TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 5

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ 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 slightly chilled 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 still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of chia manatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Chia manatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plantlife growing on its back. While some are fully green, others sport small flower blossoms that haven't yet grown in or various types of mushrooms. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the manatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. 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. *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of earbuds 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. 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. The Isle of Avalon is abuzz with excitement for the upcoming Spring Equinox (though some of the more posh citizens will insist it's the Vernal Equinox, tut tut). Unlike the very specific rituals of the Winter Solstice that require much preparation, the Spring is welcomed throughout the month through a variety of small rituals to help the world along as it renews itself, growing new plants and allowing nature to make new life. A ⦿ The Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies Throughout February, the Frost Fairies were running amok and keeping things chilly, even awarding those who gave them treats last month. These fairies create ice crystals on contact and can be spotted by the beautiful ice crystal patterns that form in their trail. They cause frost bite if you physically touch them, so capture isn't recommended. They seem to be sticking around a little too long this month, as they're normally supposed to leave at the end of February. No one seems alarmed, as it seems that this happens from time to time. It's easy enough to deal with-- and so, people throughout town are being asked to perform a ritual called the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies. It's perfectly safe, and lets these invisible little creatures be sent on their way until the next winter. The first step: create bait. Fill a planter with dusty miller and silver sage, with a night-blooming flower at the center. The silvery-white leaves pique the curiosity of the Frost Fairies because they look snowy, yet when they see the flower bloom, they know it cannot be. The plants won't be damaged at all in the ritual, so you'll get a moon garden out of it, which can be incidentally draw adorable little moon rabbit kits in to play inside your home while the moon is out. They're friendly, though they do tend to enjoy pack-sized snuggles-- you may find yourself stuck with no fewer than 15 rabbits attempting to climb on you for attention and need someone's help to pull them off. You may need to get them under control before you continue with the ritual. Once you've assembled your miniature moon garden, you'll need to find a stranger to perform the ritual. You need to bring a new energy into your home in order to let the Frost Fairies know that it's time to meet something new. Take hands with the new person and dance in circles around the miniature moon garden. The plants will start to glow and the Frost Fairies will become visible-- short, fat, all-white penguin with flamingo-length legs and icicle crowns. They will immediately challenge you and your summoning partner to a duel! Though, you can pick what kind of challenge it is as their culture dictates. They're pretty overconfident, just remember not to pick something that involves touching them unless you want to end up needing a healer. B ⦿ The Language of Flowers Once the Frost Fairies are properly banished, flowers are starting to crop up all around Camelot, the Broceliande, the fields in between, and those who come back to the White Cliffs after arrival will even find the Cliff Beast in a pleasant mood from all the lovely little flowers hanging off of his clifftop. (No one's quite sure how a cliff seems happy, but that's the sense everyone gets.) Wherever you may be, there are flowers starting to crop up. Normally, this would be when people would start gathering decorations to cover the buildings and make flower altars, but a lot of the wild flowers normally accessible... well... It looks like a brood of dragons hatched a little early and, upon seeing all the flowers start to crop up, decided that these flowers are the treasures that they want to hoard. The baby dragons didn't fly too far down from their mountain, but once one of them flew past the Lands of Rot and found the fields of flowers, it got its siblings. Now there are a handful of baby dragons claiming different areas as their hoard and making it impossible to get around without being attacked by an admittedly cute fire-breathing menace. No one wants the baby dragons slain, but the baby dragons need to be brought back to their mother's cave in the Ash Mountains. The safest way is through the half-dead area between the Dusklight Woods and the Lands of Rot. The dragons will attack anyone who comes into their area but seem to be friendly toward anyone wearing a flower crown, as they seem to accept them as a part of their hoard if the flowers send the right message. Use the language of flowers to communicate with the dragons and try to get them to follow you by wearing a flower crown that matches one you offer to the dragon. A flower crown that says sympathy and sadness might not be as effective as something that says virtue and bravery. Just be careful not to woo them the wrong impression with something that says eternal love and devotion, or you might have a different kind of dragon problem... Regardless, since the dragons are guarding the flowers you need to make the crowns out of, you'll need to find a way to get past their attacks to gather flowers to begin with to find the flowers you want to make your crown with. Flower crowns need at least two types of flowers to communicate with the dragons, so it's recommended you work together with others to try to gather as many flowers as you can to find the flowers you need. Thankfully, since dragons are sacred, most of the Dusklight Woods creatures will leave you alone, so it's best to hug that side of the mixed path. You and whoever you're working with only have to worry about fighting alongside the baby dragons to fight off the Land of Rot creatures that hang around the edge: Skeleton warriors