TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

[avalonmods]

Check out the OOC intro meme for this month to say hi to new players/characters!

{ 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 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 mossatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Mossatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plant life growing on its back. While some are fully green, many sport blooming flowers or fairy circles 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, a pair of earbuds, and animal-themed ponchos 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. Which given the fact that it's pouring down rain in April? Not ideal. You were only given ponchos, not rain boots. 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. Unfortunately, due to a bee infestation and massive amounts of rain, the hot springs of the Red Springs are not available this month! Instead, an underground salt cave is offered as a way to relax and unwind. Gather around in the rejuvenating, dimly lit caves and breathe in the relaxing effects of salt crystals. Feel the sand between your toes, or if you don't like sand, try one of the many pools with tiny garra rufa for a fish pedicure. Or, lie down in a recliner and stare up at the "stars"-- magic sparkles in the ceiling that move to spell out single-word concepts you may be experiencing. (Maybe you're relaxed? You might get something like "Chill." Find your relaxation buddy hot? Just be careful to look away before the stars spell "Thirsty" to the whole room.) 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 it turns out, a mythical land that's been around for a few centuries has a few things in common with many modern worlds. It's got the internet, and games have evolved a little bit past hoop trundling and draughts. April, being the traditional month of mirth and games and lots of rain making it hard to have fun outdoors, is the time for Camelot City Gaming Convention, affectionately shortened to CameCon. Come into the large convention center located in the south part of town, get dry, and check out some of the awesome things to do. A ⦿ Couchless Co-Op Without the massive audiences required to really run MMORPGs, Avalon is much more a fan of couch co-op style gaming. Though most games are available on mobile devices throughout Avalon when they are released, there's nothing quite like coming to CameCon to utilize the gaming stages for everyone's favorite fighting games. Multiple players at a time can plug in their phones and connect their accounts to a light magic-based illusion stage (powered by multiple light mages at a time, once a year only!) roughly the size of a basketball court. Fighting games can be played tournament-style on the phone next to your opponent for some awesome trash talk during your battle. Race through space with this year's popular NASTAR Racing Game (National Association for Space Travel Auto Racing) game and fight off space pirates in an epic Mario Kart-esque racing and item battle adventure with your choice of star ship. Or plug your phone into the stage podium and get away from the humdrum fantasy life by joining in a live-movement game that combines synchronous kinetic and light magic. Move your body in the vortex illusion of your favorite rhythm dance game with a buddy! Or maybe you're more into the free-style gaming of Grand Theft Automation with both friends and strangers-- step onto the illusionary stage itself to explore crawling cityscapes and live the life of crime you always dreamed of... at least the cops won't really arrest you if you do it here. Just make sure if you use magic you remember you're on a stage and don't accidentally send some flying off at a poor convention go-er just past the illusion stage. B ⦿ Arthurian RP in your Arthurian RP None can forget one of the most important of game types: the roleplaying game. There's a huge historical set game going on right now where characters can LARP as their favorite Knight of the Round Table. There may be a couple of arguments if two Lancelots end up in the same game, but don't worry, there's a fair way of determining who gets the part for this game if you don't want to wait for the next storyline: rock-paper-scissors-magic. Instead of the traditional version of RPS, you shake your fists and open up to whatever hand-held spell you can make with your particular brand of magic. If it's something that can overcome the other kind in less than three seconds, you're the winner. (And yes, even healers can play-- some protective magic to block a dark magic pain curse is definitely going to win out, for example!) Either way, once your role is decided, put your acting skills to the test! ...and if you don't have any, well, they have costumes that will help you get into the mood with a little dress-up and props that will magically give you sword skills... though only while using the dull-edged plastic props. Or you can just sit on the sidelines and have a picnic on the concrete floor of the center with a potential new pal and watch other people play-- there's a lovely little buffet table with