uh huh.]

. . . You don't have to get formal about it. I can't live up to that.

[beaumains]

S-sorry. Force of habit... [ Gareth ducked her head, a bit sheepish. She hadn't meant to make him nervous again... but what's more, she could feel that within him, a sign that they were on the right track. Settling one hand around his hip, she moved the one he'd given her to her shoulder.

And... she started to move. Slow. Easy. Minding his feet. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

[This isn't Kadoc's first rodeo . . . but it is only the second, and this isn't the sort of thing he's naturally given to. No one is, though. That's what Anastasia had told him the first time he'd attempted this, with her, and it had been more a harsh lesson then than a reassurance. . . . He'd appreciated it for that, and he still does. It helps force him out of his embarrassment in doing things he isn't good at in front of someone else, and they need that now. Score yet one more for Anastasia.

He isn't terrible, anyway, whatever he thinks of his own skill, but he is overly self-conscious, occasionally tripping up the next move because he's thinking too hard about it rather than letting it come naturally.]

Shit. Sorry—

[beaumains]

It's fine, it's fine... [ Gareth assured, her voice losing none of its usual chipperness, though spoken a bit more softly. ][ ]

Mistakes are part of learning. [ That's what Lancelot had always told her, any time she slipped up in her training. Honestly, his guidance was why she was able to do this at all. She was reminded of the first time she really put it into practice, dancing with Lady Lyonesse, nearly stepping on her toes several times... ]

[impostorsyndrome]

I'm not a kid, sheesh . . .

[And yet he mumbles a bit like an ashamed child at that reassurance, so how true is that really? Ugh. He can't just leave it at that, either; he's always got to throw in something else, especially when he's feeling off his guard. Overexplain like always.]

I know. Believe me, I've made nothing but mistakes all my life. I've got to get something out of them, or I'd just have given up a long time ago.

[It is noticeable, though, that when they're talking, his dancing gets better, because he's no longer overthinking the steps.]

[beaumains]

[ She definitely noticed. The trick was to keep him talking... ]

That's a really good attitude about it! I used to be really hard on myself when I failed any aspects of my own training as a knight... Sir Lancelot kicked me out of that habit, eventually.

[impostorsyndrome]

I didn't say I wasn't hard on myself. But that's gotta be the first time anyone's ever accused me of having a good attitude about anything.

[In the background of that wry, amused little comment, in the back of his head, he thinks—Gareth and Lancelot, huh. Talk about bittersweet. Kadoc knows the legends well enough. It's nothing he's going to say, at least not now, but it's another bit about her to think about later. She's so cheerful . . .

By now, their shadows are beginning to loosen up a bit, move not quite in time with their steps. But for the moment, he's too preoccupied to notice. The dance is getting easier as he gets used to it and relaxes by inches. Almost—fun? Almost?!]

[beaumains]

[ Gareth didn't really seem to notice, either... mostly because her focus wasn't on their feet, but on him. This close, he honestly looked... like Galahad. It was hard to ignore the similarities, though he was obviously well gloomier. It just chimed with that nostalgic part of her more, and let herself not almost have fun, but just straight up actually have fun. She even giggled slightly, picking up the pace half a step, faithful that he could keep up. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

[Between everything, Kadoc's sufficiently relaxed enough that he doesn't notice consciously; if he did, he'd surely trip up, probably with some self-deprecating complaint. Slow down, you know I suck at this! But even if he's far from great, he doesn't suck quite as much as he would have expected either. Once they get into the rhythm of it, it flows. Whatever music is playing now, whether it's in his own mindscape or aloud for them both, isn't rock anymore, but something that matches the beat, makes it easier to dance to. 1, 2, 3 . . .

Gareth giggles and he glances away in a tiny fit of embarrassment at the sound. He has both good and bad associations with girls laughing, and even if he can tell it isn't derisive from her, he can't quite bear to see it without blushing again. But it's because of that that he looks to the side and finally notices the shadows. His eyes widen. Whoa, shit.]

—Hey! It worked. Check out the walls . . . don't stop yet.