that can only be scattered but not killed, Fogueria (a lion made of fire that likes to play with its food in sadistic ways), and rattlesnakes. Once you're at the foot of the Ash Mountains, the baby dragons will fly back up to their cave on their own. With the baby dragons returned to their nest, you can head home, and the townsfolk can start decorating for the Spring Equinox. C ⦿ Spiritual Cleansing The frost is gone, the flowers are free, and rabbits are running around town like they own the place. All of the physical and symbolic spring equinox preparations are made, now it's time to look within. As the season of renewal and rebirth, a huge part of that is personal reflection and growth. As such, outdoor meditation and yoga flash parties are all the rage right now. Get caught it one and you and anyone around you will be stuck in a barrier until you complete at least 5 yoga poses and hold them for 30 seconds each. Some of them are a little challenging.. thankfully, no one is going to stop you from getting help holding them from someone else who's stuck with you. A plague of smoothie hockers has also cropped up around town, which means portable carts offering different magical smoothies is going around selling their fruity and flowery spring flavors for a refreshing boost of your spirit. No, really boost it. The magical effects are in small text underneath the flavors, so they may be easy to miss. Hibiscus-Berry: Vanity Spirit (person may become temporarily obsessed with appearance, finding cute clothes, getting their hair and nails done, needing to be their ideal of attractive) Strawberry-Rose: Romantic Spirit (flirtiness, desire to be romantic with someone) Jasmine-Peach: Friendship Spirit (go out of your way to make new friends, make grand friendship gestures to people you've already befriended or have known for five minutes and want to befriend) Lavender-Mulberry: Distrusting Spirit (paranoid, may start fights because they think someone is out to get them) Butterfly Pea-Lemon Tea: Meditative Spirit (fall asleep easily, peaceful/relaxed about alarming things, sudden penchant for Big Thoughts about the universe) Dandelion-Apple-Banana: Surivival Spirit (sudden desire to do everything yourself, whether that's hunting/gathering food, getting really into DIY projects like making your own soap or building your own chicken hutch because you're going to get your own eggs, or really wanting to live outside for a while) The effects only last for an hour or two, so it's unlikely any real damage can be done (hopefully) but it'll certainly give you a new outlook on life! Spring is in the air, the Equinox is coming, and prep is underway. But all work and no play can get a little boring, right? Avalonians have come together and set up a few activities for Adventurers. While all of these activities can be completed and enjoyed without using magic, participants will be encouraged do to so, don’t worry if it goes a little haywire. There are magical force fields around the play zones to contain any mishaps. A ⦿ Keep it Rollin' Rollin' The first area set up for fun and games is a barrel rolling contest. Participants are split into pairs to compete against each other to see who can roll their partner inside the barrel down the hill and across the finish line the fastest. Springtime is when geysers start bursting around the bottom of the hill though, so you'll have to watch out for those and any boulders to make sure your barrel doesn't burst before you reach the bottom! To make things a little more interesting, the planners had a bit of mischief with the barrels... As barrels reach a quarter of a way down the hill, the outside will burst into flames. Surprise! While they are enchanted so that the flames aren't actually hot, participants are not aware of this. Sorry, the guys running this game aren’t that big on explaining; after all, it’s just rolling a fire barrel down the hill; what’s so complicated? Fire makes it look like it's going faster and is way more exciting to watch! B ⦿ Hop Skip and a Jump Everyone loves hopscotch, right? Well, whether you do or don’t, that next zone is all about the hop, the skip, and the jump. Two hopscotch boards about the size of a basketball court each are laid out side by side for participants. The object again, to see who can complete the task that fastest. If you reach a spot with a magic symbol, you have to cast a spell at your opponent or you can't proceed. This is combat hopscotch! Of course, once more, the folks running the show forgot to mention one tiny thing, a quarter of the way into the board, random spots will drop away as you go, leaving holes in the ground! Yikes, better take that leap! Don’t worry, if you miss, the bottom of the hole is filled with marshmallow fluff in bright pink, yellow, and pastel purple. (Kind of reminds you of something, huh...?) Down in the hole are rungs and footholds to get yourself back out, but boy, will that put you behind the other guy if they didn’t fall. Well, guess victory will have to be a little sweeter than you planned! C ⦿ Gettin' Brewy With It Now, this activity probably seems a little safer. Welcome to the “Brew” tent. Participants will be given ingredients, space, and set up in pairs to brew up a tasty drink! A variety of ingredients are available and with it, participants will be taught the Recipe: Brewery. This spell can be used to accelerate brewing and distilling processes for alcoholic drinks. Of course, if someone who is too young to drink according to their world's rules, any alcohol in the drink will evaporate, so it's really only a spell that's useful for adults... but everyone can participate in making drinks. You can pick any ingredients you want, but all participants are instructed that a sprinkle of that magic at just the right time will make it perfect. When asked what the right time is, all they will be told is they’ll know when. Some may get it right, depending on instinct. Others might sprinkle too much and cause the drink to burst all over them and their partner, and their workstation or have some other silly side effect, like make them hiccup uncontrollably or catch a case of the giggles. Or maybe they cast for too long or too short a time and the drink turns sour, turns to ash, grows wings on the cup, and flies away. Brewery magic can be fickle, so there's lots that can go wrong.. but get it right, and you can have one heck of a drink to enjoy! 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. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

