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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Zagreus | Hades | Elemental | Familiar Undecided

[bloodandlife]

A. Soaking in Your Arrival

[The waters of the River Styx closing over Zagreus' head is a familiar feeling by now, although he doesn't normally feel like he's fallen quite so far. What isn't familiar is staying alive once the river's taken him.

He blinks as he slowly descends and realizes a few things all at once. One is that the water isn't blood-red; it's clear, like the pools he's seen on the surface. Another is that his chest feels awfully tight and strange, and he isn't quite sure why. The third is that he has no idea how to swim--he's usually dead in the water by now. Literally!

He sort of flails about uselessly for a moment, until some sort of...creatures (what are those?) appear and buoy him helpfully back to the surface of the water, where he gasps in an enormous breath and immediately squeezes his eyes shut.]

Augh, it's so bright. Say, I don't suppose any of you can tell me what's going on? Is this the surface, or...?

[Unfortunately, the creatures don't--or can't--speak. Instead they ferry him to solid ground and then slip back off into the water, as Zagreus cracks one eye open and then the other, holding up a hand to shield them from the...]

...is that...it can't be the sun? Does it really get this bright? And here I thought it was hard to look at before...

[He gets to his feet and shakes himself much like Cerberus might, but unlike the Styx's water, this doesn't seem to want to just evaporate within seconds. So this is...new. He hugs himself and shivers as he just keeps muttering to himself.]

There's no snow here, but it's still cold. This must be the surface, somehow. I could have sworn Father bested me back there. Well, no sense looking this gift horse in the mouth.

[With that, he hops up and down in place a bit to warm himself up and then begins to jog away from the water. Keeping active will help him get warmer faster, he thinks he's heard that somewhere. He'll just keep going until he runs into someone. Once he does:]

Oh! Hello there. I'd be very much obliged if you could tell me where we are.


B. The Caravan to Camelot

So Zagreus expected to definitely be dead again by now. Strangely, it hasn't happened. Who knows why, but that's honestly one of the less strange things happening at the moment. For one thing, he noticed not long after he left the water behind that his feet aren't fiery anymore, but he's still alive anyway...somehow. For another, he has much more to learn than he ever thought he might.

It's been a bit of a blur, really. The fellow who calls himself Archimedes has said a lot of things, but many of them went over Zagreus' head. Probably referencing surface things that the mortals already know. What he does catch is that somehow he's been transported out of the Underworld to somewhere not only out of the Underworld, but outside Greece entirely. And that he's supposed to learn magic all over again. Well, that part shouldn't be too hard, he thinks.

And although he's been on the surface almost an hour now, he still feels perfectly fine, if a bit hungry. And he's well beyond his Father's realm and influence, it seems, so regardless of the fact that he feels like he still has absolutely no idea what's happening, he's excited!

He taps the nearest person on the shoulder, holding up the so-called 'smartphone' he was given.]

Pardon me. You wouldn't happen to know what this thing is and what I'm meant to do with it, would you?


C. The Red Spring - Inn Rooms

Hours have passed, and Zagreus still hasn't died. Could it be that somehow he's escaped not just the Underworld, but his ill fate, too? He dares to hope.

There's still so incredibly much he doesn't know about the surface and the mortals' lives. It's all quite overwhelming, actually, but he doesn't mind. Much.

He's even hungrier now than he was before, but the nice people at this place to which he's been delivered--an "inn," apparently--have said that he'll be sharing his room with someone else, so he decides to go there first and see if whoever it is might want to eat with him.

He pushes open the door to his room and peers inside.]

Hello? Knock knock, is anyone here? It's me, your humble and extremely confused roommate...


D. Wildcard!

((OOC: I'm open to whatever, but I'd rather stick to events close to the time of Zag's arrival, because almost everything is new to him and he has an awful lot to learn!))

B

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn arrived here last month, but she came down to the caravans in the hope that she'll see someone familiar from back home, like Mebh or her father. Even though things between her and her father were a bit strained before she was taken here, so she's a little unsure about how she'll handle that.

