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

[all_the_aangles]

He can't help but grin at that.

"Sure, Zuko," he replies, "but only so long as you make it a big reveal."

[tantailizing]

[If he figures out doctors can be on speed dial, that'll happen. Hopefully, he just loses a finger should things really go south.]

See ya! And I'll get around to it eventually! [He's got other things to practice first.]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace studies it the fox for a moment, as if contemplating how much he should say. But even if it's not necessarily common knowledge, it's not like some big secret, either, so basics should be fine.]

...In my world, the nine-tailed fox is...different. More of a malevolent creation though I suppose it also had some trickster qualities.

[flamekthunder]

[That mix of wanting to along with fully aware how dogs are usually wary of him. There's a bit more of a resigned look as he continues to stare at the pup—which is probably not helping as the pup shrinks back from his intense gaze.

Seeing this he hastily looks away, rubbing his brows.]

Sorry...dogs are usually wary of me to begin with, so I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to force it.

[His wolf familiar just lift its head up to stare at him, as if to say, "Well get better at it then!" before looking at Adelle. Please help its dumb partner.]

[rediscovering]

"Oh, he will..."

He rolls his eyes some, his voice dripping in dismissive sarcasm. As much as he's come to love his familiar, it sure is goofy. It has embarrassed him on numerous occasions — probably not excluding this one.

He gets up from his seat, crouching over toward the window of the entrance and peering out before he makes any moves, watching the scenery roll by. They're in a horsedrawn carriage so it's not going all that fast, but still, worth being cautious before being reckless.

"So— I sorta just... think about it? Focus my energy on wanting him? They come when you need them, even if you don't think about it sometimes, but if your bond is strong— you can just call them and they'll come," he explains, recalling his first encounter with his familiar arriving of its own accord. It wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary, and indeed for Zuko's own good. The familiars have a deep wisdom within their spiritual bonds and know what's best for their partners — at least, Zuko's seems to. Sort of. When it's not giving him a headache acting out like a naughty puppy.

He takes a moment, closing his eyes with a deep breath, then leans over and opens the door of the moving vehicle, a cold gust of wind rushing in as he does. Safe. Sound logic. Sure. Yup. Let's do this...

"Close your eyes. And no peeking," he warns, scowling, not fully trusting Aang not to ruin the big reveal he himself had requested. "His name is Zunyan... Or Zun for short. Spelled like 'Honor.' He doesn't talk— that's just what I've called him..."

And on cue, there is a scraping sound outside the carriage, and then a thud inside. The creature Zuko had so respectfully named 'Dignity' in their home's language has arrived none too gracefully. It seldom does. If Aang's closed his eyes as told, he'll hear Zuko sigh, grumbling as he shifts back to his seat beside the Avatar. Then... something small pressing light pressure against the boy's lap, the feel of two tiny feet with sharp little claws crawling gingerly across his legs, then two more after a beat; it must be long despite its small size, like a fire ferret... but somehow, it doesn't seem furry, even without touching it. It's warm, radiates some heat naturally just being near it, and clearly nimble, as it takes to crawling up Aang's arm already, ready to find a perch on his shoulders.

"Zun..." Zuko scolds, narrowing his eyes at his familiar as it scales his friend. It was a rude, misbehaving creature with no consideration or cares at all for other people's comfort. Ahem. Zuko's spiritual animal companion.

When Aang opens his eyes, he'll be greeted up close and personal by the fanged face of a dragon, as majestic as it is terrifying to find oneself face-to-face with a dragon by surprise. But thankfully, this dragon is a lot smaller than the last dragons they found themselves staring down. Travel-friendly.

[lunarchain]

Venti then, you know the traveler asked me to look into you once. [ Mona begins, yes we are doing this. ] I did not mean to pry of course, its normal to have people ask about others... However, as it were... When I did - well, gusts of winds came about me and I felt as if I was being attacked. I thought it was strange, and I know better to ignore a sign like that when peering into the divine. All the same, since you are here and I can't not think back on it. I am wondering what you have to say about that? Or what do you think? Its been something I always wanted to ask you over.

