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

[konpeito_aji]

"But you're a journeyman. You don't have tools or anything?" He shook his head, shaking off his frown. "Even so, then there will be smart phones there. Everyone gets one. They communicate with the others here and over great distances as quickly as talking to someone in person."

[enchantressofore]

That just got her to slump even more, and she gave a soft sigh before shaking my head, "All lost in fire. Unless this "shit box" can turn back time, I will have to start again from nothing. And even if I had the tools, I have no forge in which to use them in this strange place. Sorry to disappoint."

Nehra, she was so tired... She wasn't sure she could keep up anymore. She didn't have the energy to ask more questions, or to take in any more information. What even a smart phone was...

She raised a hand to cradle her head, feeling it throb again. She just wanted to rest. And this person was taking more energy than she had to give. She wasn't sure she could deal with it anymore.

[konpeito_aji]

"It does turn back time yes. Or pause it... Or rather creates holes that travel through time and distance. I'll be providing the forge, I thought I said that?" Maybe he hadn't. He takes basic necessities for granted, but when he says he's going to do something, he does it, however ridiculous. "You'll be given a room at the inn, not by me, by the King of this realm. If you please him you can become one his knights or royalty, but I can offer better than that." He doesn't expound on that, because once again, he thinks he already did. Instead, without missing a step: "Have you settled on a name for your familiar yet? Some of them talk, so you could always ask. Either way, you might wish to get acquainted with them."

At least he takes his gun back, and sets her up the steps ahead of him. That way, if she falters he can catch her. And if she falls asleep, he'll just carry her. Or it might be so she can't run away, whichever. He knows he's an absolute headache for quieter types (or anyone sane?) to deal with, but this part of his Demon King selfishness where it's too much work to address or change, so he doesn't. Let everyone else deal with the headache! "My own familiar is an oni called Kimon. He doesn't talk. I haven't met anyone else with a demon familiar, but the demon I met had a skeletal dragon familiar. Magic here tends to be a bit off." How the fuck does he have this much energy and breath while climbing stairs?! "Yuber, the demon, and I have healing magic. Don't worry if that does don't exist in your world, it doesn't in mine either."

This probably isn't helping anyone ease in anywhere, but Oda is a very very trial by fire kind of person, and she just survived a literal fire, so what's another metaphorical one?

[enchantressofore]

The king, possibly making her a knight? What a joke, that would be like suicide for her to even try and enter the king's service. But it wasn't like Nobunaga would know that. It was safer that he didn't know that. But now he was talking about a familiar--

And that was when she finally saw him, and locked eyes with him. That... Creature. That, to her, was very clearly a demon. And in that moment, she was horrified, wondering what sort of sick jest this was.

The demon in question gave a friendly wave, about to open his mouth to say something, but was silenced when Adela immediately moved ahead and just tried to walk forward, not even acknowledging him. It seemed to throw the demon off, and he flew forward before resting on her head. It was nice that she wasn't swatting him away at least, but what was that reaction?

Adela, meanwhile, simply climbed, trying to focus on moving forward and not on the little creature with her nor the fact that it was getting more and more difficult to see straight, "You say the king is providing shelter for us? I suppose it is suppose it is a kindness to be grateful for, if only for a single night."

The fact that Nobunaga was talking about providing a forge, that felt like too much. It felt false, it was just that much. And on top of that she was starting to feel trapped, overwhelmed, her head wasn't helping, how much it hurt to breathe wasn't helping, and with that little hallucination that was currently resting on her head she wasn't sure of how much more she could take!

[konpeito_aji]

"A couple weeks, so people can get situated here. Are you all right?"

Even Nobunaga wasn't so callous as to ignore her reactions! It helped that he had a polar opposite reaction to this place, running around like a sugar gremlin excited by everything.

[enchantressofore]

"... I am a little tired, that is all," She answered, still cradling her head and trying to make her way forward. Hopefully he could ignore that she couldn't quite balance correctly. Or that her voice was a little softer and more hoarse. It wasn't like she hadn't been this tired before!

[konpeito_aji]

He's starting to wonder if she really was strong enough to handle a forge on her own, completely missing the signs she'd been through the fire just moments before landing in the lake. For now though, he just keeps an eye on her -- though at the first sign of her stumbling, about to fall, he gently scoops her up into his arms.

"Normally I'd say rest in the carriages, but you look dead on your feet. Try not to fight back like a hellcat, please."

[enchantressofore]

What the-- Her eyes widened at the touch and she was tense, still for only a moment before she immediately tried to shove at him and get out of the grip, "Do not touch me!!"

What was he even doing?! She felt her heart pounding much more fiercely than her head suddenly, and in trying to get out of the grip she wound up having a coughing fit. By the time she was done she was breathing hard, having used her hand to cover her mouth and pulling it away to find...

Black. She had coughed up what looked a little like black sludge, and that had her stiffening before she tried to get on her feet again and away from Nobunaga, "I said I only a little tired!"