pastries, coffee, and juice in the corner. C ⦿ It Figures... A convention isn't a convention without a little shopping. Come check out what cool games are upcoming in the exhibit hall, buy figurines of your favorite game characters (or.. new ones you've never heard of since this is a new world, but are still cute and/or kick-ass), and most importantly, check out the cool magic you can apply to them. A spell available for purchase in the convention hall that's popular this year is Recipe: Figure Anima, which makes your figures move in place and say popular lines as if they're an actual, miniature version of the character. It's recommended you practice while you're in the convention hall though so figure experts can help if things go.. awry. People have been known to have their own emotions influence the spell, and sometimes toys have started taking on the attitude of the caster. There's nothing quite as tragic as your favorite angelic game character telling you they're gonna kick your ass because you were in a fighting mood. So OOC. Maybe you can find someone who's a little better at magic to fix the problem? Of course, when the rain breaks through and floods the exhibition room, there's a lot of mass hysteria as people scream and climb up onto tables, trying to protect their merch above all else. Hurry, help someone else up onto your table before their ent dakimakura they just purchased gets wet! Only you can save the gamers from water! ..Or that's what you thought, until a second later the electricity goes out and you're left in a total electricity blackout in the convention hall. It may be a good idea to use some magic to try to light the way and find a way out of the flooded hall... A ⦿ Keep Your Vines to Yourselves With magic blossoming left and right because of the bountiful spring equinox rituals, things have been getting a little stranger around the Broceliande. Though it's always been known for being a little odd, there is an overgrowth of prehensile, very friendly vines populating the forest now. The vines seem to have minds of their own, sometimes grabbing people, pulling them up into trees, or generally wrapping around them as if trying to get a warm hug. Ultimately, they seem relatively harmless.. except when you can't get down from them. Hopefully, you've got some kind of destructive magic that can help you fight off the overly friendly vines as you head into the forest to investigate the strange reports citizens have been making of their friends and family disappearing in the generally friendly, if odd forest when they've gone to fetch herbs or other supplies, gone on walks, or who knows what else from the forest. It seems like the best way to get the vines to let go without magic is to tickle the person the vines have captured, so you really better hope you're ticklish... and there's someone willing to really go in on it. It takes a lot of laughter to get these vines to leave you alone! B ⦿ Selfies with Selkies Those who continue on with their investigation after avoiding or escaping the vines will find a very, very large flower that seems to have taken route in a sink hole in the middle of the forest. Hundreds of vines seem to be coming from it, and it seems like this flower may be the source of all of the vines throughout the forest. It won't attack unless you attack it first and it seems to almost immediately regrow any vines that are destroyed. If the flower itself is attacked, it will rise up and attempt to eat your character with thousands of tiny shark-like teeth that lie where the pollen of its flower should be. Those who try to fight will find it seems virtually unkillable and immovable. It is neither plant nor animal and seems to have a thousand minds and souls held within it that somehow feel incomplete, so it's largely incommunicable even with cognitive or death magic. It's definitely a strange find, and it could be easy enough to assume the missing people tried aggression as their first tactic and got gobbled up... Take a trip up to the Archivist will lead them to find a book that includes information on the species: The Cereus de Anima. This giant flower rapidly grows when a seed from the Land of Rot transfers via someone's clothing to an appropriate forest environment and is known to absorb a piece of a person's essence from anyone it touches with its vines. People often seem to go missing for a short period of time when one of these appears, then come back behaving a little differently but ultimately don't seem to be in distress. No one is quite sure what the cause of this is. There doesn't seem to be any record of there being lasting damage, however questionable the plant is... The Archivist, upon seeing you researching the plant, says that he's heard some of the lake's residents just off of the Silent Shore have some experience with one. He hands you a couple baskets of some specially anti-rust enchanted parts and tells you he was supposed to deliver them to a Selkie man living in the lake for a project he's working on. You and a partner can make the delivery and ask your questions from him. The Selkie isn't going to be particularly friendly to fellow men, not