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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Geralt of Rivia | The Witcher

[gynvael]

I. THE CARAVAN WALK TO CAMELOT

[ In Geralt's defense, he doesn't know how any of this shit works. He's been given two little round balls attached to what looks like a noose, a flat device that makes noise constantly—look, his leg fucking hurts, he has a headache, he's not entirely sure he isn't still hallucinating.

Besides. He doesn't trust being in a strange carriage, anyway. So when he's threatened with getting kicked off the ride, Geralt takes that as his cue and decides to hop off on his own. He's walked longer roads through worse storms. At least there is a road to walk on.

You can find him making his way on foot to the city, a minor but noticeable limp in his step. He looks worse for wear, even for someone who might've been recently dumped into a lake. His swords are slung only somewhat discreetly, tucked in a bag over his shoulder. Everything feels dull: the smells, the sounds, and it makes him tense. The infection, maybe. A lingering after-effect.

Or maybe you find him stopped on the side of the path, where he's mostly tried to stay out of the way of too many folks, cutting strips from his wolf-styled poncho (because of course; what else would it be?) with a small knife. Watch him long enough, and it becomes apparent he's using it as a makeshift bandage to replace the dirty, bloodied one currently around his leg—but otherwise, it does look a little like he's just taking the damn thing to pieces. ]

II. THE RED SPRING

[ Eventually, the city looms ahead. It's nothing like he's ever seen before: lush with bizarre architecture, equipment he doesn't recognize. It's not that things haven't been explained to him; it's that it offers little by way of anything he can really use.

Typical. The caves are the most familiar-looking place here. Or it's quiet, anyway. He's sore. He feels like shit. There are pressing matters, but he knows nothing's getting done if he's wandering about like he's about to keel over. There're too many things on his mind: questions, worries, things he knows won't resolve for some time. He just needs a moment, alone, away from the world.

If there's anyone else in here, Geralt ignores them while he finds his corner. He's either deep in meditation or asleep, it's hard to say—but if any wandering or curious hands creep towards the bag at his side, one golden eye will crack open immediately. ]

Don't touch that.

Walk

[raven_sage]

Eivor likewise decided to eject herself from the carriage after she began to find the ride unbearably dull. It doesn't take her long to catch up with Geralt. Unlike him, she's made no real effort to hide her weapons; a pair of bearded hand axes hang off her belt, and she balances her long-handled Dane axe over her shoulder. Her round reinforced wooden shield is strapped across her back. She watches him limp for a moment before.

"You look halfway to Helheim already, friend. Perhaps you should rest a moment before you collapse."

[gynvael]

It's unnerving to look at someone and not catch their distinct scent or the precise beat of their heart. He's been trying to ignore it, mostly because there's nothing he can do about it until he deals with everything else first—but he doesn't like it.

His gaze roams over the woman. Her look is foreign, but he can tell her weapons are finely crafted. She certainly looks like she knows how to use them.

"Halfway anywhere might be nice." He's been walking awhile and has no idea how much further there's to go. (He misses his horse.) Still, he's not interested in falling flat on his face. He sits on a nearby boulder, stretching his leg out. It's been wrapped around the thigh, covering a bite beneath.

He tightens the knot on the bandage. He didn't expect to see someone else walking out here. Guess he wasn't the only one. "They give you shit on the ride, too?"

[raven_sage]

Eivor watches him sit, planting the head of her Dane axe into the ground, swinging the weapon off her shoulder in one smooth, practiced motion. She sees the cloth around his leg. "Been blooded recently, aye?" She asks. And then dropped into the icy waters off the cliffs. This has probably not been a good day for him.

"I disembarked myself. The ride was dull, and I prefer the wind in my face." Normally that's either on horseback or hanging off the aft of the Drakkar, but deprived of those things here, she'll walk a bit. Plenty of sun left in the day.

"I would offer you some clean linens for that bite, but I'm afraid I have none to give." Instead she flips open a pouch on her belt and pulls out a small bottle of brandy. The mini-bar had been inviting and she'd been happy to pillage it before she stepped off. "But this might dull the ache a bit." She offers the bottle to Geralt.

[gynvael]

Despite his otherwise lack of a reaction, Geralt's gaze tracks the path of her axe until it plants steadily onto the ground. Under the overcast sky, his irises shine with an unnatural yellow.