[schmisse]

Well... [ That's a tough question to answer, but she'll try not to freak Blake out with what she's about to say— ] You were, but at the same time, if you don't know about it, then you weren't?

[ That makes no sense. And Weiss frowns thinking about it now. ]

For some reason, being in another world can tamper with your memories. You could forget about your time in Prismatica but remember more things in Remnant. You could also be from the past, while I'm from your future.

[ That makes no sense either! Weiss just gives up and shrugs. ]

... what do you remember last, before arriving here, anyway?

[withclawsout]

"No time for that! Don't stop moving!" Lethe barked, concern for her own safety a distant background noise. That was definitely her sister strung up in the vines like an insect in a spiderweb, and that just made her blood boil. The next bundle of greenery reaching for her got smacked away with more vehemence, and the laguz soldiered on.

The more energy she absorbed from the vines, the more...green Lethe seemed to look. And there was the taste of grass clippings in her mouth. Gross.

[angelolatry]

Well, almost everything? I guess. Something like that.

[Because. Well. She's kept Lloyd in the dark on certain parts regarding her Journey. Specifically on her fate and what she has to go through during it. He already figured some of it out but still. She is trying her best to not have him worrying about her the whole time. And she still isn't exactly necessarily sure on his father either. Not having clicked about Kratos yet.]

What about you and Garnet?

[angelolatry]

Yes. Mana is like....hm. A life force? Without it our crops and plants won't grow so the environment, we suffer because of it. That's why I have to do what I can back home to fix things. Why I'm so happy here to be able to help plants grow!

[She tries to answer and explain at least, as she idly keeps petting him and stroking at his ears in habit around dogs. Colette can't help but to be thrilled about it. Even if she doesn't have such abilities back home at least here she could help the flowers and crops and trees grow. As if this makes up for everything back home somehow, or something. But this was nice, peaceful, sitting here chatting with him like this.]

[tantailizing]

Almost everything is pretty good I'll say.

[While she has that, Zidane shakes his head.]

We're nothing like that. See, the thing about Garnet is she's the Princess of the Kingdom of Alexandria - er, was went we met. Meanwhile, I've lived with a theater troupe my whole life in Lindblum. Two different worlds that crossed by chance.

[ferrytale]

What do you mean? In the Alliance, no time is wasted. Even sleeping is an opportunity for self-improvement.

[ having just gotten here, it likely hasn't occurred to him yet that the fact that his formerly pilot-able giant robot now being the size of a toy probably has restricted certain functions like that. having wasteful sleep time?? can't relate. ]

Mon-ey..? [ he speaks the word like he's trying it out because that's exactly what's happening. magical translation or not, there's only so much it can do without an equivalent expression, after all. ] Ah.. is that similar in practise to meal ration tickets?

[committing]

[ She was and she wasn't in Prismatica. It should make no sense, but it makes sense enough of all the facts available -- that Blake can't remember; that Weiss met her there; that people seem to possess different memories at different points in their world-hopping travels; that Raven knows Blake and Sun, but Blake doesn't know how. It's cleaner than Blake's splintered copies theory, if only because it doesn't involve there being, like, a seemingly infinite or indefinite number of versions of a single individual existing at any given time, but -- well, that could just be a more complex way of describing the same thing, in the end. Shit's weird, the 'stars' on the salt caves supply. ]

I'm not sure how much sense this will make to you, but Ruby had just come up with an incredible plan to save the people of Atlas and Mantle from General Ironwood's [ Blake frowns as she tries to find the right word ] cruelty. This is going to sound crazy, but he wanted to blow up the entire city just to manipulate us into doing what he wanted. It's the rare person that doesn't turn into a monster when they're given so much power and responsibility, I guess. [ She sighs, then continues, ] Ruby's plan involved a pocket dimension that could transport everyone safely to Vacuo. I'd just stepped through one of the portals leading to it when I wound up here instead.

[ It's probably a lot to take in, but Blake just needs to ask one more question... ]

Was Raven in Prismatica, too? [ She pauses before adding, ] I got suspicious when she texted me and mentioned Sun. She said I should ask you about it. Not that I want to know [ about her and Sun, that is ]; I'm just -- trying to put the logistical stuff together.

