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

Elsa | Frozen

[iskrystaller]

( OOC: canon point is post-Frozen 2; I don't include the novels in my characterization but utilize the movies, shorts, and also the musical. Let me know if there are spoilers you need to avoid! She'll have elemental magic, still unsure about familiar but leaning towards a snowgie, so feel free to play with that if you want! )

i ❄ the cold never bothered me?
(spoilers for Frozen 2)

[ In all twenty-four years of her life, Elsa remembers feeling the cold exactly once: in the depths of Ahtohallan, as she witnessed the memories of the past that allowed Anna to save all of their peoples, both those of Arendelle and the Northuldra.

This, then, would be a second time.

For a moment, the once-queen is convinced that she's dreaming, revisiting her own experiences - a fall, an icy cold that bites into her bones - in her mind, but the woman that appears moments later to hold a potion to her lips dispels that thought as quickly as it appeared. The liquid warms her enough that she can move, and moments later Elsa breaks the surface of the water with a gasp.

Where...?

The train of her dress is heavier than ever in the water, trying to drag her back down. But the ice that litters the lake's surface? That she can deal with. And so she drags herself onto one of the floating pieces, sandaled feet making a confident path from one to the other, towards the shore.

If she spies anyone floundering in the water along the way, she'll help them out; otherwise, she can be found afterwards on the shore, arms folded across her chest and holding her shoulders as she looks out over the scenery. ]

ii ❄ conceal, don't feel

[ Needless to say, there have been a lot of questions between the shore and the resort town, and by the time she arrives at the inn, Elsa's brain is as tired as the rest of her body. Her natural magic is gone, she understands that much - understood as much from the first moment she had time to think, really; she can feel its absence in the same way she felt the cold of the water. She's been granted some other type of magic by this world. (Which type, she does not yet know.) And her own world... Her friends, her loved ones, Anna...

The thought makes her feel sick to her stomach. After everything they've been through already...

She wants to sit and cry, but years of preparing for queendom won't let her do that. Rather, she holds her head high as she opens the door to her room in the inn, promising herself she can worry about everything once she's had some proper rest—

—and promptly blanching when she looks at the single bed. She was told that there would be two people to a room, so...

Deep breath as she steps into the room. ]

Hello? Is anyone here?

iii ❄ feel my power grow

[ Whether she abandons the room after an awkward meeting with her roommate or gets some rest first, Elsa soon finds herself at the nearby training yard. The new magic feels different under her skin, and she wants to learn how to use it. After all, along with that sick feeling still present in her stomach, there's a burning determination, too: unless she learns, she can't help Anna, or their other friends.

So she listens carefully to the teachers, joins in the meditation circles and then pits herself against the obstacle course, listening to the song in her veins and searching for its melody.

To anyone who knows her, it's not a surprise that the first spell she casts is one of ice, a solid stair to help her over an obstacle that's otherwise too high. Delighted by the discovery, Elsa laughs. So she possesses elemental magic, then. She's in her wheelhouse after all!

If you're not around for the initial discovery, you might find her later experimenting with her powers at the target practice, using not just ice, but fire and earth and water and any other element she can think of in the moment, a brilliant smile on her lips. ]

iv ❄ wildcard

( something else in mind? I'm happy to play around with anything at all! shoot me a message on this account, or ping me at denouements! )

III

[impostorsyndrome]

[The training yard is the most comforting place Kadoc's encountered so far on this whole adventure; training is a thing he knows how to do. The rest of this is a mess, but working his ass off to master what magical ability he has? That's old hat. He could fall back on that habit anywhere, even Weird AU Camelot. So once he has the opportunity, that's exactly what he's doing: throwing himself into testing out his control of the new and strange Light-based magic flowing through his circuits. Kadoc could spend hours out here getting this down before he's satisfied. He's in real danger of hyperfocusing on this so hard he loses track of anyone else on the field—

But he does hear a woman laugh in joy, and for whatever reason, he lifts his gaze to see a young woman with long white hair landing on the other side of a stair of ice.

That is about the one and only thing that could completely throw him off his groove right now. The moment is only passing, but it doesn't matter. Of course this isn't someone else he knows, the way he thought it was for just a moment. That'd been . . . stupid. But still, it gets under his skin enough that he can't just go back to what he was doing. He needs to—

Apparently, he needs to send up a tiny blue firework burst over in the Ice Woman's general vicinity, as a celebration of her victory over her new powers. Sure. That's what cool dudes who have been completely thrown off their game by awkwardly familiar girls do. Definitely!