Since she's focused on scanning the new faces showing up, she startles a little when Zagreus taps her on the shoulder, though she calms down when she sees it's just someone she doesn't recognize who's asking a question.]

Oh, well...it's called a smartphone. I'm still learning how to use it, but it lets you talk to other people from far away.

[bloodandlife]

Ah, a bit like what the Olympians do, then. But in both directions, I'd hope. How does one actually...do that? Can it reach people in the Underworld as well? Maybe if I talk to it--

[Lots of things in the Underworld respond if you talk to them. Like his weapons, although he doesn't know any specific words to say to this thing. Or the mirror. Or that weird poet's statue.]

Er, hello there, smartphone! ...guess not.

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn can't help but laugh a little at Zagreus' attempt.]

It only works for talkin' to people who are already here. You have to press some things on it to work, like this.

[She holds up her own phone and taps through a few of the apps. She still doesn't know how to use all of them yet, but she's starting to get a hang of the basic features.]

It shows you jobs you can do here, too.

[bloodandlife]

[He watches her with no shortage of curiosity, before he locates the button to wake the phone up and tries to duplicate what she did. It's...well, let's just say that the easily-distracted Prince Zagreus has never quite been one for this sort of learning.

An attempt is made.]

...well, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it in no time! Jobs, you say? What sort of jobs do people do here?

[wolfhunted]

Pretty simple ones, mostly. Things like stoppin' people who are causin' trouble, or just helpin' out someone who needs help. They need help with farmin' this month, since spring is here now so it's time for plantin'. I think there are businesses and things you can work for, too.

[Robyn hasn't exactly been eager to work, but at least the jobs here are open to everyone and she isn't only expected to do scullery work like she was back home.]

[bloodandlife]

Ah, now those sound like jobs I could do! The last job I had was not exactly suited to my abilities. Or tastes. And my boss left something to be desired. But enough about him--what do you do for a living?

[wolfhunted]

Well, me father's a hunter, and Merlyn and I used to help him.

[Hearing his name, Robyn's falcon Merlyn flies down to land on her arm.]

After we moved, everyone kept sayin' I should work in the scullery instead...but at least I don't have to do that here.

[bloodandlife]

Ah, hello there, Merlyn. I'm Zagreus. ...I probably should have introduced myself to you before your bird, shouldn't I? [He scratches at the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.] Well, at least I've done it now. Sort of.

[He tilts his head then, as she explains the rest.] A skullery? I suppose that must be where they keep the skulls, yes? If an armory stores arms, then a skullery must store skulls.

[He's reasoning out loud, clearly somehow never having heard of a scullery before. Or else he's messing with her and is a damn good actor. But no, he's actually just ridiculously ignorant.]

I do have to wonder what anyone would need to store that many skulls for. I was under the impression that you surface folks didn't normally wear bones and such as part of your everyday fashion?

[Unlike him, apparently, although those aren't human skulls that form his pauldron. They appear to be from some kind of animal--they have a distinct canine look about them, in fact.]

Special occasions, perhaps?

[wolfhunted]

Oh! Well, I'm Robyn.

[Though Robyn's expression becomes increasingly confused as Zagreus muses about sculleries out loud. Is he messing with her, or does he really not know what that is?]

Er...no, it's not for skulls. It's the room next to the kitchen where all the pots and dishes are washed and the laundry is done. Most castles and big houses have one where I'm from.

[bloodandlife]

Lovely to meet you, Robyn.

[Understanding dawns on his face.]

I've got a friend who does that sort of work. Although really, she does practically every kind of work around the House. She's run ragged, if you ask me, but she never seems to mind much...I don't see why they call it a skullery if it's a place for washing things, though.

Where are you from?

[wolfhunted]

[Personally Robyn knows she'd never be happy spending all of her time doing housework, but she feels it would be kind of rude to say that to someone she's just met.]

England. But Father and I moved to Ireland before I was brought here, since he has to work for the Lord Protector.

[By now, she's aware that not everyone who's brought here will be familiar with where she's from, but still.]

