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.

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Zidane Tribal | Final Fantasy IX

[tantailizing]

[I. Soaking in Your Arrival]

[Of all the things he'd been expecting, this wasn't it. A plunge into an unknown body of water, meeting a gorgeous Lady leading around some odd green creatures (though, they were super friendly, he gets it), and now, standing on the shores of this similarly unknown beach.]

[Eh, at least there were moogles here. Maybe he could try sending a letter?]

[Nonetheless - standing on the beach - he was taking a moment to wring out his clothes and whip water off his hair and tail. If he accidentally got anyone else in the process, he doesn't mean to; it's not like someone left them towels, and he's not hiking up a cliff in wet clothes. Soaking boots were bad enough...]


[II. The Caravan to Camelot]

[Zidane had... no idea what he's been handed. A small rectangular box? What was this little boad? What the hell are earbuds? He doesn't even question the poncho and just put it on, ignoring how it made him look like a monkey - er, more like one.]

[After listening to Archimedes explanation, he would move to the side, still trying to figure out the weird rectangle with letters and numbers on it, looking completely confused. His moog- familiar seemed to get it, but things were happening on it that he didn't get at all. A quick glance around, he'll approach the nearest person.]

Hey, do you think you could help me out?

[Later, should he find himself sharing a seat with someone unfamiliar, they might find themselves the unfortunate subject to the curious teen poking the console, turning on the heat or AC, then turning them off... and then making the mini-bar appear and disappear.]


[III. The Red Springs]

[Zidane doesn't immediately mean to be a nuisance, but the mini-fridge? The microwave? The TV? Oh yeah, he'd be messing with them for a while. At least he's not as curious about the bathroom, but he would totally understand being thrown out.]

[Buuuut, once he's done messing around with the room, he decided to have a look around. Hot springs might be closed, but the salt cave? Alright, he'll have a look around!]

[Sure enough, plenty to do to relax, but he'll eventually wander his way out and over to the Training Grounds. He knows magic, but he didn't know if the magic here would be the same. He might as well try figuring it out, and figuring his own powers. But who wouldn't mind showing him the ropes?]


[IV. QuestBoard - Salacious Sailors]

[Did he mean to take this Quest? Not really. In fact, how he reached the Dark Web at all might as well be anyone's guess. Well, maybe he happened to overhear some people talking about it and wanted to have a look. Still, taking the Quest was an accident.]

[But dressing up as a sailor? Sneaking into a party? Maybe kidnapping a pirate captain and stealing his ships? Honestly, sounded like fun to him~ He didn't like the idea of taking the captain's life, but what about bringing him in and taking the ships?]

[Hehe, sounded better to him.]

[In the middle of the rager, Zidane's going to see about keeping the drinks coming and making this party a knock out. He might be a little dumb when it comes to technology, but he could rig a ship and prepare it to sail no problem. Though, glancing around, he couldn't be the only one doing this task...]


[V. Wildcard]

[OOC: I don't mind doing other prompts, but I didn't want to make this too long (I probably failed that already)! Open to DMs to plot other ideas and play them out!]

IV

[idleskypirate]

[Zidane wasn't the only one who stumbled upon this. And even without Penelo, he was going to go all out if he could! The bounty on his head back home was high for a reason, after all. Thanks Balthier-senpai Of course, he needed to see this party so he could work out a plan. It was easy enough to recon the area, the captain, and the ships.

It was just a matter of actually getting anything in motion to happen. Of course, it wasn't hard to hone in on Zidane and realize that this was likely a fellow thief. His movements, and the fact that he looked like none of the other sailors (was that a monkey tail?) in this place. He had long since learned to trust his gut, so once he was able to lock eyes with the other, he tilted his head to the side and put a finger to his lips. Speak in private?]

[tantailizing]

[Sure enough, doesn't take too long to spot the odd one out like himself. Heck, even if he has his tail, no one else was looking at him that hard. He quirked the corner of his lips and faintly nodded back, taking one more look around. Party's already going so dipping off to the side to talk wouldn't be that big a deal...]

[It only took him a moment to sneak away and he waited for the other guy to join him.]

[idleskypirate]

[Vaan found a spot that seemed secluded enough. They couldn't go too far just in case, but still, it would be nice to coordinate something. He didn't have Penelo, so a partner in this would be ideal. Assuming this guy didn't try anything funny with him when everything was over.