At least, since no gunpowder is involved in magical lights, it's not a loud firework. It's a very pretty sparkly little burst in the sky! Oh shit, he's so embarrassed he did that.]

[iskrystaller]

[ Hyperfocus is exactly the problem that Elsa has, too. Even with the desire to help Anna and their friends put aside, for someone who has spent her whole life with magic, suddenly being without it seems unthinkable; the desire to master these new abilities is the natural result, and whether she would admit it or not, there's the potential for her to get lost in her attempts to improve. Even the success of the staircase just urges her on to try bigger things— But the little burst of light is certainly noticed, drawing her out of her focus enough that she looks around for whoever created it.

There are plenty of others on the field, but only one looking at her. She's not seen him before, but the awkward, embarrassed expression worn on his face gives him away - as well as gives her an immediate sense of kinship and sympathy. It's an expression she knows all too well, having worn it many times herself when her powers have gotten away from her back home, leaving piles of ice or snow in her wake. And so the smile she offers him as she approaches is something gentle, perhaps almost tentative. Having spent so much of her life behind a closed door, she's honestly still not great at this new person thing herself. ]

That was beautiful. It looked almost like a snowflake.

[ But it was light, wasn't it? It seemed so, with the way it appeared and disappeared in a blink, ephemeral, a lifetime in a single moment. ]

What kind of magic is it?

[impostorsyndrome]

[Ah, she did notice, and picked him out at that—not that he was being subtle, huh. And he wasn't even especially trying to be, he realizes. As is so often the case when he's noticed, Kadoc's torn between wishing he hadn't been and being deeply grateful that he isn't just invisible.

There's no winning with that mindset, though. He is at least self-aware enough to scoff at himself and push it aside, so he can have a normal conversation with a woman who is definitely not anyone he's ever met, but who seems kind. And that's far from a bad outcome.

He doesn't smile, but his expression is soft, not unfriendly. Now that he's not throwing off fireworks on a dumb whim, his arms are crossed over his chest, as if he's cold—though he isn't. The shaggy, fur-lined cloak he wears is even warmer than it looks thanks to its magical properties, and boy is he glad he was wearing it when he got dumped in that lake.]

. . . Thanks. Sorry if I distracted you. It just looked like a cause for celebration, so . . . anyway. They told me it's Light magic. That's not what I would have pegged for myself, but it doesn't feel wrong. You're Elemental, right?

[Elemental is at least very straightforward in terms of grasping what it does on a broad scale. It's not an unfamiliar concept to Kadoc. The ins and outs of how it works here are still a mystery, though; can she wield every element? Just ice? She looks so much royalty from some arctic land that it's hard to imagine her hurling fire around. But the thought is charming for that reason.]

[iskrystaller]

[ When offered that apology, Elsa is quick to shake her head. Honestly, she kind of needed a little bit of celebration after managing something like that. Which on its own is a little strange when she's someone who in the past has built entire castles out of ice on a whim, when her sneezes have in the past created living creatures, one of which has apparently saved her from their time-locked world and brought her here. But the magic here is different, or at least it feels like it is, enough so that even something as small as this feels like a success. ]

Elemental? It... seems that way, yes.

[ There's a moment after she says it where the realization sinks in, and Elsa's eyes grow a little wider. Based on what the teachers explained to her on her arrival at the resort, that means that she should now have access to a lot more than her usual... It's with a curious expression on her face that she stretches out a hand, palm flat, trying to find that same feeling that she used to conjure the ice just a moment ago.

A tiny flame springs to life, and flickers out in the next moment. (She's not really used to creating heat.) Elsa smiles, her excitement no doubt obvious in her expression.

But. Oh. She's not meant to be showing off, she's meant to be having a conversation... ]

What kinds of things can you do with Light magic?

II

[beautyrest]

[Aurora is sitting by the window when the door opens, a book in her lap and her giant eagle owl familiar asleep on his perch beside her. She looks up when the door opens and she sees Elsa.]

Yes, hello. Are you in need of something?

[iskrystaller]

[ The young woman at the window certainly seems nice enough, but that doesn't alleviate Elsa's immediate concerns: she has a roommate, the roommate is present, and there is only one bed. She tries for a smile, but it's nor particularly forthcoming, despite her best efforts. ]

No, no. There's nothing I need. Only...

[ She shrugs. ]

I think we might be... roommates?

