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

[moodyblue]

Hm. [ It's the barest grunt of thoughtful acknowledgement. It puts her...square in the middle of his past gaggle of teenaged coworkers. Too young and yet old enough.

And now she's been dragged in through to here, wherever 'here' really is and ends up being. Abbacchio's frowning and then sighs, shrugging before he answers. ]

Twenty-one. [ Going on forty, apparently. He has his tells about his relative youth - anger issues and lack of any healthy coping skills chief among them - but the sheer fact that he acts so dour tends to make people assume he's older. ]

Well this sure is helpful.

[eardrums]

[At his answer, she tries her best not to sound surprised.
... Which isn't very much of an attempt at all.]

You're only twenty-one? You look old enough to be friends with my folks...

[Granted, her parents are only 36ish. But still.]

You sound pretty surly for someone who's only a handful of years older than me. Do you have a tough job or something?
The only people I've met like that are Pro Heroes, back home...

[moodyblue]

No I don't, [ he snaps half-heartedly, but he's young enough still he can't even realistically be defensive about being called old. It's more annoying than a reason to go check a mirror. Surely him and his lipstick look fine and probably-early-twenties still.

But at her question and what else she says, his attention is grabbed and his expression turns from petulant to simply serious. A little troubled for a new reason. ]

Yeah, let's go with a tough job. I used to be a cop. [ Which is already more than what feels safe to share, but it's also the only legal aspect of his recent career choices that still weigh heavily on him. He's quiet and crossed his arms, leaning away but eyeing her. ]

...If we're exchanging information, how about you tell me what you mean by Pro Hero. Sounds like a fake title.

welcome to your first MHA infodump, i'll be your tour guide today

[eardrums]

[It takes some reeling herself in to keep herself from saying "You're right, you sound way too old to be friends with my folks."
Only because it would be mean. She still definitely wants to say it.

But at his question, she just kind of half-snorts.]

For some people, it probably is. [Everyone's a little bitter about Heroes who just use the title to showboat, okay.]

See, back in my world, everyone had some kind of superpower. We called them "Quirks", just because... y'know, if everyone has one then they're not really "super".
But obviously, people aren't always gonna use them with good intentions. They pretty quickly overpowered normal police back in the old days when not everyone had a Quirk, so vigilantes started to spring up and help out.

[At this point, one of her jacks has lifted to move as she talks, a bit like someone would with their hand.]

Nowadays, it's regulated. The cops are there for investigations, or to go after criminals who just try to get by with a gun or something - but then you have villains, people who use their powers to level cities and cause mayhem.
That's what Pro Heroes take care of. I'm in training to be one, myself.

[Basically, comic book superheroes with a healthy dash of public service and government meddling.
Here, though, she looks down at the ginger shots again, reaching up to twirl her jack around a finger.]

... I'm better for recon and rescue than combat, though.

absorbs this and prepares for more later tbh also WAIT holy cow does she have her jacks still--

[moodyblue]

[ Oh yeah? Right out of the gate it sounds like he's in for a hell of a story, and it turns out...he really, really is. Abbacchio doesn't interrupt - aside from a muttered what the hell as the story progresses, anyway.

Abbacchio has not, admittedly, talked to a lot of people here...but he's yet to find many that openly discussed having powers back home. It snags his attention and shit, can he even really imagine a world where everyone has a stand? Everyone with a unique power you'd need to have them sit down and explain to you, or else you'd get a nasty surprise later on if you pissed them off? Half the difficulty of fighting another stand user had always been just figuring out what the hell they could do.

At the end of it all, he blinks and looks her over again and remembers how young she'd said she was. ] So you were training to be a super powered cop.

[ Wow. A bright-eyed kid with a big future ahead. Reminds him a bit too much of himself pre-dreams-being-crushed, ouch. It means he's got less to say but plenty of bitter feelings burning a hole in his tongue. ] Sounds like a good way to get killed. [ w o w

He shifts, uncomfortable, and the sphinx sitting in his lap hisses at him. He scoots her out of his lap and she instead slinks under the low table the little ginger shots are lined up on. ] ..And it sounds a little like my world, except not everyone had powers. Not even half of everyone.

And the ones here are a lot...different than how I'm used to this crap working.

she does!! she can't use their powers, but she can move them 👀

[eardrums]

I've probably come close to dying a few times by now. But after a while, you get used to the danger.

[Maybe someone her age shouldn't be talking like that?
But being a Hero IS hard, dangerous work... it's better to get used to it early. Probably.]

What kinda powers did you have back where you're from? If you're cool with telling me, I mean.
I know not everyone's as open about theirs as I am - I'm just used to everyone knowing already, anyway.

EXCELLENT

[moodyblue]

[ Abbacchio is far more accustomed to this kind of talk from teenagers than he should be. If he'd been asked, and if he'd been honest, he'd say that he would have hoped other worlds would have been kinder to its youth. Abbacchio left his own world because it killed him, right before this inter-dimensional hopscotch field collected him, and he worries he wasn't the last casualty of his team. Literally all of them were even younger than he was.

So her story hits him, but it hits him in a place so bruised that Abbacchio's used to just moving on through the ache. ] Yeah, [ he just says with a heavy sigh. ] You do.

