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

childe | genshin impact

[commediadellanime]

training montage; ((cw for self-injury because blood magic, oops.))
[Saving the world is all well and good, Childe supposes, because, hey - his family lives in Teyvat. If he can keep his family safe by learning this new magic, that's what he'll do. Or that's at least what he says to the trainer looking him over to see what kind of magic he's been granted - it's not entirely untruthful. Childe would do anything and everything to keep his family safe, but he can't deny that there's a part of him that thrills at the thought of learning something new. Some new way to fight, something that's not possible to learn back in Teyvat. Something different.

Everything he does is to improve himself, so after getting a quick explanation of alchemy (which he assumes differs from the alchemy back home, somehow) and blood magic (which explains the odd new feeling tugging at his senses), he's set off to go practice with a few words of warning to be careful.

He has his bow on him, so that's where he starts. Breaking it down into twin daggers is familiar, even if the process is not and it takes him a few tries to get the right sigil. Once the blades are in hand, he immediately slices across his arm, deep enough for blood to pour from the wound. Nothing in moderation with him, it seems, but it's good practice to draw the blood forward, wrapping around the blades he still holds.

It's, uh.

It's not a great cut.

It doesn't seem to bother him, though, as he tosses the daggers (always gotta do things with flair!) and points one of them at another trainee nearby.]

So, want to give things a go?

[Do you wanna FIGHT?]

rp stands for role play;
[Childe can play a role - he's not unfamiliar with acting, even though this is quite different from, say. Taking over an opera and standing on center stage. He also doesn't know much about Arthurian legends, considering that's just... Not a thing in Teyvat. He grew up on stories of brave heroes and legends and he can think of tales that sound familiar, but...

Who the fuck are these guys? Why should he be one of them?

He leans his weight on one of the prop swords, a lazy smile on his face.]

So, what do you feel like being today? A gallant knight? A damsel in distress who may or may not need help from a dashing hero? Or would you rather be a betrayer? Live life a bit on the edge?

[He laughs, bright and cheery, and leans back to raise the sword.]

I'm flexible, though I think I look a bit like a knight, don't I?

[Don't answer that.]

vines;
[Well.

This is a predicament.

He's not exactly expecting for vines to grab at him while he's in the forest, and why would he? This world doesn't work on the same rules as Teyvat, how's he supposed to be expecting the dendro threat? This wouldn't be such an issue, though, if it wasn't the fact that his familiar is back at the inn so he can't quick cast any sigils, and his only weapon is the bow that's now on the floor of the forest. Salvation seems to be in sight, at least, as he grins and raises his one free hand in a wave.]

Hey there, stranger! Hate to [ask for help] bother you, but could you help me out a bit here? I can pay you back.

[He's very good at making money.]

kill your double; ((cw: more blood yayy))
Well!

[That was fun! Fighting someone that has the same memories as him - it was a challenge, even if in the end the vine's recreation of Childe couldn't beat the real thing. He's almost disappointed, but he supposes it was a cheap fake.

He seems unbothered by the fact he's covered in something that must be blood or something close, and lets out a bright laugh.]

I haven't had a fight like that in a while!

[He shoulders his bow, while the blood arrows sticking out of the doppelganger lose their solid shape. He's covered in cuts and bruises are already blooming across his pale skin, but he seems to be in an incredibly good mood.]

So, what do you think? Was it a close fight?

[He's well aware there's an audience, considering they fought in the streets of Camelot. There's a nearly manic look in his eyes as he looks at the passerbys who had to deal with their fighting, and there's blood dripping down his face from a cut on his forehead. All in all, he looks... A mess.]

wildcard;
[Just in case you want more options!]

kill your double aka cleaning up after the murder boy 😔

[saxum]

[ Zhongli is used to seeing varying degrees of commotion within the city, but he feels something amiss, a degree of tension in the air, evidenced by the way his familiar seelie hovers high in the air as if to peek over the nearby crowd only to suddenly disappear. Strange...

He steps toward the group, tall enough to manage to get a brief view over crowded shoulders at that appears to be two individuals in the center, the cause of the commotion. There is a body on the ground.

