avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

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

Fighting games

NASTAR Racing Game

rhythm dance game

Grand Theft Automation

really

B ⦿ Arthurian RP in your Arthurian RP

LARP as their favorite Knight of the Round Table

rock-paper-scissors-magic

dress-up

props that will magically give you sword skills

picnic on the concrete floor

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

overgrowth of prehensile, very friendly vines

destructive magic

without

tickle the person the vines have captured

B ⦿ Selfies with Selkies

very, very large flower

Take a trip up to the Archivist

Cereus de Anima

the Silent Shore

shirtless selkie

take a selfie

eventually

a cottage on the other side of the Pure of Heart Bridge

old man that Morganna tried to kill and save in a quest a couple of months ago

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Adelle fit into the caravan quickly. Oh, there's questions -- and worries -- and she's not very dried out, even. Her silver hair is plastered to her, her ponytail wet and limp, and "bedraggled" describes her look. But she can talk to people, be friendly and make friends. And try to not asking all the questions she needs to start asking right this second.

She spots Eustace after he's approached the dog. A quiet moment, interrupted by...

...well, that sudden bundle of charging energy. Adelle runs up just after Eustace, her sudden movement a contrast to his slow approach and watchfulness. And she exclaims, loudly:]

A dog! Aah, and she's a cutie, too~!

[...she might scare the dog off at this rate.]

[The dog Eustace had tried to approach seemed a bit shy, and in the past he would have been a bit hesitant as his cold, closed enough nature had made dogs wary of him. But now he takes it a little easier and while trying to test if he can truly understand it, he just murmurs soft encouraging words as he slowly outstretches his hand.

His eyes brighten a little, his expression softening more as the dog seems to relax and is about to brush its head against his hand........

When there is suddenly LOUD.

Immediately Eustace stiffens as the surprised dog yelps and runs off, leaving him crouching awkwardly on the ground with hand now touching nothing but air.

So...so close...

It takes another moment before he slowly turns his head to look towards the girl, a cold, silent glare in his eyes.]

Ah, wait--

[But no, the dog is rushing off. Adelle sighs, her head hanging for a second... and then she looks back up. Her eyes meet Eustace's; she blinks once. Twice. She takes a second to register.

Oh, he's glaring at me.

She laughs, in that sort of "self-assured but knows she did wrong" way.]

...maybe... I came on a little strong, huh?

[The cold glare continues for a moment, and if she feels an actual chill in the air, it might just be coming from the snow wolf that's sitting quietly nearby. No need to worry about it, the but of snow around it is just part of its nature and it's just watching calmly. And eventually Eustace closes his eyes and sighs before he stands and straightens up.]

Yes.

[Blunt as always, but it doesn't end there. Prepare for a lecture!]

Unless you know the dog you shouldn't run towards it yelling like that.

I thought I was going to pet a dog, and instead...

[Adelle at least manages to not groan. She puts a hand to her forehead and rubs at it. She doesn't quite protest more... because at the end of the day, she is the one who sent the dog running.

It's telling that she doesn't quite meet his eyes because she feels that frostiness. She sighs, after a moment's hesitation.]

Sorry. I got a little excited. I haven't seen--I didn't expect to see a dog here.

[He continues to stare down hard at her before he relents a bit. She seems to be reflecting on her actions and the fact that she also likes dogs does return a few of those lost points. Which is good, otherwise he would have just left her right then and there.

After another moment of silence, he lets out a small breath that's close to a sigh but not quite.]

As long as you remember next time. Now I need to find it again... I think it might be lost.

[His brows furrow as he remembers how shy and skittish it was, and more importantly, the girl had made a point he also noticed and one of the reasons why he approached the dog to begin with (and not just because he wanted to or anything like that, cough): what was it doing all the way here?]

[Adelle is a dog person. If a newly converted one.

She's quiet as he mentions that he needs to look for it. She considers for a second -- reaching a similar conclusion -- and puts a hand on her hip, as she looks in the direction that the dog ran off in.