[beautyrest]

[Aurora closed the book and set it aside to give Elsa her full attention.]

I... see. [She looked over to the one bed. Had there been a mistake?]

Well, then if that is the case, we shall have to see about getting another bed. It certainly wouldn't be fair otherwise.

[iskrystaller]

[ There's some relief found in the other woman's response; it seems she too is concerned with the fact that they seem to be expected to share a singular bed. The knowledge is actually enough for Elsa to manage a small smile. Somehow, it's less awkward knowing that neither of them is expecting the other to just be okay with their situation. ]

I'm afraid I'm brand new here, so I'm not sure who I should ask... Are you new here too?

I

[bendless]

[Sokka notices the shivering girl and approaches them, taking off the simple blue jacket he was wearing and offering it.]

Here. You might want to put this on until we get to the caravans. Don't worry about me, I didn't enter the water.

[iskrystaller]

[ For a moment or two, Elsa blinks at the young man in surprise, before she remembers her manners and accepts the jacket with a grateful smile, pulling it on over the soaking white dress she's wearing. From where she's standing, she's seen more than a few people plunge into the water from above, but true to his word, he's completely dry. Her head tilts, her gaze appraising. ]

Thank you.

[ And then, because it's clear that he has a better understand of their situation than she: ]

Where are we?

[bendless]

[He smiles as a reply to the thank you.]

We're in a place called Avalon. It's another world, separate from your home one. We were brought here to learn magic and save both this place and our own world. The time from where we are is frozen, so whatever you have going on back home will resume once we go back.

[iskrystaller]

[ Frozen? The word makes her ears prick up, and for a moment there's a distinct feeling within her like she can fix that by herself; she doesn't register the 'time' part for a moment or two longer. When she does, her brows crease, and the disgruntled, frustrated look on her face covers the worry that immediately pools in her stomach, thick and cloying.

If time is frozen, then Anna... ]

What about our friends? Our family?

iii;

[omnistriker]

[ The deluge of magic does take Tifa off-guard, nearly causing her to walk straight into a wall of fire during her explorations. Almost reflexively, a bright shield rises from her hands, encasing her clumsily to try and protect her as she stands a bit shell-shocked before her senses gradually return. Thankfully, there doesn't appear to be any threats present -merely a woman experimenting with her magic if that joy is anything to go by. At least, Tifa doesn't think there is any malicious intent coming from her, but one can never be sure.

Side-stepping the burning greenery, she makes her presence known with a hesitant wave. Her expression is equally hesitant as she takes a closer look at the spell-caster in question. ]

Sorry, I didn't know you had claimed this space for training. I was trying to make my way back to the shoreline since I heard there were some new arrivals.

[ And naturally, she was hoping to find some friends from her world -if they'd even been pulled into this one. As much as she hates getting her hopes up, she just wants to make sure they aren't wondering about lost, hungry, tired, and looking for her in return. ]

Admittedly, I was also a bit impressed by your skill. You're not very new to all this, are you?

[iskrystaller]

[ It happens so fast that Elsa almost misses it, the shield of light that surrounds the newcomer and protects her from the blast of fire, the intended victim of which she steps around a moment after. A single moment after which the old fear wells up in her within moments, climbing high into her throat and choking.

She could have hurt this girl. Could have killed her. Is she as much of a loose cannon now as she was back then, completely out of control?—

No. Even as the woman approaches her, Elsa closes her eyes for a moment, trying to ground herself, focusing on the breath in her lungs. (It's harder than she wants it to be. Anna would make it so much easier...) There was no loss of control, not now. The magic was with her the whole time. It was just bad timing, a moment of bad luck...

Her eyes open. The brunette is talking, but she's not quite sure she's managed to parse everything, what with her momentary panic. ]

Please. It isn't your fault. I should've been more careful.

[ She offers her a smile, one that's tired and concerned, but still genuine. ]

I've had magic my whole life. This is a little different to that, but familiar all the same.

[omnistriker]

[ Tifa easily waves the matter off, certainly unharmed, and honestly, she's dealt with far worse. A bit of stray magic won't kill her -just shake her nerves a bit loose. Considering how much she could use the distraction at the moment, she's hardly upset at all. ]

Don't worry about it. It would take more than that to knock me down.

[ The confidence doesn't quite reach her eyes, even if she is doing her best to match her cool to her claims. ]

I should be the one apologizing for interrupting. It was admittedly hard to keep my eyes off all the sparks and flames.