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Yona | Akatsuki no Yona | Elemental

[darkestbefore]

A. Soaking in your Arrival

[ The change is abrupt and unexpected and Yona doesn't have time to completely close her eyes or mouth before she plunges deep into chilly waters. If she hadn't been on full alert already, the sudden shock in temperatures certainly would have made her so. It's disorienting - and, to be honest, a little terrifying - but she manages to calm herself long enough to stop her underwater flailing, trying to sense which way is up. While she still has the air in her lungs to do so.

There's a sense of movement in the water around her and clouded vision reveals a lithe, serpentine form swirling around her. Soft scales slide like silk against her cheek before an unfamiliar face peers at her and starts urging her to follow. She doesn't know how she knows that, but she does. There's nothing in her that even questions the idea, so she kicks her feet, trying to push herself in the direction the little creature urges her in. The lungful of salty sea air she sucks in when she breaks the surface is so great a relief that for a moment she just bobs there in the water, breathing, before glancing around and trying to get her bearings. Which is when that serpentine figure reveals itself flying in sinuous circles around her head, giving her a chance to see it clearly. ]

Are you...?!

[ Her eyes are wide in shock as she stares at the little dragon darting cheerfully around her head, scales shimmering a pale blue in the sunlight. It gives a strange little chirp, winding around her before dipping to perch on one of her shoulders, leaning in to rub its head against her cheek in obvious affection/ Confused but charmed all the same, she reaches out and strokes her finger against its head, laughing softly when it makes a purring little trill in pleasure. ]

I don't know why you're here, little one, but thank you for your help all the same. Do you, perhaps, know the way to shore...?

[ She doesn't know if it - he? she gets the sense of that anyway, in that same strange resonance of knowing like she'd had in the water - can understand her, but the little dragon gives another happy chirp and takes to the air again, webbed wings flapping in the air as it turns her in the direction of the shore and she spots the looming white cliffs. She follows the dragon, grateful that she at least knew how to swim as she strikes out for the shore. She sees others in the water as well, but unless the tide brings them close enough while swimming, she doesn't purposefully seek them out, too intent on her destination instead. Although if she notices someone in trouble or having difficulty swimming themselves, she'd do her best to aim in their direction to help - or at least calm them to get them going in the right direction.

Reaching land at last, she kneels there on the sand for several long moments, soaked through, her shoulder-length crimson hair falling in ragged strands around her face. She's out of breath from the effort of swimming and while she knows she needs to move, needs to get dry, she needs a moment to recover more.
Flopping over onto her back, she stares up at the unfamiliar blue sky and the towering white cliffs looming over her. ]

And just where have I landed myself this time?