Then she nods.]

We should go look for it. ['We?' Like she's passing up this opportunity!] If it's lost... well, that could be bad. Poor thing!

[....."We"......]

I can handle this on my own.

[Nope, she's still in the negative and he'd prefer working on his own even if she had had more favorable standing. That said, she might catch a break regardless as she'll have the advantage of being able to see a flash of a familiar looking dog tail trembling from behind one of the caravan wheels some distance behind Eustace.]

Oh, don't be like that--

[Her voice catches on that last word. Adelle's eyes turn, eyes shifting, and then she quiets down. She looks back at him, then she points.]

Look! [Her voice is hushed.] By the wheel of that wagon. Let's go fetch him.

[He frowns when she points behind him, and those eyes narrow a bit when he spots the young dog hiding behind the wheel.

....Hrm. This girl is still insisting to help and he would rather do this alone, but if she's determined it would be better if he kept an eye on her. So he looks back at her and says in a low voice:]

Stay behind me and keep quiet. I'll approach it first.

Trust me. [She winks at him. And she does it so naturally, too.] I can be very quiet. I'm good at that sort of thing. I have to be, in my line of work.

[She nods at him. She'll follow -- she's ready to.]

Lead the way.

{Just a slight arch of the brow. Line of work...? Well he won't really question it, so that's as much acknowledgment as she gets in that matter before he turns his attention back to the hiding pup. Slowly and quietly he leads her towards its hiding space, his footsteps light and silent as they go around the carriage. Once they reach a certain distance, Eustace holds up a hand indicating for her to wait before he takes another step forward.

By now the dog has noticed their presence and has curled up further against the wheel, but seeing Eustace it at least seems a little attentive. Crouching down a few feet away so as not to crowd it or make it feel cornered, he holds out his hand again.]

Hey...it's me, remember? [His voice is surprisingly soft and gentle as he calls out to the dog. He watches how it looks at him, but then sees Adelle and whimpers. Eustace tilts his head slightly, brows furrowing before he glances back at the girl.]

...No, she won't run up to you again. [He looks back at Adelle and his tone shifts again to something a little more brusque as he waves her over.]

Take a step forward and apologize.

[Yep, this is how it's going to be.]

[Adelle waits. For one thing, she wants to see how he works -- she's curious about what his approach is. She does appreciate how quietly he can move. He might have given her a hard time... but clearly, she decides, this guy is a pro. So she approaches only when he motions for her.

She smiles, too. It's surprising -- kind of cute, even -- how he is soft spoken with the dog. But then she blinks, and her expression is a little more sour when he tells her to apologize.

Adelle sighs.

But, she takes a step forward -- and crouches down, a little, to make herself smaller.]

Hey, there, little fellow... it's me, your Auntie Adelle. I'm sorry that I spooked you earlier, okay?

[The small dog whines and looks between Adelle and Eustace as if uncertain. Eustace glances at Adelle before his harsh look once again melts away when he looks at the dog.]

It's fine, I won't let her scare you again. Come.

[The dog hesitates before it slowly, very slowly approaches. As it does, Eustace once again mutters in a low voice towards Adelle.]

Just wait for it to come, don't make any sudden movements, and keep your voice quiet. I'm still not sure of the details, but it seems like it involved kids and loud noises, and that's why it's run off all the way out here.

[He's still trying to figure out this new ability he's discovered regarding being able to hear animals, but it's still on bits and pieces that he's able to make out, so it's still a lot of guesswork. But he can at least get a general idea.]

I feel like I became the bad guy, somehow...

[Adelle sighs again. But she keeps quiet -- glancing sideways at Eustace, then she nods. She can understand that much, at least. Adelle takes a deep breath, then she stays still. That's a little hard. She's a little used to animals just taking a liking to her...

But that's not the case here. She waits, and she slowly holds her hand out for the dog to sniff.]

How did you know about the kids? Did you see some nearby?