[ Although she's had significant practice using magic through materia, it's nothing like having it ingrained into her DNA. To her, it's always been simply a tool rather than an organic process, one that's as familiar and integral to the body as breathing. ]

Are you a-...hmm, I think they call them wizards here? It's funny, I never thought I'd come across any. It feels almost like walking into a fairytale.

[iskrystaller]

[ Elsa may not be great with social interactions, but she at least knows enough not to call the woman out on the smile that isn't quite genuine. So she breezes on to the question, a small, answering smile on her lips. And like Tifa's, it's not quite right, a little awkwardness pulling at the edges of it. ]

I... I guess that is what they'd call me here. On my world, we don't really have a word for it.

[ Largely because she's the only person from Arendelle with magic, at least in their known history. A more accurate word to her knowledge would probably just be "spirit", but...

Well. Wizard works.

Elsa's smile broadens a little; she's aiming for something friendlier now, with less of the awkwardness of meeting someone new and not knowing how to describe herself, less of the panic at having potentially endangered someone - again - with her powers. ]

I'm Elsa. Your shield was impressive, too. Is that light magic?

iii;

[rediscovering]

[ Zuko is there on the training grounds with her, eager to take advantage always of the teachers and meditation circles and obstacle courses and all himself. He's been training furiously since he arrived a month ago, but he's not made nearly the progress Elsa has naturally. He's gotten pretty good with air, has been trying and failing to gain better control of his fire, much to his deep chagrin... He feels the same emptiness Elsa feels inside. His flame has been snuffed out. He'd lost his firebending powers twice: once, because of a profound moral transformation, which forced him to relearn the source of his strength, could not burn from fury alone — when he stopped fighting for redemption and started fighting for justice; and a second time, when he'd found himself similarly spirited away as he is now, lost in the universe, uncertain if and when he'd ever see his home again, no wars to win, no kingdom to fight against to protect it from itself, no throne to inherit. No responsibilities. No mission. No purpose. He'd regained his flames with the help of his devoted, wise uncle, who'd also been spirited away to that strange planet along with Zuko and his sister, which involved a lot of meditation... only to find that his purpose existed within himself always, his duty to his friends and loved ones unwavering even in times of peace, that his daily actions sowed justice and compassion in small ways — not just in battles to be won, like it'd been at home. This was a viscerally moving clarity to stoke his inner flame, a beautiful epiphany for the troubled sixteen-year-old that granted him his fire back with a new heat.

And now it was gone. It didn't matter how much wisdom he gained. He could lose it at any time. It wasn't his fault this time... But what if it was? He never rules himself out as a suspect when things go wrong. He could barely produce a puff of flame, compared to what he's normally capable of; it felt pathetic. He didn't feel it inside him, a void where he'd once felt a little sun within him, all his life, like a second heartbeat. There were not even embers burning. He should be excited to play with the other elements. But he's too much in his head about everything to look on the bright side. He didn't want to be an Avatar. He wanted to be a firebender. He's to be crowned Fire Lord as soon as he returns home — and he cannot live up to that as is, by a long shot. All he knows is that he's gotten fair with air, but has made an utter fool of himself failing with water, and that his fire only seems to appear in fits of extreme rage and devastation and over-charged emotion — which he's had several of since being here. Earth wasn't even in the mix yet... He's never been a natural learner. He's always lived in the shadow of his younger prodigy firebender sister, Azula, who was stripped of her flames here, too — though hers were truly gone, replaced by new alien cognitive powers, which sounded far more tormenting. He at least could work hard to regain his flames, but he resented how hard it was he had to work at these things by comparison to her all his life, ingrained that inferiority. He's not so much a slow learner as he is a diligent learner, thorough, dedicated, even if he's no natural. But to see this pretty girl elegantly swooping in to each form, smiling brilliantly, so thrilled by her natural talents... the troubled young fire prince is frankly jealous. He can't help but glower at her from a short way's away, pausing in his own training rather abruptly to comment, a bit bitterly. ]

You're very good at this.

[iskrystaller]

[ Later, when she's not so joyfully overwhelmed by the amount of things she can do, Elsa will certainly find herself frustrated. It is true that her natural affinity for magic gives her an edge over others here when it comes to what she can do, but compared to the feats of which she was previously capable without even a second thought, what she's doing here is nothing at all - just with a lot more elements than before.