B. The Caravan to Camelot

[ This isn't like stepping through a mirror, but at the same time Yona finds herself a little grateful that she's not entirely blindsided by this whole... crossing realms thing. Although this one is already looking to be as strange and different as the last one she'd fallen into. This 'phone' thing she's handed appears like a much more complicated version of the pocket watch she'd carried on herself before plunging into the lake. One that was missing from her belongings when she went to investigate the box she's directed to.

Although she is grateful to find her familiar bow and quiver and blade wrapped in a pale rose-colored cloak, unsurprised when a familiar hairpin also tumbles out into her lap as she unwraps the bundle. She brushes her fingers over it with a soft sound before tucking it back in the pocket of the cloak she often had it secured in.

Which is when the sudden barrage of angry chittering from behind her has her turning around with a laugh, a moment before a round little squirrel lunges into her arms. Catching it up, she hugs Ao close, her eyes stinging with tears as she grins and takes the scolding from the little animal without protest. She can't understand a word Ao is scolding her with, of course, but that's never stopped the little squirrel before and they'd been through a lot together this past year. ]

I know, I know, I didn't mean to frighten you. And now you're getting your fur all wet.

[ She probably makes a strange sight, a still-dripping and bedraggled looking redhead being lectured by a squirrel, a curious-looking dragon still darting around her and investigating this new creature held in her hands. It hasn't occurred to her that anyone else might be watching and at the same time, it looks like she thinks absolutely nothing of this odd little arrangement. ]

C. The Red Spring

[ 1.) The trip they set out on in the carriages is longer than she expected it, and Yona's grateful for the chance to stretch her legs once they come to stop at an inn. Finding the room she's been offered isn't too difficult, although she's surprised to find a second bed in here. Unsure if she'll have comapny, she flops back onto the bed nearest the window with a tired sigh, still looking a little worse for wear after the day she's had. ]

[ 2.) It's been a long time since she'd had the opportunity to visit a hot spring and after healing this one was rumored to have healing properties, Yona goes herself to investigate. Besides, after her chilly dip in the lake earlier and a long day stuck in a jostling carriage, the idea of relaxing in a heated pool for a while sounds too tempting to resist. A long towel wrapped around her body, she approaches the hot spring, glancing around to see if others had come to soak as well, even as she dips a toe in the steaming pool. ]

Ohhhh, that feels wonderful.

[ 3.) After a long night of rest and with a few hours before the carriages are due to depart for the rest of their journey, Yona finds herself out on the training grounds. There's a short blade in a sheath at her waist, but she pays it little mind as she moves to one of the meditation circles. Although anyone passing her might notice that for quite some time, absolutely nothing happens and she looks increasingly frustrated with the lack of... whatever she's expecting to happen. ]

It can't all be gone...!

[ She's muttering to herself in annoyance when suddenly tiny tongues of flame flicker and spark at the tips of her fingers, making her yelp in surprise and quickly shake her hands, as if to put the fire out. ]

D. The Language of Flowers

[ 1.) There's a redheaded girl in a field of flowers, a wreath tucked around her head, decorating in greenery and a few scattered blossoms. Although the names of the flowers in this world are different from some of the ones she knows them by, what she'd learned of their meaning had translated similarly - in most cases, at least.

There is bright goldenrod and a burst of hyacinth nestled among the tiny blossoms of valerian and the message combined in the wreath seems to have appeased the baby dragons in the area because there are a pair of them flitting about her head and doing barrel rolls in the air. Her own familiar, his scales looking more green today than they had on the water, is twined about her neck, watching the cavorting babies above them with a lazy eye but not drifting to join them.]

[ 2.) Yona still knows very little about the lands surrounding the city - she'd gleaned what she could before heading out to assist here but it still wasn't quite the same as seeing it firsthand. The Woods at her back seem mostly quiet, but halfway through her journey to see the baby dragons returned to their mother, there's a rattling creaking advance and she spins to see several skeletons staggering towards her.

Her first instinct is to - once again - reach for magic that doesn't seem to answer to her, earning a rather unladylike mutter under her breath in irritation (should anyone be close enough to actually hear that). Since that didn't seem to work, her hands go for the bow on her back, slinging it off her shoulder and lifting it to take aim. She has no idea if arrows will actually work on skeletons when they have no flesh to pierce, but she's going to try anyway, even if it only slows them down.