"I tripped," he replies, deadpan as ever. "Fell onto some teeth."

It hasn't been a good decade, in truth, but at least wherever he is? It's got fresh air. It's not been set ablaze. No ghouls trying to chew him apart. There are a few points in its favor. (Only a few.)

When he finds a little glass bottle in his face, there's a pause. Hmm. Can't say it's not a welcome offer. He considers the wisdom of knocking back small liquor bottles from a stranger when he can't exactly trust his sense of smell right now. Tempting, to say fuck it—but he waves it off, getting back to his feet.

"Keep it. Something tells me you'll need it sooner rather than later." Seems they're all here for awhile. He shoulders his bag to carry on. "You have a name?"

The Red Spring

[feralhumanity]

[Nanaki sometimes comes out to the Red Spring to train and practice his magic. Now that he has kinetic magic in addition to elemental, he's been coming out here more often to practice both, and get himself more suited to the magics in this strange world. When he hears of the salt caves, he decides to check them out as a means of relaxing after a day of training.]

[He is an odd sight indeed, but fortunately not many give him too many odd stares. He sees Geralt there in the corner, either meditating or asleep. He does walk by, probably too close, and so the gruff voice makes him pause, glancing over at the white-haired human.]

Believe me, I have no interest in whatever is in your bag.

[gynvael]

[ That sure as shit is an odd sight. Geralt raises both eyebrows. For a second, he just studies the talking creature before him. He's seen many things not technically human speak before, but this one? An especial curiosity. ]

You're not the strangest thing I've seen skulking, but it's close.

[ He sighs, rearranging his legs so that his injured one can better rest. Yeah, he knows: there are people here who can help. He doesn't trust them. Besides, it's fine. It'll heal eventually, which is more than he expected when it was meant to kill him. ]

[feralhumanity]

So I've been told.

[Nanaki is used to the stares and odd looks, so Geralt's scrutiny is nothing new. He pads a little closer to the wall before opting to sit down against it himself. Though as he does, his good eye catches that injured leg.]

If you are injured, you should tell someone. There are healers here that you can speak to.

[gynvael]

It's been mentioned.

[ He leans back. Between bothersome human company and an odd talking creature, he'll take the latter. People are...not concerned about staying out of his way here. He's not certain how he feels about that.

Though no one's tried to kill him yet. So there's that. ]

And they just heal you free of charge here?

Should you really be walking on that sir :|

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona had been outside of the city on another errand, but she spots the caravan heading for the springs and recognizes it for what it is. She'd headed in that direction herself, wondering if there'd be any other familiar figures among their number when she spots one that is vaguely so sitting by the side of the road.

The sight of the bloody bandage is hard to miss, however, and she hurries in that direction, a concerned expression on her face. Why isn't he inside one of the carriages if he's hurt?? ]

Are you alright? Do you need help?

what else are legs for :|

[gynvael]

[ Normally, he can both hear and smell someone approaching from a mile away. He can't right now, and even though he spots her as she's a few feet from him, it's still more of a sudden appearance than he's used to—enough that it sets him on edge. A flicker of that shows on his face for a split second.

Geralt examines the woman for a moment. Under the rainy storm clouds, his eyes are an amber that still can't quite pass for human. ]

Fine. [ His reply is gruff, and he nearly leaves it at that. The rain's not letting up, though. He has no idea where the fuck he is. He might be used to traveling in harsh weather, but it doesn't mean he enjoys it. ] How much further to the nearest city?

perhaps not bleeding to death :|

[darkestbefore]

[ ...He doesn't look at all fine, and that looks more certain the closer she gets.

Although when she gets close enough for those amber eyes to fix on her, it's enough to stop her in her tracks, because for a moment they remind her so much of Shin-Ah it steals her breath away. Although they still seem familiar for another reason, one she can't put her finger on at the moment. Shaking her head to dispel those thoughts, she continues to approach, coming to crouch in front of him to see how badly he's injured. ]

The city is still a good ways off, but the caravan would have been heading for the Inn - it's closer to the cliffs than the city. Were you not riding with them?

[gynvael]

[ He raises an eyebrow, though there's less of a question behind that look than an expectation. People never fail to hesitate when they catch the shine of his eyes.