Even after three years, her ice castle still stands tall and proud on the North Mountain. The ice staircase she built on the obstacle course has already melted away.

But those are concerns for later. Right now—

Well, right now there's a young man looking at her with a particularly unhappy expression on his face. Elsa pauses, offering him a brief, apologetic smile. ]

I've had magic my whole life. I suppose you could say I have a natural affinity for it. [ Referring to herself as a spirit when she still feels entirely human is too strange. ] It's different here, but some parts of it feel similar.

[ She doesn't like how unhappy he looks... but she's also entirely unsure of what to say.

What would Anna do...?

Her expression brightens, and she takes a step forward. ]

I'm Elsa.

[rediscovering]

[ Zuko takes pause before replying, his own expression softening into a natural scowl that often rests on his young face. She's being friendly and he's being a brat. But it was impressive. He wasn't mocking, at least. ]

...Yeah. Me too. I feel the same way.

[ He lightens his stance some, a bit less rigid, and takes a step forward as well to bow to her in a rather unusual way. He's better off to show respect to people who could best him, and he knows it. And right now, with his magic in the state it's in, he knows he'd be easily bested. He's angry at himself. Not her. She has every reason to be jumping for joy. ]

Zuko.

[iskrystaller]

It's nice to meet you, Zuko.

[ It's okay if he doesn't believe her, of course, but she's telling the truth. There seems to be a forced restraint in him that she recognizes - although maybe that's little more than the wishful thinking from having lived it herself.

His bow, unique as it is, is met with a curtsey, the action admittedly somewhat belated; back in her own world, it has been a long time since propriety has required her to do so. But this isn't her own world, and Elsa doesn't want to be impolite to others here, especially those who go out of their way to show her such formalities. ]

How long have you been here for?

II

[angelolatry]

[Colette only just arrived herself and noticed though the room was supposedly for two people, it. Only had one bed. This might be all cute and romantic if she were with someone like Lloyd, perhaps. Not that she had actually confessed her feelings for him, but still.

Then again. Chances were this would be someone she doesn't know. That and Colette figures, she can leave her things here but she doesn't actually need to sleep. Part of the whole Angel transformation and all. She blinks, turning when she hears the voice, when she hears Elsa enter. She gives a small, perhaps sheepish and awkward wave, before using her phone to type:]

I'm Colette. Is this your room too? It's okay if it is. I don't need to sleep, so. You can use the bed.

[iskrystaller]

[ The young woman's sheepish and awkward wave is returned in kind; of course it was too much to hope that the room would be vacant for now, even if the person sharing it with her seems nice—

—enough? In the time it takes for Elsa to repeat the gesture, the girl's head is bowed, focused on the device they were all given on their arrival here. For a moment, Elsa thinks she has a roommate who's content to largely ignore her, but then the blonde is holding it out toward her, and the taller woman leans forward to read. ]

Colette? [ So, she's unable to speak? Oddly enough, it wouldn't make her the first of Elsa's friends who can't. ] It's nice to meet you. I'm Elsa, and... yes. I guess you could say we're roommates.

[ Even if, admittedly, she's not sure how much she intends to use the room either. ]

You said you don't need to sleep? [ Is that in the way that Anna always claimed she never needed to? Or something more like Elsa's affinity with the cold? ]

[angelolatry]

Yes. My name is Colette. Colette Brunel. This place sure is something, this room. I guess it's for celebrating something? I'm not sure if it is usually decorated like this.

But no. I don't need to sleep. It's part of what I'm experiencing in completing my Journey back home, to become an Angel. So it's alright if you need the bed. I don't mind.

[Colette could find something to keep her occupied at least. She doesn't need the rest like she figures most others would, anyway. So it makes sense to offer the one bed to the other she is sharing with, at least. ]

[iskrystaller]

[ Upon reading Colette's mention of the room, Elsa looks around at it again, something like a grimace on her face. Yes, it's rather like something young lovers might do for that holiday in February, a little too sweet and romantic for her liking. At least back home, they're not quite at that point of the yearly cycle, but...

A quick glimpse at her own device shows her that yes, that initial thought was probably the correct one. ]

I think you're right. There's a holiday back on my world that's something like this...

[ At this point, tired as she is, Elsa desperately wants to lie - or at least sit - down. But for now, she keeps herself upright, reading once more over the other's words. An Angel? ]

Would it be rude of me to ask what that means? To become an Angel?

[ It's not that Elsa's never heard the term, just... never in such a context. ]