[bloodandlife]

[Funnily enough, Zagreus would be familiar with those places if he could have stayed on the surface long enough, but as it is the only place on Earth he knows is Greece.]

I'm afraid I don't know where those places are, but don't take it personally--you could say my upbringing was a bit, er...sheltered. Very sheltered, actually. Not voluntarily, mind you.

A | hello I see you there, do feel free to ignore if you like but I couldn't pass up the opportunity

[inevitablerest]

[Thanatos would ordinarily be easier to recognise, but as it turns out the traditional garb of the Greek gods isn't entirely suitable when you're suddenly very vulnerable to the elements and the god of death has taken to wearing something a little warmer to stave off the chill.

It does not in any way stop the goosebumps that rise on his arms as he's lightly bumped into and hears that all-too-familiar voice.]

Ah, Zagreus.

[The level tone of his voice belies the sudden surge of emotion that rises up beneath it at turning and seeing a familiar face (and this one). He's here trying to help people find their way in a manner that was not quite afforded to him upon his own arrival and he did not expect...]

I didn't think I'd be the one to leave Hades first, and yet here we are.

hello! I was actually hoping you would drop by :)

[bloodandlife]

[Zagreus blinks at the sound of that voice, and by the time Thanatos has turned around, Zag's face is lit up just like the sun blazing overhead.]

Than! I'm so glad to see you. Even if you are here to take me back home, although I don't feel nearly as awful as I normally do by now on the surface.

[Then he cocks his head, realizing something is different.]

What's that you're wearing? I've never seen it before. Wait, what do you mean, leave Hades? You pop up here to the surface for your work all the time, don't you?

eeeeeeeeee

[inevitablerest]

[Something flickers in his expression. Something a little warmer and softer than his usual grim looks. Something... that's there for barely a moment before it's gone again.]

Of course I do, though I don't resist returning with quite your vehemence.

[Is that the faintest thread of bitterness laced through his voice? Thanatos is still stinging over their last conversation; over the fact that Zagreus meant to leave without telling him at all.]

But this isn't the surface. This is Avalon. [He plucks lightly, distractedly at the arm of his clothing. Zagreus might also notice his feet planted firmly on the floor.] And I'm not able to take you anywhere.

:D

[bloodandlife]

[...ah. So he's still upset. Well, of course he is. It doesn't change what Zagreus needs to do, but he wishes...no. There's no point in wishing when he can just talk to Thanatos now.

Which he's about to do, until Thanatos goes on. And it's now that he does start to notice the little things--his friend standing on solid ground, his own feet no longer burning. His brow furrows in confusion.]

Avalon? I've never heard of it. What's going on, Than? I thought I'd died again, that Father defeated me, but now I'm not so sure.

Re: :D

[inevitablerest]

[Upset? No, never upset. What would he have to be upset about?

Thanatos studies Zagreus for several long moments. The questions are expected, and how much the young god likes to talk is anticipated, and yet he feels... strange. He's happy to see Zagreus here, but still angry and frustrated and unable (or unwilling) to put those things aside.

He never has handled that kind of conflict terribly well.]

You're cold. Here. [Bypassing the questions, he pushes a warm blanket firmly against Zagreus' chest.] Your father may have done just that. He isn't here. This is... a separate realm. I've met only one person who was passingly familiar to me.

[bloodandlife]

[Zagreus may not be a patient person by nature, but for Thanatos, he's always willing to wait through these silences. Even if it makes him uncomfortable, thinking about what might be going through the other god's mind. Whatever he's expecting, it isn't...a blanket. He blinks, moving to take it in hand mostly by instinct.]

It is rather chilly here, isn't it? Even without the snow.

[He wraps the blanket around his shoulders and bundles up in it. He can't help a sigh of relief at the comfortable warmth, even as he thinks that this sort of thing seems...a bit uncharacteristic of Thanatos, doesn't it? Then again, Zagreus misread his friend's intentions last time they saw each other, too...maybe he just hasn't been paying enough attention. He smiles.]

That's much better. Thank you. My father isn't here, you say? I like this place already. But...how did we get here? How long have you been here?