Once his company joined him, he raised a hand in greet.]

Hey. Here for the quest, then? Nabbing the captain and maybe a ship or three?

[tantailizing]

[Taking another look around, they shouldn't be overheard - keyword: shouldn't. However, there might be some ears still listening out. Oh well, whatever happens, improvise.]

Yup! Haha, you wanna try for all three too? It'd be easier if we could get a third man, but who knows? Maybe one of these fine fellows could use some extra gold themselves.

IV

[blackabyss]

[Zidane is not the only one doing this task. If he looks over, he'll notice another not-quite-human-looking figure also nearby, though he looks a little more shifty and wary as he goes about his own tasks. But he'd noticed the tailed boy had been acting a little strange, and so had followed him here.]

[The rager was still going on, but as of now, they were alone. And so Tokoyami risks speaking up.]

What are you doing?

[tantailizing]

[Oh yeah, they definitely stand out, but hey, he wasn't going to bring it up. When the other boy speaks up, his tail flicks and he chuckles.]

Enjoying the party. What's it look like?

[... Though, seriously, if it looks like anything else, their cover might be blown.]

[blackabyss]

Hmm.

[He could say what it looks like to him, but they're kind of undercover here. Just two pirates doing tasks, nothing sus here! He looks around, making sure that no drunken pirates are around, before he takes a step closer and mutters a little quieter.]

Darkness is about to descend. What is our next move?

[tantailizing]

[So darkness was descending, but that was just better for them. He winks at his partner for the quest.]

Simple - we let darkness fall. How strong do you think the booze is?

II

[konpeito_aji]

They are foreign to me as well, but I think we can manage.

[Oda demonstrates the buttons, how you need to be GENTLE with them, even more than with an itchy trigger finger on a gun, and glides fingers smoothly over the touchscreen demonstrating and picking up the basics as he goes, and sharing them with Zidane.]

Curious, are they not? [He is BEAMING and radiating pure joy over these devices though. He feels even more crazy ecstatic than when he first encountered guns and konpeito (Portuguese candy), honestly.] Oho! What's this then? [Points to Zidane's and then scrolls back on his!] It appears to be some sort of group letters sharing place! Like a collaborative book? Clever! [Yo, when he figures out trolling online, he is going to actually BE in his sixth heaven he once claimed...]

[tantailizing]

[Watching, Zidane's at least glad he can think 'these buttons have labels' while watching Oda tap through them. Though, was it just him or was this guy being delicate? Like, he might break it accidentally...]

Oh yeah, but it helps to know where to start. [And if this was how they reached out to people, it might be the one thing he doesn't want to fiddling too much with. Looking at his phone and then at Oda's, that's actually a relief.]

Okay, that's what's happening... I thought mine was messing up for a second. Huh, it's going by pretty fast too. [And they don't need to be next to each other or wait for a moogle to deliver the message. He'll have to start looking into this more.]

[konpeito_aji]

Extremely. [Smiles.] Makes sense. Messengers would take a long time, and if we're already being intercepted by wormholes, no need to drag things out.

[Yeah, just totally going to slip "wormhole" in there, like he's very familiar with them (he isn't, he barely even heard the word in passing!)] It seems you can do other things with them as well, not just communicate. I wish I could remember what she called them, but I suppose it doesn't matter.

Your time period doesn't have these either?

[tantailizing]

Wormholes, portals, whatever it was... Just as long as it doesn't just happen again without warning.

[He doesn't want jumping onto other worlds unexpectedly a normal occurrence.]

Oh, 'she' huh? [Sorry, Oda, what's this talk about 'she'? Technology can take a back seat.]

Nah. Where I'm from we just moved from Mist power to Steam. There was another place, but... I think they moved passed the need for 'phones'. Or maybe they didn't have them like this anymore.

Arrival!

[angelolatry]

[Colette had come to see if there were any familiar faces arriving. Given last time she had found Kratos. It doesn't seem that silly, that uselessly hopeful to come and check at least. She isn't necessarily expecting the tail though, when she spots Zidane drying himself off as she stands near the lake to see who was showing up. She tries to wring her tunic as he splashes her a little, but ultimately doesn't actually seem that bothered by it, really.]

Hm? Ah, a tail?

[She isn't scared. More, she's curious. Given she isn't human herself. At least, not back home. Being here has meant her Cruxis Crystal wasn't giving her the usual enhancements and such, and no more using her wings, but still. She was an Angel.]