trusting human men farther than he can throw them, but will decidedly try to seduce women as Selkie men are known to be extremely handsome and flirtatious with human women. Non-humans he will be neutral toward. It's best to go in pairs so you don't end up on a whirlwind candlelit beach picnic with a shirtless selkie in exchange for information about how to uproot a Cereus de Anima. (At the very least, the selkie will want you to take a selfie with him before you leave so that you have something to remember him by, and you'll always be welcome back if you change your mind.) Regardless of how much of a challenge it is for you to get to that point, as long as he gets the delivery from the Archivist, he'll eventually tell you and your traveling partner about how he heard that there used to be a village at the edge of the Dusklight Woods that was overrun with one of them, and that there's only one survivor who moved to in a cottage on the other side of the Pure of Heart Bridge.. Those familiar, yes, it is the old man that Morganna tried to kill and save in a quest a couple of months ago! Time to travel all the way back to the Pure of Heart bridge and make your way over to the cottage and talk to the man and it sure seems like this quest is long and tedious and you may be wondering if someone will have noticed you're gone... C ⦿ The Answer is No Back in Camelot City, it seems that anyone who's been touched by the vines has been replaced by a doppelganger in their lives. They're just barely off from the original- they have all the memories, but may be slightly more skilled at things they didn't used to be, or may seem to make less ethical choices than they might otherwise. There's just something slightly off. But when people start using AOL to contact their friends and let them know they've been gone.. well, it may seem like the jig is up, or at least in question. Those who find out they've been replaced may want to return to Camelot quickly to try to reclaim their lives. Doppelgangers will attempt to kill their original if they come into contact with them when they aren't around other people, so you may need to flee for your life if you haven't gotten good enough at magic to defend yourself yet. Around other people, the doppelgangers will do their best to try to prove themselves the real person and since they were made from the original, will have the same memories as the original character so asking questions that "only ___ would know" may not work. Eventually it will come out that the doppelgangers have occasionally wriggling vines instead of spines underneath their clothing, if you're willing to check that to see who's real, but that won't be common knowledge. What can be found out from the old man at the Pure of Heart bridge if you choose to leave your doppelganger alone is that Cereus de anima doppelgangers can only live for a month without killing their original and absorbing the rest of their essence. However, if the original plant isn't taken care of with a special venom you can only obtain from certain creatures in the Forest of the Fisher King, the problem will just keep happening over and over until the city is overrun and becomes nothing but a breeding ground for the flower and its replicas. 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. • You can have any animal-style poncho you want! They are themed, not made from actual animals. No animals have been harmed in the making of these ponchos!! • TIMELINE: The resolution to the third prompt will be in April's event! The first two prompt sets will be during the first week of the month. The doppelganger problem and obnoxious traveling and research will be occurring for the second and third weeks of the month. • People with green magic may be able to fill something off about the doppelgangers, but may not be able to identify what it is right away. Blood mages will be able to feel that their blood feels the same as the original as they are essentially copies. Cognitive people will be able to use their magic normally except for hypnotic suggestion- the doppelgangers are immune to it, so while you may be able to find other ways to out them, hypnotizing people to tell the truth won't work this time. Doppelgangers are made from the essence of the person, so they will be able to access their phones and accounts. Note that the Cereus de Anima and doppelgangers are not fairies and cannot be contracted with. If a Death Mage attempts to possess a doppelganger, it will technically come in contact with the doppelganger's vine and may end up with more than one doppelganger depending on how many times they try it. Siphon magic can be used to destroy a doppelganger easily, however, the essence that was stolen from the original's soul may be destroyed in the process so it is not recommended as the original may start to feel as though they are no longer a whole person. • 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. Make sure to read the Red Spring section on this month's even if you're normally familiar-- the springs are closed this month, check out the alternate prompts! • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