[Don't worry, Adelle, should have seen how the dog was when it first saw Eustace. Took him a while to coax it as far as he did, so Eustace is being his usual self in being very hard on her. Maybe a little more so than needed given that they're dealing with a cute, sweet little pup. Maybe.

Anyway, he doesn't look at her as he continues to watch the pup slowly come towards them inch by inch, and there's such a long stretch of silence that she might think he's ignoring her before he finally responds.]

...I can...understand what it's saying, somewhat.

[At that moment the pup has reached them and is tentatively sniffing Adelle's hand, tail wagging a little.]

Is... that new? Or something you could always do?

[She has to wonder. After all... there's new powers she has. And ones she lost, too. Adelle glances sideways at Eustace. Then, she looks back down at the puppy. She gets a smile on her face. But... she moves slowly. Not too fast. She learned her lesson.

She tries to scritch the puppy's ears. But there's no sneaking up on it.]

There, there... that's a good pup!

New.

[Despite the ears and appearance, communicating directly to animals wasn't something that his race could do. But for now he concentrates as he watches them. The dog relaxes a little more from the ear scritches and even tilts its head slightly to encourage Adelle to reach a certain spot. Really he doesn't need "words" to know the dog is warming up to them again.]

[Adelle keeps at it; she can tell that the puppy likes it. She smiles down at the dog, and then she looks up at Eustace. Her expression is thoughtful for a second.]

It seems like it came in handy here, didn't it? We wouldn't have known about the kids, otherwise.

...Mm.

[Just a small hum of agreement before he slowly reaches out toward the young dog. It looks at him for a moment before it pushes its head against his hand and a very rare, small smile appears as he lightly scratches under its chin.]

It seems calm enough now. Let's move it to somewhere quieter.

Sounds like a plan. [Adelle stops scritching -- there's limits to what she can do if they're moving the dog! -- and stands up, before she looks down at it. Then, she looks back at Eustace.]

Back to the caravan?

Yes.

[He then reaches out to the dog as if to pick it up—but it actually cowers and moves over to Adelle instead! It even whines a bit glancing at Eustace with big pleading eyes before those same eyes go up to Adelle, as if wanting the girl to pick it up and—]

...

...

It wants...you to carry it...

[Yes, that is exactly what it is. It might not be afraid of Eustace, but perhaps having him carry it is still too much. Meanwhile, Eustace's familiar has fallen onto its side, a paw over its eyes and trembling as if laughing at his dumbfounded (and disappointed) expression.

Because yes that is exactly what it is doing.]

Ah-- [Adelle makes a noise.

It's a delighted noise. She leans down and gently scoops the dog up in her arms. She even holds him pretty well -- supporting him with the length of her arm.] Do you want your Auntie Adelle to carry you? Of course you do! What a good pup!

[She laughs -- beams even -- and then glances at Eustace's familiar. She looks back at Eustace.

Then gives him an apologetic look.]

Well... maybe we can trade after a little bit?

[Although not overly excited as other dogs might usually be, the tail does wag a little and it reaches up to give a small lick. All of which Eustace could only watch in silence.

HE'S NOT JEALOUS NO. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THE WELL-BEING AND COMFORT OF THE DOG......

(he might be a little jealous but he's sadly used to the treatment so he will deal.)]

...I still have more work to do...

[It's just a small, quiet mutter that could be barely heard before his familiar finally stands and steps over to him and bump its head to his hand, as if to say, "There, there. Here I'll allow you this out of pity."

Needless to say, he'll take whatever he can get.

Anyway, back to Adelle.]

No, if it feels comfortable with you then you should hold onto it.

[Adelle laughs. Not at Eustace -- she's not nearly that mean -- but she's delighted that the dog seems happy. And licked her! She grins, and keeps a hold of the dog.

She glances at Eustace -- and then she smiles, nodding at him. Even if she caught that. More work?

With dogs, or...?]

Don't worry. You've got a way with dogs, I think.

[She winks.]

I'm Adelle.

Caravan B2!

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