[tantailizing]

[Zidane pauses because he could've sworn he heard a voice. And not just any voice, but a girl's voice. No, it's not familiar, but that's not the point either as he shakes off his gloves before turning with a grin.]

Pretty awesome, right? Soft too... well, when it's dry.

[Unfortunately, that's going to take a bit longer.]

[angelolatry]

It is! I've seen the Angels with their wings back home but not someone with a tail! It's pretty neat. They're supposed to help with balance and things, right? I could probably use one myself.

[Given how much of a klutz Colette is. Even she admits that. Still, she doesn't reach out for the tail, just looks in finding it rather curious, something unique. At least, on a person. She tilts her head, not seeming scared or anything but rather simply curious.]

[tantailizing]

[There's an internal shudder at the thought of Angels - or even more Angels, but... but maybe they're different.]

Prone to tripping sometimes? Hey, to be fair, I can trip sometimes too even with it. What I like most about it is the versatility.

[Wagging his tail around a bit, he also curls it and unwinds.]

It can be pretty handy! [He chuckles.]

iv

[sparkstrikes]

[He definitely isn't the only person in here who's taken the job. One thing led to another and Lightning is here, in a sailor costume, drinking from a tankard filled to the brim with beer. She's tried to find an opening to get out of what started as a conversation that turned into an informal drinking contest, but these pirates are insistent that she stays until the end.

As she throws her drink back, she takes it in massive gulps, as big as she can manage, and finishes third, out of the six of them drinking. Not bad, but she can do better. It's not like this is her first time in a bar with rowdy men—some of the Guardian Corps would often go out for drinks at the end of their shifts if they went late into the night, and Lebreau was happy to accommodate if it meant business.

There's hooting and hollering and boisterous laughter coming from their end of the club, but when one of them catches Zidane's wandering gaze, he points a massive sausage finger at him and, with slurred words, calls him out.]

"You! The one with the hair! Yeah, YOU! C'meere!"

[tantailizing]

[It takes a moment for Zidane even to realize he's the one being addressed - look, he noticed there's a lady here taking down drinks with the other guys, he's a little bit distracted. He's even about to get a stein to join when he finally notices the finger pointed his way.]

[And, doing his best mock impression of a sailor's march and salute, he comes on over to the man.]

Sir, yes, sir!

[Look, he should probably say 'aye', but getting things right when it's supposed to be wrong? Nah.]

[sparkstrikes]

"Ya don't hafta call me sir!" [The pirate laughs with his whole body, belly shaking.] "Now sittown!"

[His large hand comes down on Zidane's shoulder, and he shoves him into the seat next to Lightning, who glances sideways at him through narrowed eyes. He doesn't look like one of them... Compared to most of these pirates, he looks smaller, less drunk, and... cleaner.

Another one on the job, she wonders?

She brings her cup to her lips and mutters into it, leaning slightly in Zidane's direction to talk under the ruckus of them calling the bartender over for more beer.]

Either you're new around here... or you aren't one of them.

[tantailizing]

Haha! Alright, alright!

[The hand on his shoulder wasn't much different from Baku - not as strong either, but that's beastmen for you. Still widely grinning, he'll intercept the next beer getting passed and stick his tongue out like a brat at the pirate that had been expecting it. It's his now!]

[Turning his head, he still all smiles.]

Is it my face? It's gotta be the face. I'm still waiting for any beard to grow in. [But he winks once before he rubs his chin.] One day, just wait.

I

[roseeclair]

Gah! [Why yes, yes water does splash a bit on the tall redheaded girl who'd been scanning the waves for more people.] Careful!

[tantailizing]

Woah!

[Turning around, he'll stop his drying process and leave it to the sun. At least he can still shake his tail off - no one's behind him now. Gosh, how rude! Getting a girl he doesn't know wet like this.]

Sorry about that! Didn't get you too bad, did I?

[roseeclair]

[Aaaand that turn around is in slow motion to her, featuring sparkling sunlight and his blond hair whipping perfectly in the salty air.]

Uh- I uh... Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it.

[Makoto's one weakness: bishonen, especially blond ones.]

[tantailizing]

[Staring, he obviously doesn't know what she's seeing... but he does see that blush. He chuckles.]

You sure? Your face looks a little flushed.