...She may need some assistance here. ]

E. Wildcard

(( Leave me a prompt of your own or hit me up at chaneystarr with questions/ideas! ))

D2

[warbun]

[Lizzie spends a not-insignificant amount of time outside of the city, exploring the woods and occasionally napping among its boughs. Today she's skirted close to the eastern edge, near the Lands of Rot, and eventually hears a commotion. She approaches the noise and finds a young woman armed with a bow, a handful of baby dragons, and skeletons approaching.

Arrows may or may not work on skeletons, but an axe will definitely do a significant amount of damage.

With a cry designed to announce her presence, Lizzie charges into the fray and takes a big swing at the first skeleton she reaches. Its bones scatter, although she notes with no small amount of disappointment that the bones themselves remain whole.]

Are you all right?

[darkestbefore]

[ She'd been focusing so much on the enemy advancing before her that she doesn't realize someone else has come on the scene until there's a loud warcry and a massive... is that a puca?! - launches forward to shatter the first of the skeletons with an axe that's bigger than she is.

Yona's mouth drops open and she - rightfully, if she does say so - gapes at her unexpected rescuer. At least until that question snaps her back to the present and she remembers the danger they're still in. her bow comes back up as she inches a little closer - she can at least watch the woman's back in all this, even if she's not much use against fleshless enemies themselves. ]

I... I yes, I'm fine! But there are more still coming...!

sure did log in to watch the animations for the WAR AOE combo for this tag :V

[warbun]

[Good, the girl's okay. Now that Lizzie is close by she can tell that the bow isn't a half-baked defense plan--the girl knows what she's doing with it, just from her stance and how she's holding it. She's just unfortunate in that skeletons don't have fleshy bits in which to strike.]

On it!

[Lizzie moves to the side slightly so that she's face to face with one of the remaining skeletons. She brings her axe high over her head and bears it down hard, the concussive force of the swing knocking the skeleton and the ones standing behind it off-balance. Once they stagger, she follows it up by lunging to lower her center of gravity and swinging the axe in a circle above her head. It's enough to blow the group off its feet and even disassemble a few of the ones standing closest to her.]

Let's go! I'll stay behind you to catch the stragglers as they get up.

C2

[songstressedout]

[ Yona happens to get in the water close to Yuzu, who similarly has a towel wrapped around her body. Still, there are so many beautiful people in here, so when someone comes nearby... ]

O-Oh, hello...

[ She seems to automatically blurt out a hello to the new girl in here. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ She glances over at the greeting, offering a warm smile to the unfamiliar girl as she sinks down into the water, settling on a rocky ledge beneath the surface. She doesn't seem to mind the suddenness of it as she gets comfortable, although she does eye her a bit curiously. ]

Hello there. It seems like I wasn't the only one with this idea, then.

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu's face flushes a little more with the smile. Thankfully the steam rising from the hot springs keeps her reddened cheeks a little less evident, but still... there are far too many pretty girls here for Yuzu to handle, yet she still doesn't leave. ]

Y-Yeah... with everything that's happened, a hot spring like this is incredible...

C3 training grounds

[fistsofjustice]

[Amelia is sitting nearby with her eyes closed, trying to tap into... whatever power source she needs to tap into. Getting into the mindset is simple enough - if only she knew what to expect.

As her eyes are closed, she doesn't notice the small pebble starting to levitate by her feet. It drops quickly when Yona yelps, breaking Amelia's concentration.]

Oh! [She smiles seeing the sparks.] You figured yours out! Is this your first time using magic?

[darkestbefore]

[ The flames had flickered out the moment her concentration had broken and Yona is left staring at her fingers in confusion for a moment. Thankfully, the fire itself hadn't seemed to hurt her at all, but she still looked completely bewildered all the same.

The question has her blinking and glancing over in surprise, flustered a little when she realizes her mishap had been witnessed. But she just offers a sheepish little laugh as she lifts one shoulder in a shrug. ]

I'm not sure I'd claim to have figured anything out just yet - that was pure accident rather than intent. I'm not even sure I know what I just did. I never got around to learning any fire spells...

[ Which should at least answer the question of her prior experience with magic. ]

[fistsofjustice]

Well, it's just the first step. Once you get the "what", the "how" is just a matter of practice!

[Honestly, Amelia's a little disappointed her accidental discovery is running late.]