That's when he realizes what he sees, what he smells in the air, keenly familiar. Blood. A voice, cheerful and wild, echoes across the mass of scattered individuals and it's not difficult for him to figure out who it is, what they've done. But it's the fact that when he slips past the gathering into the clearing only to see the body, bloody and littered in arrows appears just like Childe, that Zhongli doesn't know how to explain what has happened. There are two Childes, and one is dead. ]

Begone.

[ His voice booms firm with authority as a polearm drives into the earth below, cutting the silence through the crowd, there's a ripple of movement and then individuals begin to flee. Things are tense enough already with some dead boy in the middle of the street. It'd be better not to stick around at this point. ]

blows a kiss

[commediadellanime]

[Well, if that isn't a familiar voice. Childe's gaze lands on Zhongli, ignoring the way people scatter from the command, and he laughs.]

Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!

[For as much as one could say Childe misses Zhongli - the man played him like a fiddle and there's a part of him that still holds onto that, but it's easy to push that aside for now. It's not like that matters in the here and now, when Zhongli's power and title are even more irrelevant than they were after giving up his Gnosis.

He attempts to wipe the blood from his brow, but only really succeeds at smearing it across his face.]

If you are the real Zhongli, at least! You aren't hiding any vines, right?

[Do you want him to check? He'd be super willing to check, and it'll only be a little painful!]

[saxum]

[ Zhongli stands his ground but holds little interest in defending himself, choosing to cross his arms over his chest as if this is just another simple greeting from this little rascal from the Fatui. Everywhere he goes, he always seems to bring trouble. While Zhongli is not familiar with these trickster vines he's already heard word of odd instances here and there within Camelot, and, well... he's a smart one. Word travels fast, and he's a great listener. He just didn't think people would be out here murdering duplicates of themselves.

Then again Childe is. Childe.

He recognizes that gleeful, blood-thirsty look in the boy's eyes, ignoring the fact the blood's already all over his face to begin with. What a mess. ]

I may strip down to test your assessment, however that is what mortals refer to as "public indecency", no?

[ Then again maybe that's already been violated by the fact that Childe's just left a dead body in the middle of the city. Is murder considered indecent? Ah, human rules are bothersome to understand sometimes. ]

[commediadellanime]

[He wasn't expecting that from Zhongli, and there's a clear moment where he blinks in surprise before laughing.]

Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting you to be so bold!

[Or to even know what public indecency is... Though Childe has definitely already been quite indecent.]

Well, there are other ways to test it... If you want me to help you out!

[Like, you know. Murder. Murder is a test.]

vines

[schmisse]

[ It's at least with a sense of urgency that this white haired stranger responds. While not a knight, or anyone bound to duty to help people out in this world, Weiss takes on her duty as a Huntress from Remnant seriously. And so, she approaches, unclipping her sword from the magnetic sword holster by her hip. ]

It's not a bother at all, although— [ She stops once she's just a foot or so away. ] How did you even get up there?

[ Looking around, she wonders if there are threats nearby that she should be wary of. ]

[commediadellanime]

Oh, just made some new friends.

[Now that he has a savior, he seems even more relaxed than he was before. He hasn't quite been worried about whatever these vines are planning, but it is a bit of a nuisance.]

You should watch out for moving vines if you're going to be sticking around!

[schmisse]

As much as I would love to stick around, I'm on an investigation.

[ Where it will lead, she's not quite sure just yet! But she hopes she'll be able to help the king and his knights with what she may find out. ]

Okay. [ Now she's close enough that she can cut the vines off if she wanted to. Unfortunately, that's not how to solve this issue. ] Do you want me to get you out of here the easy way or the hard way?

[ Easy is he gets ticked. (Why is that easy?) The hard way is that she tries to zap the vine with the energy she's stored up, but... that's not something she has excellent control of. ]

[commediadellanime]

Ooooh, an investigation.

[He doesn't sound all that bothered about holding her up.

He raises an eyebrow at her, bemused.]

I don't think I'm in a position to choose which way you do anything! So either is fine by me.

[He is, at least, quick to laugh so... That's... Good?]

training grounds

[divinereaper]

[ Naoto's speechless for a second. Here he was, with a classic spear made out of blood in his hands, but this guy.... ]

... Did you have to cut yourself that deep?