The inn. He files that information away. He might be better off with a healer—but there aren't many healers he trusts, especially ones that might offer to heal him for free (the only kind he can afford right now). In a strange world, that holds doubly true.

It's fine. The wound is healing. He wouldn't be upright in the first place if it weren't. ]

I was. [ He sits back, contemplating getting up. Still feels like more effort than he wants to expend yet. Maybe another minute. ] Didn't want any trouble.

[ It's entirely possible no one really intended to kick him off, but Geralt hadn't stuck around to find out either way. Experience tells him it's not worth it. ]

walk!

[sparkstrikes]

[That time again, huh?

The caravans making their way from the lake give away that more newcomers have arrived, and she has to wonder if they've been unceremoniously dumped into the lake, too. It's not a fun way to arrive in a strange new world, she knows as much, so with part curiosity and part concern, she wanders down the path to meet them halfway, and to see if she can hitch a ride back. The quest she'd been on had taken her pretty far out, and she'd much rather ride back with the new people if she can.

But that idea is cut short when she spots a man stopped on the side of the trail, and he doesn't look like he's having a fun time.]

You know.

[Lightning wanders up and stops a few feet short of him, hands on her hips. There's a moogle floating behind her, his head tilting with concern as he eyes Geralt's leg.]

I'm sure they've got something better than that if you just ask.

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's first instinct is to ignore whoever's decided to bother him, same as he has for the past ten minutes. Except his attention is caught by the—what the fuck is that? He doesn't like the way it's looking at him. Its eyes are beady. Is it even alive? It looks like something that's been magically animated out of a child's doll.

You know what? He hasn't got time for this. He returns to what he's doing with a vague grunt. ]

I'll live. [ Probably. He's not dwelling on the fact that it's hard to say whether he's truly been healed (by someone he'd rather not think about at the moment) or if...mm. ] You and your flying toy can be on your way.

[sparkstrikes]

[The pink crystal on Mogsby's head wiggles when he spins around, offended by the assumption.]

"I'm not a TOY, kupopo~po! I am the one and only Mogsby the moogle, kupo!"

[But Lightning, as per usual, chooses to ignore him for the time being, even if he is humming with simmering rage under his breath next to her head. Instead, she's staring down at the tiny, ragged pieces of cloth that he thinks will make an effective bandage, and huffs a less than thrilled sigh. She's not going to stand around and try to befriend the guy, but she's also not going to leave him to use that sad excuse of a bandage either.

There's a tearing noise that comes from her coat as she rips a strip of cloth from its bottom seam, one that's long enough to wrap around his leg at least a couple times, and wide enough that it should hopefully cover most of the wound.]

At least take this.

Carriage + Walk

[onlyaduck]

[ Ahiru hasn't exactly been the easiest person to have a carriage ride with. Her wide-eyed amazement at everything outside of the carriage, ignoring whatever's being told to her, plus playing with the carriage coolers and gadgets has been on the annoying side. She's been warned already and looked contrite, but she's startled when a man in it gets threatened too and decides to leave. He didn't seem as annoying as she knows she is. ]

Don't make him walk. He doesn't look good.

[ She missed it but now she can see him and when it's clear no one is going to stop for him, Ahiru doesn't even think about it. She jumps out too, stomping her foot as it keeps going. ]

You shouldn't kick out injured people and I don't even like your carriage, it's stupid! Jerk!

[ While she does look soaked through, she's not injured, so she turns toward Geralt. She's a young girl, appearing no more than fifteen at most, with bright red hair and big blue eyes. He has silver hair just like Mytho, she thinks, and he's so tall. Taller than anyone she knows, but he's also an adult. She's suddenly shy, realizing that she's on the road with a stranger, but she waits for him anyway since he's limping, clearly worried. ]

Are you okay Mister?

[gynvael]

[ When he made the decision to preemptively take off before anyone decides escalation is a good road to go down on involving him—he's not here to start a fight in the first damn hour—the last thing he expected was for a young girl to follow him out.

Ah, shit. ]

Fine. [ It comes out as more of a grunt, though his expression is less gruff than his reply might suggest. He studies her. Great. The caravan has taken off far down the road. As much as he appreciates her show of solidarity, it means he's now got a girl stranded here with him. Which is the opposite of his intentions.