[tantailizing]

[He recognizes that. Hehe, he didn't expect this to happen so fast, but he'll play it cool.]

Oh don't worry about me. I'm fine. A landing like is nothing compared to some others I've been through. [Nodding, he raises a hand to his chin and tilts his head.] I did, but where's 'here'?

c

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Help soon comes in the form of a 7-foot-tall robot. Miraculously enough, Soundwave managed to avoid encountering the grabby vines himself, before he hears someone calling for help from above. Soundwave peers up, red visor stare at her before he wordlessly takes flight with his kinetic magic, reaching up to the trapped girl.

He grabs the vine and tries to tear it apart with his bare metallic hands. Of course, he's aware he is no longer as strong as a typical Cybertronian anymore, drained of his strength here, but he's still surprised that he couldn't even rip apart a simple plant. His vents huff, voice robotic and electronic in quality when he speaks.]

Hm. This is not as effective as I thought it would be.

[afterparties]

[ Wine is just the thing for everyone, at any time. He's yet to be proven wrong on that one. ]

Yeah! This is some good stuff they've got here, and you've just got to try it. [ He even has a glass ready for her, and a couple of other unopened bottles sat in the sand.

What? Like the God of Wine could be satisfied with just one bottle of booze. ]

[justlittle]

Bean looks around the beach again. He's right enough about there not being any kind of tech around whatsoever. It's then that he sees the staircase leading up the side of the cliff. He points to it.

"Seems like if we want to know anything, we've got to go up there."

[goldenfleece]

I did, but I thought I'd be fine...

[ In hindsight, though, that was a terrible idea. At this point he'd even take a pair of shears. He'll have to remember to keep something on him from now on.

He continues to try and squirm his way out, but doesn't really find a whole lot of success. Normally he's fairly capable of defending himself, but without the magic he used to have it's a little difficult to do without some kind of weapon. ]

At least they're not trying to hurt me or anything, but I don't think sticking around is a good idea.

[roseeclair]

Oh, right! Right, so this is Avalon. We're... kind of here to help fix all our worlds with magic?

[If Ami were here, she'd say the word Mako wants is "multiverse."]

[fruitknife]

"Probably. If there's anyone around who actually knows."

The problem with Liminal Space was that the people running the show didn't actually explain anything until really late on, and even then it was sketchy at best.

Arrival

[queenofminiskirts]

[Kaoru's nature is to try to save everyone so there's no chance she'd leave a child to drown...plus, she has had to take lifeguard training as a part of the whole Special Espers Are Emergency Responders gig so she knows what she's doing at least and gets behind him to get her arms under his.]

I've got you!

[She meant to say more but there's a shadow underneath them and she knows she can't swim fast enough to get away not while holding onto someone. She only holds onto him more firmly.

She thinks, if I get eaten like this I'm going to be seriously pissed!]

This isn't Pinocchio, damn it!

[But obviously they're not going to be eaten but how would she have known that, really?]

Mona Megistus | Genshin Impact

[lunarchain]

A ⦿ Soaking Crashing in Your Arrival -

Except that she were riding the winds upon her Glider and she crashes.

[ Mona did not suspect anything at first, after jumping off the mountains of Dragonspire. Collecting from its tops the freshest bit of snow for her later reading that evening. It was normal that these mountains were often covered in clouds so thick your own view down below would be altered in its entirety. However, she suspected something was amidst as the world around her felt - farther out than she quite remembered it. Let alone completely changed, when all that were below had been a lake rather large. As well as grassy green spring like terrain abundant around the lake itself.

Did Barbatos course her winds elsewhere? Far too busy with what she could make of the situation. Bewildered when a single lunar moth had gently glided before her, seemingly attempting to lead her where she need go. The woman could not suspect anything ill were about to take place.

Although she were an exceptional Glider, enjoying the winds against her skin and clamoring to high places with lofty whim of her acrobatics. It would seem when she were not plundering down below, the tricky little fae folk of the lake felt annoyed at this curious woman so lucky to have been gliding down. It would seem, with some help of the wind Fae. They wished to disrupt this little floating dandelion, send her floating away as a proper greeting into this new land. Sure enough, the warm wind suddenly took her from her place and off the woman went with a loud yelp.

Although she were not bound for the water - she were instead bound for another person and with as much as her senses she could muster. Mona cried out - ] WATCH OUT!