I know several fire spells, but this seems more - intuitive, I guess? There doesn't seem to be an invocation or anything.

b

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku isn't a new arrival (but still fairly new!) yet he figured if people coming into this world is a common occurrence that he should check to see if there is anyone near the caravans that he might know. Or anyone that might need a hand or help in all the confusion that can happen in getting hurled into a new world.

This is why he is just a little bit surprised when he sees a girl giggling with her companions. She seems to be dealing with this well! He smiles and asks,]

There's some dry towels and blankets with the caravans if you need one. Are you doing alright? Your friend seems happy to see you.

[darkestbefore]

[ She glances up at the unfamiliar voice, but shoots the boy across from her a warm smile in greeting, a happy blush still on her cheeks as Ao hops from her hands to perch on her shoulder and eye the newcomer as well.

Considering she's still dripping wet, she casts him a grateful look at the information. ]

Thank you, I appreciate it. And... as alright as I can be, for having just fallen out of one world and into a lake in another, I suppose. [ Was anyone really alright after that?

But he's surprisingly not at all wet, so she gives him a curious look. ]

Are you new here as well?

[fullgauntlet]

[There is a small sure-fluster from Izuku as he turns his head away for a second and rubs his dark green hair in embarrassment. That smile she gives is something else and he's still kind of awkward around girls in general!]

Aha... Yeah, I've only been here for about a month but I wanted to help anyone that might be new, too. Because it is shocking to drop into a new world and everything...

[He looks to her again and looks a little puzzled.]

But, you seem like you're adjusting fast?

C-3

[whirlwindthrust]

[ Xiao has been watching for a while, as is his prerogative. He is not here to train his magic, of course. The type that he has isn't something he is comfortable with nurturing and growing into something. He does not feel as though it is a good fit for him, but perhaps others will eventually be able to convince him otherwise.

Right now, however, there are plenty of individuals struggling with their newfound magic. ]

What is all gone?

[ What power had she possessed prior to all of this? ]

[darkestbefore]

[ She yelps softly at the unexpected voice, not having realized anyone was within hearing distance of her and then looking sheepish to have been caught out at all. At least the flames had died down with her concentration so abruptly broken - although her fingertips aren't so much as singed in the aftermath. One small relief, at least, when everything else had been a study in frustration so far.

At his question, she lifts one shoulder in a halfhearted shrug and exhales a long sigh. ]

Everything I thought I'd learned of magic, it seems. None of it seems to apply in this place.

[ Which, after a long year of intent study and practice, was more than a little disheartening. Even the runes she bore on her skin, under her clothing, no longer tingled with the enchantments they'd been imbued with. There was an ache in that loss she was trying not to think about too hard. ]

C1 c:

[theleadingman]

[The day as a whole has been exhausting. Balthier doesn't have terribly high standards for the amenities offered here— after the day he's had, a hot bath and a soft bed would be more than enough to start setting things right. Food wouldn't go amiss, either, and he makes a note to see about having something brought up once he's settled.

Though his needs are few, inn does leave a favorable impression as he makes his way up to the room he'd been offered— given the number of times he's slept in dungeons or a tent on uneven ground, it may as well be a palace. That thought does offer him some comfort as he reaches his door and turns his key in the lock, opening the door once it clicks with a gentle push— only to find the room already occupied.

Hm.

He frowns slightly, looking back over one shoulder to check the number of the door behind him.]

My apologies— it would seem I have the wrong room.

[Except the key had worked, so that immediately seems less than likely.]

[darkestbefore]

[ She'd still been stretched out atop the far bed, just taking a moment of quiet after the chaotic day it had been. Ao and her new familiar were chasing each other around and over the pillows at the top of the bed, which brought a smile to her lips, but otherwise, she just let them play.

Only then she hears the door opening again - her earlier suspicions had been correct, it seems. Sitting up, she glances over to see the tall man hesitating in the doorway, looking confused and caught off-guard.

Offering him a small, wry smile, she shrugs. ] I'd wager you have the right room and the culprit is more likely they didn't have enough to accommodate us all.

c-2!

[confectionerie]

[ Yona isn't the only one in need of a nice, relaxing soak. It's about the only thing Ann is looking forward in the evening, after a long and exhausting day where she's been told so many unbelievable things that it feels like her head is about to burst.