[everydayeveryway]

Look... you can't look at a puppy that way. You're doing this really intense look -- and animals have a way of reading mood and body language. If you look tense... then they'll feel tense.

[She pats the puppy. There, there. Soothing motions... and then she looks down at the wolf. There's a nod there.]

So take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders. Then, we'll pass him over slowly, okay?

moving this if that's ok!

[sparkstrikes]

( to here! )

[flamekthunder]

[His head tilts slightly to look at the young girl enjoying herself. It's a little strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one, and seeing her smile and resolve once again reminds him of someone similar back in his world.

...]

I hope for your success.

[flamekthunder]

I know that...

[Just something of a grumbling mutter, but some things just couldn't be helped. He's been like this for so long, trying to be soft can be strangely difficult at times. Doesn't help that he's been on edge since arriving.

But she has a point. He takes a breath and tries to relax himself, to not be so guarded that leads to that intimidating air. It takes a moment, some of that tension relaxes and he glances over at her with a nod.]

Okay.

[all_the_aangles]

He arches an eyebrow at all the build up, but rolls his eyes and covers them when Zuko asks.

"Ok, ok, fine," he responds with a smile. And how weird was it that this was a thing? Just a few years ago, this would have been a quick way to die.

And for a split second, he remembers that when he opens them, exclaiming a "woah!" and reeling back a little, wide-eyed quickly becoming wide-eyed and smiling.

"Wow!"

[roseeclair]

Ooh, like a circus?

[... Hopefully not an evil circus set on plunging the Earth into nightmares? Brr...]

[rediscovering]

"Right?!"

Seeing Aang's smile at his dragon, it's contagious, and Zuko's beaming back at them. How wild to be sharing this with Aang after their downright spiritual experience with the dragons; of all his interdimensional travel, somehow having a little dragon of his own feels the most miraculous and fantastical to Zuko. He's excited about it literally every day, even when he's mad at Zun for misbehaving. It's like a dream. A pet dragon. Sharing this with Aang is even more surreal, but Zuko's visible excitement and bright smile is definitely very real.

[colchismagecraft]

Hmmm, that sounds like it could be interesting, if you're willing to share?

[Her familiar, meanwhile, was wandering over to investigate this new person!]

Do you plan to get through all of these by the end of the night?

[tantailizing]

Nope! A theater troupe. Stage performances and all, either in Lindblum or for hire in other kingdoms.

[He pauses but then has to tease.]

It’s the tail, isn’t it?

[sulit]

And what if you run into something that isn't hurt by fire? Or stabbing?

I seem to recall someone telling me something like that...

[Checkmate!]

[ferrytale]

[ ledo is beginning to arrive at that idea, although he finds it difficult to accept it at all because everything he knows is grounded in what is real and quantifiable. he's no scientist and never had the interest or the aptitude to dig any deeper than what he was required, but he knows even something like wormholes and sub-space travel can all be explained in some way with verifiable knowledge. theories don't matter to people on the front lines.

but it's also obvious this avalon is nothing like the one he's heard stories about his entire life, so like it or not, this is a confusing headache he's going to have to contend with if he's going to have any hope of sorting this out. ]

The Galactic Alliance of Humankind. The behavioural objective of the human race is subjugating the enemy, the Hideauze. No human would betray that.

[ he's heard of wandering tribes, other groups of humans who had drifted apart from the Alliance at some point. No one knew exactly who they are or what they do, but even if he could assume that was the case now, why would anyone fight but do so halfway?

he's also getting tired of holding his arm full of random freebies, so he just... sets it all down right at his feet. it's not as if he'll miss it if any of it went missing. ]

I only recall the mention of needing to use 'magic', but that is all I know. That isn't a word I've heard before.

[all_the_aangles]

He leans back, staring at the dragon.

"Zuko! They're amazing!"

He tentatively reaches out a hand for the dragon to sniff. That's what you do, right? Oh, and show respect, which he does, by bowing his head.