B ⦿ Arthurian RP in your Arthurian RP

[ Mona decides that, in order to learn more about the world.. Watching historical re-enactments of the place she were in now. Would be her best bet. She was acquitted her book from her original world, and the magical instruments to scry with. However, they did not help in a place where stars were not her own and she had to learn from scratch. All over again, what each constellation meant or would mean. This bothered her greatly, she were a useless scientist in a world where her rules and her science did not matter.

It offended her and hurt her personally, because her namesake and existence came from the fact that her Astrology and truth seeking. Were put back several years and now she needed to relearn the foundations and basics. The Great Astrologist, Mona Megistus - no longer as great. Now in this world, she were less an observer and a stranger attempting to once again fit in. It was not so rattling, especially with the promise of knowledge before her and her drive as a truth seeker etched forth eagerly. If not obsessively so, as such her interest in wanting to understand more about 'Arthurian Lore.' Came about with the want to understand how this world work - the magic therein.

Start from scratch. The Legend of King Arthur:

So we give you this girl, who very well studied her Arthurian Lore. Many books mind you, and has it open in front of her at the sidelines. Looking downtrodded at the inaccuracies displaced in your acting! ]

No, no, no you have it wrong. In order for King Arthur to have won that War he begged Queen Guinevere to speak to Lancelot on his behalf!

[ It's important to note with the one million versions and telling's of King Arthur, Mona isn't right persee. She supposes the book she is following her in question is though in a way. ]


A ⦿ Keep Your Vines to Yourselves

I want you to understand this was not my intention. [ She began with her arms crossed, looking down at you from above. ] I-I merely wished to understand more about these specimen and the magic that they curated. As it were, they grabbed me and are clutching me rather tightly. I am certain that they have ripped my tights as well and I am very upset over this.

So.

If you would be so kind.

As to get me down.

You have my eternal thanks.

[ The vines were tightly bound about her and seemingly cradling her rather excitedly! They even tried to tickle her themselves, to which Mona smacked it gently and began talking toward the strip of vine as if she were its mother. ]

That is NOT appropriate do not touch me, did I say that you could? Now give me my hat back - Yes Now!!

C ⦿ The Answer is No warning;; fighting implied & kinda crack .

"I am the Great Mona Megistus. The greatest Astrologist Known in all of Teyvat. The Old hag only wishes she could do as much as I could. Of course, she cannot."

[ Mona was tired - the actual one staring in disbelief at the woman who were herself sitting upon a ledge. Flicking her hair the moment that the two locked eyes with one another. Real Mona, seemed exhausted and her stockings were tattered and she were in disbelief over what she saw. At this point she wanted to just - go home. She would rather go back to Fontaine where her Master were and confess that she read her book along with all the secrets within it. If it mean't not dealing with the whole world she were dealing with now. ]

That's not. No. Do not talk about her like that, she is the reason why you are even - I mean I AM. Where I am today.

[ The doppelganger jumps down with a flair and a bit of excitement that actual Mona seemed to have lost ever since she arrived at this new world, "Is that not how you actually feel about her?" No it was not, Mona felt that way because of her own criticisms and truthfully only Mona felt herself allowed to speak down about the woman who taught her and raised her. Immediately her hand reaches out and slaps the Doppelganger across the face. Annoyed. Exhausted.

Needless to say the other slaps back, and now after about a moment of staring angrily at each other. The two have entered in a bit of a cat fight, lots of hair pulling, slapping, grumbling at each other. A shouting match over the matter regarding their Teacher along with their studies in science. It can easily be ended if someone who knows better wants to end the doppelgangers life - though the issue there is figuring out who is real and the fake. ]

X ⦿ Wildcard .

[justlittle]

Bean rolls his eyes. What a stupid, defeatist attitude.

"Well, nobody knows down here. So I'm going up."

And he's just going to take off walking without waiting to see if the guy will follow.

[likescaves]

...