[ What an edgelord, he adds mentally. Now, all he wants to do is help him wrap it up, but he looks okay... ish. ]

If you think you can fight, then sure. But I'd rather you patch that up first. You'll give yourself anemia.

[commediadellanime]

[He only gets edgier from here!]

Well, I wanted to make sure I bled!

[It's not nearly the worst injury he's ever suffered! He's sure he can fight with it, and he's almost insulted at the implication he's not fit for it. Not that it shows on his face, grin still bright even if it doesn't quite reach his eyes.]

I'll make sure to eat something really hearty afterwards, if it'll make you feel better.

[divinereaper]

[ That ticked Naoto off. Someone is clearly very careless with his life, and he isn't sure he likes it. Though he does note his expression-- but he doesn't bother mentioning it. He sighs, deciding to let his current blood-made spear go.

Aside from the missing arm, bandages were non-existent on Naoto. ]

I'll hold you to that. Fine, a spar it is.

[ And then he slips into a brawler's stance, waiting for Childe to make the first strike. ]

Training

[konpeito_aji]

[Oda Nobunaga has a long as heck katana he made ever after famous in Japan, and even a Tanegashima gun all loaded up and ready to go, because firearm safety is not a thing in his time, and even if it was, it wouldn't be for him. So you'd be perfectly normal to think that the bloodthirsty borderline psychotic warlord tyrant would unsheathe one or both of those weapons to duel, but instead he steps forward and...]

[Tries to heal the cut with a calming huff. The huff is for himself. Magic isn't real. Kind of might be, must be, obviously, but no, can't be real. Right? But Oda Nobunaga will do (??? if he can get over it) healing magic. Because he's going to heal Japan... by killing all the infection. Something like that.]

[Anyway, Nobunaga didn't really understand the blood magic thing, and even if he had, he's trying to heal the cut anyway, because if they're both going to practice magic (isn't real) then he might as well start... somewhere.]

Is it working? [Who knows which he meant: his own magic, or Childe's, but there you go. He's not even looking at the cut either, his eyes are on Childe's.]

[commediadellanime]

[Huh? Huh??? He is not expecting someone to come up and try to heal him, and he laughs incredulously for a moment.

But, he supposes, people need to practice all sorts of magic. He watches as his skin knits itself back together, and lets out another, brighter laugh.]

Well, thanks for patching me up!

[Even if he really didn't have to - Childe's fought with worse injuries.]

Doesn't even hurt anymore.

[Not that he really thought it hurt that badly to begin with...]

[konpeito_aji]

[It's a tough call which of them is more flustered. Childe for being healed up, or Nobunaga for doing magic healing.]

[MAGIC ISN'T REALLLLLL --]

[Okay. It is HERE. He accepts this. Oni and kitsune are real here.]

[Magic is real here.]

[He can do this.]

It's nothing... [GLANCES AWAY.]

[HUFF. Well, if he's going to do magic... he's going to be the damned best at it.]

I assume you did that intentionally? [Well, no. He hopes it was intentional, because otherwise teaching Childe how to properly use the weapons and not hurt himself was going to be extremely time consuming.]

[commediadellanime]

[Oh? What's this? Do we have a tsundere on our hands?]

You might say it's nothing, but I still appreciate it, sir!

[Because yes he has to draw attention to that.

He nods, eyes going bright.]

Seems I have to bleed a bit for the magic I got saddled with - and I gotta say, I wasn't expecting that. Good thing we've got people like you around, huh?

[Magic is super real!!]

kill your double

[darkestbefore]

[ It's the commotion that had drawn her towards the source of all this fighting, because yes, the fighter in the center of all this does seem to have a knack for drawing the eye. It's only when she pushes through the crowd to the front of it that Yona takes in the body on the ground and the bloody one standing over it.

...the same body? What's going on?

She blinks down at the unmoving form for a moment before peering curiously at the young man who's looking almost euphoric in his lingering adrenaline from the fight, especially at that question. ]

It looks like it was closer than it should have been. [ Her tone is a hint wry as Yona steps towards him and holds out a handkerchief in his direction. It's barely enough to help, but it could at least help staunch the wound on his forehead. ] You're bleeding. Quite a bit.