He starts to walk. What else is there to do? (He needs a nap.) ] You shouldn't have left your ride.

[onlyaduck]

[ It was an impulsive thing to do, which is very like her, and now she looks down the road they'll have to watch with some trepidation. Well, that's fine. She'll just have to protect him if anything goes wrong, because he may be big and strong but he's limping. She's young and healthy so the walk isn't the concern, it's the situation they're in. Oh well. No sense in worrying about it now, they have only one path ahead of them.

She keeps pace with him, mostly because he's limping, since he's got much longer strides than her otherwise. Her hair is partially out of the long braid it's in, reaching all the way to her knees, so she'll have to redo it later. She smiles at him though, waving a hand as if brushing aside the problem. ]

Oh it'll be fine. Besides, you shouldn't be alone, you don't look so good. If something were to happen to you, who knows when the next carriage would come.

[ So she's wet and bedraggled and stuck in a new land. It's not going to break her spirit any time soon. She keeps a close eye on him. ]

I'm Ahiru.

II

[apshot]

[ Look, this guy isn't the only one that doesn't much care for the racket that the city often produces. Yes, Bakugou does live in Japan, but his favorite hobbies include hiking and rock climbing. It's not something that he talks about or shares with people, but he does need to get away and when he does this is what he elects to do.

Until he finds this half dead bum. At least he looks half dead until that one eye pops open. It just makes Bakugou scowl in return. ]

Wasn't going to. In fact, I was more curious about the fucking corpse just lying around than looting someone's shit.

[ He'd say give him more credit than that, but fuck this guy already. ]

[gynvael]

[ The face that looks back at him is young. Geralt fixes the boy with a look before turning away. If he thought Geralt looks like a corpse now, he should've seen him when he was actually dying. ]

Then satisfy your curiosity quickly.

[ He's got things to do. Busy work, sitting here in silence.

At least he's not being told to go to a healer for the third damn time. He knows. He's aware. And if it gets worse, he'll get himself there. For now, he's healing—slower than he should be, but healing—and he's not stepping near any healers in a world he doesn't know unless he has to. ]

[apshot]

[ Bakugou obviously isn't going to shoo the guy away to some healer or whatever. If he wants to be stupid and stubborn about this, then he deserves to just bleed out or get some kind of infection from whatever he's got going on. Stupid is as stupid does. ]

Doesn't take much. Just some idiot that's going to cause problems for others.

[ Not his problem though! ]

If you're gonna die then do us a favor and step further inside.

I.

[thepattern]

[ It's about that time, when new recruits to This Avalon's cause find themselves plunged into the bay. As usual, Corwin decides to go see if any familiar faces show themselves (still a no, but he's not sure if that's a bad thing). He could have just used a beach totem to transport himself to the bay, but in the end, he decided his horse could use the exercise. Wish the weather were nice, though.

Blood magic is still new to him, but he's getting better at identifying the new sense that tells him when people are nearby, and when he can sense someone injured up ahead, he increases his pace to see if he can be of any help. He pulls to a stop in front of the man, busily replacing his own bandages. The wound looks nasty, and Corwin is already thinking about how to get this man to either of the healers he knows. ]

In need of a shortcut back to Camelot?

[ He won't ask why the guy isn't on the caravan. He looks like the type to prefer hoofing it. ]

[gynvael]

[ It's rarely a good sign back home when anyone on a horse stops before him. Geralt glances up, studying the man riding. He finishes what he's doing before he answers, still resting on the side of the road like it isn't pouring rain around him.

A shortcut, the man says. Not a ride. ]

What kind of shortcut?

[ Is it a portal? He's not fond of portals. Especially not when he's already lost in some strange sphere that isn't his own. ]

[thepattern]

[ It is, unfortunately for Geralt, a portal. But one that Corwin can only open once before he has to take the time to create another totem. And he doesn't have the components he would need to create one on the fly out here in the middle of nowhere. In the rain.

But, he reaches into his saddle bag and pulls out the one totem he has, a small statuette made seemingly of bismuth. ]

I activate this, you walk straight through to the city gates. It'll save you a day's travel. [ He eyes the injured leg. ] Or longer, depending on how fast you're moving at the moment.