[ That is, without a doubt, the weirdest-looking Ixal that Merisia has ever seen in her life. And perhaps the most over-the-top. She coughs and waves some of the smoke from her face. Seriously, was that necessary at all? ]

Do I look alright to you?

[ Not that she's ungrateful or anything, but nothing's really going to stop her from complaining, either. She's not sure this guy - bird? - even knows what he's doing. ]

Be careful yourself, unless you want to end up losing a few fulms!

[justlittle]

[ Bean stops flailing when he feels arms slide under his, trying to calm down his racing heart and get as much air into his lungs as he can. ]

Th...thanks...

[ He's out of breath. Damnit. He didn't ask to look so weak! Where the hell is he and why the hell couldn't he have appeared on land?!

The shadow comes up underneath them, a soft mossy surface lifting them up and out of the water. Not a gaping maw, but the back of a large green manatee. Confused, Bean grabs a hold of the plantlife suddenly supporting him, not wanting to fall off. ]

Arrival

[queenofminiskirts]

[Honestly, she's on the same page as him with the wet socks...except she's not actually experiencing it. Her uniform for some reason, is perfectly dry. But her hair is wet though, and also red.

She huffs when she hears his words.]

If they want our help after all this they better be ready to get on their knees and beg.

[She is sort-of-serious.]

[tantailizing]

... 'Fix our worlds'? [His brows furrow and he crosses his arms now.]

What happened?

[likescaves]

[ And this is where the gap of skill starts to show.

Merisia has been able to keep up so far, but she's starting to slip. As coordinated and agile as he is, dancing to music is quite different from the types of maneuvers she has to do out on the field.

She's not very happy about it, and she does everything she can to try and catch up, but Merisia is no dancer. She's an arcanist. Looks like Tenn might end up winning this one, but Merisia won't go down without a fight...! ]

[floatsaway]

[Likewise, Ochako is overcome with a desire to just rush and embrace her good friend - it's like that with nearly everyone these days, really... two months really does seem like such a long, long time to be away from people that she's so close to, emotionally. Her classmates are a part of her team, and they've bonded well enough to form a tight-knit family of sorts, too. Being away from even one of them for an extended period...it's weird.

But they can't disappoint the crowd and cut their entertainment short! That's not what a good hero does. So, instead, she'll play her role as best she can (which isn't the greatest, being as hammy as she is...), and steal away with Tokoyami so they can finally catch up properly.]

I suppose one cannot change fate... Alright then. If you're really serious... [Ochako swishes her magic staff, which shwings! and lights up cutely.] Then I won't hold back!!

[And the crowd goes wild as she rushes in!!]

[frogiveness]

They seem to be bringing in people from worlds where conflict is normal. Or, if not they, then whatever is bringing us.

If that's true, and not just coincidence, then that's probably the reason.

C2

[backstreetbard]

[ If someone was going to be hit by friendly fire (or friendly lightning, as the case may be) it's rather fortunate that it's Dorothea. Her magic is elemental, too, and this isn't her first time dealing with unwieldy spellcasters. Years spent training as a mage and on the field of battle have honed her reflexes, and the second she spots a stray bolt in her peripheral vision, she spins on her heel to catch the crackling energy in her outstretched hand and deflect it harmlessly back to ground.

It still stings a little, and Dorothea wrinkles her nose as she tries to shake the tingling sensation out of her hand. At least the man has the good sense to apologize for the incident. Dorothea sighs, rubbing her palm. ]

I've had worse. Just be a little more cautious, won't you? It's lucky I'm used to this sort of magic.

Red Spring

[badlypoisoned]

[That's a duck. It's a talking duck in a purple costume.

Yun Yifeng contemplated that for a moment. It was absurd but somehow it was absurd in a way that was almost funny and that made him feel a little better. There's a white phoenix perched on his shoulder and it matched the long hair and generally elegant demeanour and his too-pale skin tone...unlike his clothes which were a garish yellow and green.

He stepped closer and crouched down.]

Mister Duck, I'm afraid there wasn't a single boat on the waters.