[commediadellanime]

It was an excellent test of skills, though!

[His voice is cheery - and he actually is quite pleased. He could tell the doppelganger knew how he fought, and it was just as vicious as he is. If it hadn't put up as good of a fight, he would've been greatly disappointed because anything that looks and acts like him should be able to fight like him, too.

He's not quite sure how the doppelganger works, but he's glad for the test of his abilities.

He takes the handkerchief, amused, and places it to his forehead.]

Ah, it's not a big deal! I'm still standing, aren't I?

[darkestbefore]

Mostly.

[ She gives a pointed glance down at the other... him? that's definitely not standing anymore. At least the remaining Childe looks quite pleased with himself? ]

Is there a reason you were fighting... yourself?

[ What is even happening here. ]

doing it for the vine(s)

[rotacalamitas]

[Bennett liked to explore the forest from time to time. Sometimes to do some hunting with Razor, sometimes to do some gathering, sometimes even just to do some exploring and see if he can find something cool and undiscovered before. They usually don't go well for him, like falling into a hunter's pit or having a tree fall on him, but that's okay, he's used to bad things happening to him. It's just how life is.

...He's not so used to finding somebody else caught up in a bit of misfortune, especially when he can say with absolute certainty that he isn't the cause of it this time.]

How'd you get caught like that?

[It doesn't look like any trap he's ever encountered before, at least.]

[commediadellanime]

[It's your lucky day, Benny. Not that Childe is really all that put out by his new friends holding him close - it's mostly just annoying he has to rely on other people to get down, because he didn't get a primer on "what to do if vines grab you" before heading into the forest.]

Made some new friends! Might want to be careful about any vines you see moving around, though.

[Childe is so close to going stir crazy, so it's... It's probably for the best he's unarmed. (For now.)]

[rotacalamitas]

These don't look like friends you should want.

[The vines are holding you hostage, Childe?? Pls choose better company.]

I'll get you down, just hang on!

[...Bennett, you should choose your words more carefully. Childe can't really do anything but hang on right now. But Bennett does exactly what he promised. He's got fire, so he'll burn the vines away. A bright flame engulfed his right hand, which he uses to grab a vine wrapped around one of Childe's legs. It starts to burn!]

Just a little more...!

[But then the unthinkable happens! Except really, Bennett should have thought this would happen, his luck is just that terrible. The vine wrapped around Childe's arm unfurls itself from him and instead ensnares Bennett's leg!]

Ah-!?

[Soon after, the other vine wrapped around Childe's other leg follows suit, releasing him and instead grabbing Bennett's other leg! With both of his legs captured, the two vines hoist him into the air, hanging him upside down!]

H-help! Please!

[Well... He got Childe free, just like he promised...]

training montage

[concierto]

[No, he doesn't want to fight! He'd rather watch from his perch up in a nearby tree with a rather curious look on his face and a frown on his lips.]

No, thank you. That really isn't any way to treat a bow or yourself for that matter.

[Venti's feet dangle lazily from the tree but there is something sharp in his eye as if he's watching more than he lets on. This sort of magic... He hasn't seen it yet. Does blood really constitute magic?]

[commediadellanime]

[Childe glances up at the boy in the tree, an easy grin on his face.]

Here at the training grounds but don't want to train?

[He spins one of the blades lazily, cocking his head.]

And it seems I've got no choice but to bleed if I want to perfect this magic - though maybe I could have gone a bit gentler on myself!

[Hah! As if that's ever going to happen - as long as he's alive, he'll be pushing his limits, and he knows one cut that's not even hitting anything major won't be what ends him.]

[concierto]

[Venti smiles at the quip but doesn't move from his high perch! Pulling a fresh red apple out of his bag to take a small nibble out of. Sorry, he's on lunch break.]

Today seems like a good a day as any to observe!

[Venti is a bit too lazy to put in any actual training. Besides, he doesn't need to practice with a bow. And there isn't any other weapon better than one. He's already set! As for magic? Well, he'll let that come naturally.]

If you are a bit more gentle with yourself I wouldn't mind a demonstration, though. Ehe.

[Because he is curious.]