[inevitablerest]

A few weeks. Not nearly enough time to become accustomed to it.

[Enough time to move into wearing slightly warmer clothes at least (and shoes too, after cutting the underside of his foot turned out to be a far more shaking experience than he'd expected), but certainly not enough time to shake off several eons of habits and perceptions.

Offering some comfort to Zagreus, however abruptly, is only a small symptom of how being here has caused some adjustments in his ways of thinking. It is definitely not a symptom of the fact he's missed his friend.]

They tell us that our connection to something here draws us. A 'familiar'. [His own is, in fact, nearby. A sizeable three headed-black dog is snuffling around nearby, almost entirely ignoring Thanatos.]

If you have a lot of questions you should ask Archimedes. He's at the top of the cliffs.

[bloodandlife]

A few weeks? But...what about the mortals? What happens if you're not there to collect them? You said...that you can't take me anywhere. You can't leave here, can you?

[That last question is really more of a statement--a realization. That's pretty alarming, actually!]

Never thought I'd have to break out of somewhere other than the Underworld. Although that might be a bit difficult, seeing as all my weapons and keepsakes and everything are back home.

[Now that his attention has been drawn to it, Zagreus spots the dog and grins with delight. There's a dog! He must pet it. He walks over to it with confidence and holds out a hand for the dog to sniff.] Look at him! He's like a miniature Cerberus. Hey, boy--or is it girl?--who's a good dog? It's you! You're the good dog. Yes you are.

[At the other god's next words, though, Zagreus turns quickly to look at him. This is usually the part where Thanatos vanishes and he doesn't know when he'll see him again.]

Of course I have a lot of questions. But--wait, Than, don't go. Please.

[inevitablerest]

[That realisation coming out of Zagreus' mouth is like a cold knife. Thanatos knows it, but hearing it spoken so plainly isn't eased by that fact. He can't leave, he can't...

He's lost so much by being drawn here, and he's tried hard not to sink into resentment over it. It would have been easy to, but what benefit would it have had? His familiar reacts to the fussing in much the same way any dog would, but unlike Cerberus enjoys all three of its heads being petted and leans into the affection with enthusiasm and much tail-wagging.

When Zagreus turns around, Thanatos is still there. He's still there, with his arms loosely folded and his gaze settled on his familiar, who is making a complete fool of itself to get Zagreus' attention.

Then he looks up, his eyes widening just slightly.]

Tch. [Then he looks away, frowning.] I couldn't if I wanted to.

[bloodandlife]

[Zagreus feels terrible for feeling relieved, given the look on Thanatos' face. But he is relieved. For once, he doesn't have to worry that at any moment his friend might suddenly flee from him.

...ah. Now, isn't that a bit of irony? Hmm. He pets at the dog's heads absently, his full attention on the other god.]

...well, at least we're stuck here together, now. Could be worse, right? It can't have been easy for you, alone here without your family or your work. I can't hope to make up for all of that, but...I am here, for what it's worth. And if there's anyone you can trust to find a way to escape, it's certainly me.

[He tries a small smile, although once the words are out of his mouth he thinks maybe that might just remind Thanatos of his own abrupt departure. ...whoops.]

[inevitablerest]

[It's still a possibility, but the lack of teleportation makes it infinitely harder. The pressing desire to remove himself from a situation that makes him uncomfortable makes Thanatos' skin itch... or maybe that's just the fabric on his arms?]

I'm sure you think you're being reassuring. [He replies dryly, his expression set in the slightly imperious look that Zagreus knows so well.

As if he needed to be reminded.]

Follow me, then. There are carriages at the top of the cliffs.

[bloodandlife]

[Zagreus sighs. Somehow, he can never figure out what the right thing is to say to Thanatos anymore. It's silly, honestly, for how long they've known each other. But things seem different now than they used to, and although Zagreus knows the most recent reason is his own doing, he thinks it started before that.

For now, he just follows along up the path, having no idea what a carriage is but excited to find out.]

I know you said this isn't the surface, but it looks similar, at least from what little I've seen of both places. Is the sun really this bright there, too? I can see why you're not its biggest fan.