She's already where when Yona arrives, her head tipped back, and if she'd gone much longer undisturbed, she might just have fallen asleep right then and there. However, the arrival of someone else has her opening her heavy eyelids. She's not too far gone to not offer the other girl a friendly nod as she dips a toe into the water. ]

You won't regret it, I promise...I could stay here all night.

[ And she just might, if left to her own devices. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona smiles at the answer before carefully easing herself down into the steaming pool of water. She can't help but give a delighted groan at how good that feels as she sinks down on the edge of a rock beneath the surface. ]

Ohhh. You're right. This is absolutely the highlight of today.

[ And let's be real, she suspected they all needed one of those. ]

c-3

[peacewithouttyranny]

[The training ground is a place Soundwave visits semi-frequently for training day, improving his kinetic magic. And today is one such day. Well, it's also to spy for familiar faces that were on the beach and in the resort town. No luck so far on that, however...

Soundwave hasn't paid attention to what Yona was, but he hears her frustration as he passes by her. Judging by her yelling out "gone", he could guess it's probably about her powers. It's probably unnecessary for him to say anything at all, he could simply walk away, but he'll comment regardless. His mechanical-like voice comes from behind her.]

Unfortunately, all source of power we possessed outside of this world is... voided.

she's crau so this will be... interesting lmao

[darkestbefore]

[ Her irritation with the strange new quirks of magic in this place get forgotten for a moment when her head comes up at... is that actually a familiar voice?

Her mouth drops open in surprise as she stares for a moment - although probably not for the reason he might suspect. ]

Soundwave??

D2

[thepattern]

[ Corwin has decided to really settle in to life in this strange, new Avalon. He has enough money from various quests the previous month to buy himself somewhere decent to live, and move out of the starter inn. He's looking for a house that's somewhere out in the forest, and has been scouting possible locations along the edges of the Dusklight Woods. In then end, he's deemed it a bit too dangerous for what he's considering his period of retirement, and is making his way back towards the city when he hears the telltale sound of battle. Being the plucky hero type that he is, he charges forward, seeing a woman with a bow standing alone against an advancing wall of skeleton warriors.

Hm. That won't do.

Corwin reaches out with his Kinetic magic, and wraps his invisible power around the nearest skeleton, physically wrenching his bones apart, just as the woman's arrow sails uselessly through its ribcage. Or, the area where its ribcage used to be. The bones fly out, scattering themselves across the ground, and Corwin finishes jogging over to the woman's side, drawing his sword, Grayswandir, as he does so. ]

Afternoon. Need a hand?

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona's expression of focus and determination falls away to confused surprise as the skeleton explodes into pieces a moment before her arrow would have landed. Maybe landed. She stares at the scattered bones in shock because she's... pretty sure her arrow hadn't done that.

Which is when a voice calls out from behind her and her head comes up to look towards the source. A man approaches, withdrawing his sword, and something in her flares in relief at the sight of someone else here who is better equipped to deal with skeletons than she'd come prepared to be. ]

Ahh, yes, I'm afraid I may. It seems my normal methods of defense aren't going to serve me well here.

[ And with her knowledge of magic now all lost or irrelevant once more, she had disappointingly few options at the moment. ]

c2!!

[fearlessly]

[ honestly, there's little and less in the world that is more relaxing than a nice, hot soak, and given how much time alisaie spends at the training grounds, she often spends her evenings here unwinding, and allowing the aches and sores of a long day spent training to be washed away by the healing springs. she hadn't entirely believed it when she first arrived here, but it seems to be quite true.. alisaie is a bit curious about the exact properties of the water, and just how it does that magic that it do, but she's certainly not distrustful of it enough to not take advantage of it.

she's only just slipping into the water herself when yona arrives; generally speaking, it's rare enough to find yourself alone in this place, it's a popular enough site. but alisaie does not seem to mind. folding her towel against a tall stone as a makeshift pillow, alisaie settles comfortably into a nice, smooth groove in the rock. ]

You're certainly right about that. It never gets old.

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona gives a happy sigh as she sinks down into the water relishing the heat of it, letting it start to chase away the chill she's been caught in all day. ]

Mmmm. You come back to enjoy it often, then?