[ Poor fucking kid, he thinks but doesn't say. He can't decide if it's better or worse that she still seems hopeful that she'd have made any difference to the way things were back home. ]

No. [ He crosses his arms and shakes his head. ] I didn't share that back home, I'm not doing it here. They insinuated we might eventually get our old powers and worlds back — even if I'll probably just die again if that happens, I'm not risking it.

[ But...look, he sucks at this but he knows a hook when he hears one. He sighs and looks away but then he goes ahead and asks, ] What was yours, then, if you're so used to talking about it?

[eardrums]

It's not that I talk about it a lot... actually, most people don't really ask when the rest of my class is around.
But they keep putting me and my class on TV - it's hard to run into someone who doesn't know what Earphone Jack can do.

[It was an unintentional hook that way - her mention of being used to it was more of a complaint than vying for the floor.
But at the same time, well. Most people don't really ask her what her powers are.
She's not the exciting one with explosions or lightning at her fingertips, after all.]

It's just an investigative power, though. I can listen through my jacks, here, if I plug them in a wall or something.
Or if I want, I can amplify my heartbeat out of'em to attack with - but it's a lot more useful for investigation than combat.

[moodyblue]

[ It's weird hearing someone talk about this who's so used to it being out in the open. That's more surprising than even her young age.

Also of surprise is that she says her is — was, rather — an investigative power.

Like Abbacchio's own was. Not really all that useful for combat unless he was backed into a corner and it was the only weapon even available. So...spyware built into her body, it sounds like. He takes a closer look at her ears and finally really processes what his brain was apparently filtering as 'earrings' and which he can now see are 'actually fucking ears, holy shit'. ]

That's... [ Wild. Weirdly crazy to talk to someone with a powerset like his own — he looks touched for a minute, abruptly vulnerable and not at all defensive or even alarmed at what her ears actually look like.

And then he clears his throat and collects himself, shrugging. ] That sounds useful. It's a shame it didn't come with you, then. But hopefully we won't be solving too many murder mysteries out here.

[eardrums]

I'll find a way to work without it. That's something you gotta be prepared for, too - anyone could have a power that nullifies your own.

[It's said matter-of-factly rather than anything close to bragging or anything; with her homeroom teacher, it was a reality of life that her Quirk could simply "turn off" sometimes.
He wasn't called Eraserhead for nothing.

Of course, that doesn't mean she didn't catch that look of his... she's just bottling it up as information rather than calling it out.
It's probably not a great alternative to her just calling him out, though. She's gonna remember that.]

I won't ask about your powers, but can I ask what you did with'em? I mean, we're all supposed to be working together - knowing each other's skillsets could be useful in the future.
Because I don't know about you, but if someone's willing to just sit and talk with me like this, I've got no problem considering them an ally.

[moodyblue]

...Huh. Now that's a new one to have to worry about. [ Power-negating as a power? Honestly, as much as it wouldn't shock Abbacchio if they'd had someone like that back home, he'd certainly never run into one.

And just as soon as he thinks he's in the clear because she tells him as much, she asks maybe the most pointed possible secondary question. The accuracy of it stings and the surprise is the only reason Abbacchio doesn't shoo the question instantly away. ]

...Mine was sorta like yours. [ The guarded expression on his face lingers, but it's softened just a hint by her never-ending honesty. It's as reassuring as it is appalling. If these tents weren't possessed and bent on keeping them in place until the ritual's figured out, Abbacchio would probably bolt just to save his own ego. ]

I'm used to getting clues no one else can and figuring shit out for the rest of my team. [ And a host of stranger, more situational and creative uses for a power that let him imitate the look of any singular person — roughly, anyway. Useful for insight and momentary distractions, Abbacchio's more used to being the support instead of the main weapon. ]

You probably shouldn't trust so easily. You could get yourself hurt. [ Is what he settles on about allies, but he doesn't turn her down. Her spirit reminds him a bit of someone from back home — which is as nice as it is painful. ]

...This has got to be enough personal sharing for us to get started on the actual ritual bullshit.

[eardrums]

[Welp, now she's smiling. It's a little bit smug, but mostly it's a bright smile with good humor, as if something he's said was actually kinda funny.
What could it have been?]

I can already tell you're someone I can trust. And if you give me a reason to think otherwise...
I figure I can just kick your ass.

[She stands up from there, though, brushing off her knees from sitting on them as long as she has.]

You're probably right, though. Let's see if we can't get this over with, huh?
I'll warn you - I'm not much of a dancer. I make the music, I don't dance to it.

[moodyblue]

[ He's officially suspicious, but with nowhere to really direct said suspicion, Abbacchio is stuck with just squinting sidelong at her and moving on.

Just in time to get sidestruck by the word trust, which is both ice-water-in-blood terrifying and really, upsettingly nice to hear. He sort of sputters, clearly not sure how to respond. ] What-- [ Is as far as he can move that thought process.

So. Dancing. That's way less awkward, now that the alternative is talking about literally any of that. ]

Fine, fine. That's two of us. Hopefully we don't dance so badly it just kills us. [ Or, like, maybe that would actually be better, Abbacchio couldn't really say either way.

--Although as he stands up, displacing the little sphinx from his lap, he glances back over at the little pile of supplies near the abandoned ginger shots. ] ...I'm pretty sure we need to paint those symbols on our faces first though. Or maybe it really will kill us.