[raveyardpatriarch]

Sure enough, all Wei Wuxian's not inconsiderable powers of noticing have been turned inward, so the--well, whatever that specifically is, is a surprise. But not overwhelmingly so, after the time he's had, so the best he can offer is to lounge a little less and give her a look. Maybe she's not dressed like a donkey, that look says, but she might still be making an ass of herself. Still, if someone wants to dispense with some social niceties, he's always game.

"Wouldn't be a cave donkey anymore then, would it?" Checkmate, sarcastic stranger. "I was cold and dignity is overrated. What, are you jealous?"

Mi-Sa-Kiiiii~

[bluepessimism]

[ At the yell that he hears across the room, Fushimi looks up from his device. It's familiar. He doesn't think anyone in this other world can have such a distinctive voice as the redhead. There's a tiny smirk that pulls at his lips as he debates whether he should confront the vanguard or not.

After a moment, he decides to drop his veil of anonymity. He pushes off the wall to approach the steaming HOMRA member.]

So, it was you. That's what you get for those annoying counter moves.

[Although he hadn't meant to do a 100-hit combo, he didn't think his character was even capable of performing such an attack. Was it some glitch? Either way, the attack smoked out someone from his world, so it's useful.]

When did you get here?

[likescaves]

Good to know.

[ Merisia squeezes some water out of her sleeve, her lips curling back a little in disappointment before she glances up at whoever just spoke to her.

...well, she's seen some oddly-dressed hyur before, so this isn't too new, but this guy definitely isn't from Eorzea. Don't mind if she stares for just a moment before sighing and brushing it off. ]

If nothing else, I'd settle for just knowing who threw me into a gods-damned lake.

[bluepessimism]

[He certainly agrees with this girl. Even if the idea of some higher power begging on hands and knees, seems improbable.]

Tch. Unfortunately, I don't think it'll turn out like that.

[They'll probably be the ones begging for a way to leave and be compliant enough to go along the abduction. He hates this kind of shit the most! He glances at the girl, noticing that her school uniform is dry, but only her hair is drenched. How did she manage that?]

Your descent...? Did you fall headfirst?

[But even so that doesn't explain why her clothes are dry.]

Kumoko| So I'm a spider so what?

[powercreeper]

a. Arrival

[From the water crawls something strange! Not a person, nor a magical being, but rather a giant spider! About the size of a large dog, she crawls ashore soaking wet and looking more than a bit confused. When she had escaped the labyrinth she had expected to find herself near civilization, but not like this.

Certainly, this was a net positive change from battling for survival every moment of every day, but why here and why like this? She could figure that out after toweling herself off.]

B. Caravan

[You are sitting across from a giant spider with earbuds somehow affixed to the side of her head. She is staring intently at you, her eyes squinted and one of her front legs sat under what would be her chin. She looks as if she is trying to discern something about you through this act alone.]

Hmm, it's not working at all. Skills must be on the fritz.

[She knocks herself on the head as if trying to fix a television.]

c. Gaming

[Kumoko hadn't played any games in over a decade of being by herself in the labyrinth and took to the opportunity to play a game like a fish to water. In particular, her current body seemed, at least in her thinking, more than adept at playing a dancing game.

In practice, of course, flailing around with 8 legs on a dance pad simply doesn't work and without her parallel minds to control her movement she ends up on her back and struggling to right herself.]

Some help, please...

[queenofminiskirts]

[She tenses and instinctively she tries to fly...but sadly her powers aren't working.

Thankfully, it seems like they're not here to re-enact Jaws or Pinnochio (which is just as well, she doesn't want to live inside a whale, thanks).

She relaxes a little though she doesn't let go of the child yet.]

Shit. [She said and only lets go when the creature under them stops rising and seems to be sitting still.] I thought we were going to be fish food for a moment! Give a girl some warning next time, geez!

[Her hair is soaked, ugh, just great! Oddly enough though, her uniform was completely dry. She grimaces at the state of her hair before trying to wring some of the water out.] Are you okay?