[konpeito_aji]

"Absolute demon shit! Don't lie to me, woman!" His normally ice cold eyes were angry enough to set fire to things. "Hold still," he commanded in the tone that he used to boss around demons, armies, and anyone in between. He did his best to do some very very basic healing magic, making sure to funnel the energy for it through her so that she would get more tired and less feisty, though it still drained him enough that he had to snap his fingers to summon his oni for the help. "Tch!" He growled irritably, and reached into his pockets for konpeito, though he offered one to her. "You suck on it. Mitsuhide crunches on them, because he's deranged. Don't tell him I said that."

His arms were tired now, but whatever. He wasn't about to regret it!

[enchantressofore]

That had her voice catching in her throat, and she was stunned silent at the sudden change in demeanor. What sort of person had she wound up with? Adela took a moment, simply staring at the oddly-shaped thing he was offering before gingerly taking it, "... Thank you."

He didn't have to act like that, and he was the one grabbing her without permission. But, she could at least admit it felt a little easier to breathe, but now it felt like everything was catching up with her even more. Her head was still hurting, she was still so tired, and absently she popped the little treat into her mouth--

And regretted it immediately. Nehra, what in the world was this thing that it was so insanely sweet?!

She could feel it melting on her tongue and more than anything she wanted water to wash the taste out. Still, she kept her mouth shut about it because it'd be rude to just spit it out, not to mention a waste of food, but still...

[konpeito_aji]

He would be so offended if she spit it out! Thank you for resisting the urge, Adela. You can join Mitsuhide in just crunching on them and not understanding why Nobunaga is obsessed with them.

Oda for his own part started to breathe easier and reached out to touch her familiar, actually resting briefly sideways against the rocks.

"Hello," he said formally to the familiar, a little dazed from the magic drain. "I'm Oda Nobunaga," a polite nod. "Demon King of the 6th Heaven. What's your name, little one?" The familiar, not Adela. Not that he knew her name yet either. He had just decided she was 'swordsmith red-head woman' in his head. Name pending.

His oni just facepalmed in the background. He feels for you Adela, but there's little he can do to help. As it is, the oni is hesitant to get too close as he's a pretty terrifying visage.

[enchantressofore]

He seemed to perk up at that -- finally, someone paying attention to him! It wasn't his bonded person, but at this point he'd take it because apparently the girl wasn't in the best shape right now and might be up for talking more later. He stood then, bowing at the waist with a cheery smile.

"Leandro, and it is an honour to meet you, 'Demon King Oda Nobunaga.' I assume that is a title given to you of your world?" He asked, far more energetic than he had been. Though, the man looked tired out himself... Maybe he shouldn't feed his curiosity too much. A shame, since he finally had an excuse to ask all these questions about people outside of his world.

Adela couldn't help staring briefly at Nobunaga, though she tried to make sure she wasn't catching his eye by the time she was done. A demon king? But had he not said there was no magic in his world? How in the world... Nehra this all was hurting her head, she just didn't want to think anymore. It was too much all at once, and that one more thing was threatening to be the last straw if she wasn't careful.

[konpeito_aji]

"No," he offered Leandro a perch like he was Haguro, and gently scooped Adela back up, to start heading up the stairs. "It applies to all realms and worlds. There are other versions of me, but I aim to declare war on them until only the strongest and best-" Or worst? "Version remains." Yeah. What HAVE you landed into, Adela?!

[enchantressofore]

"An interesting ambition, and I assume not one everyone here would have to run into. That makes me wonder what the other versions of you are like, though I do have a feeling you are the best one," It was a little shameless flattery, but he figured it was harmless enough. He didn't really know, but what he did follow up with was, "At the least, it should be entertaining to watch. Have you already met another version of yourself, or are you the first here?"

As he spoke he casually stepped onto Nobunaga's arm, seeming to have no trouble keeping his balance there but glancing down at Adela every so often. It wouldn't be good if she died, not for him, but also...

Speaking of Adela, she was starting to nod off a bit. It was taking everything in her to stay awake, and she was starting to lose her grip on consciousness by then. It... Should have been safe enough to fall asleep, but she didn't want to while she was still in this strange man's presence. She just had to hang on until they reached the town they were going to, right...?

[konpeito_aji]

Oda laughed at the shameless flattery. "Just me so far, but many other people know different versions of me, and apparently most of the timeline schisms are after my time, so they know of me, despite being five hundred years or more later, and different versions of our home: Earth."

He didn't bother Adela anymore, figuring she was pretty much done for now, having been certainly overwhelmed, so it was a relief her familiar was more companionable than his own.

[enchantressofore]

"How interesting. And all of the versions of you are great demon kings, or is that something unique to you alone?" He seemed to be thinking it over, trying to picture things, and to process what he was being told, "And just what makes a demon king? As amusing as the thought is, I doubt it's because you asked to be named that."

[konpeito_aji]

"All," Oda shrugged, and glanced at Adela. She seemed more than a little worse for the wear, and boasting of genocide was not a good way to reassure anyone anywhere. Even other demons. The kid-friendly version, "I had ethical disagreements with the monks and priests of my realm. I want people to enjoy themselves to their fullest capacity, and they want people to be pure and holy and transcend worldly needs." The very very kid-friendly version. "One of my main opponents believes he's the incarnated version of the God of War, so I opted to become the opposite, the demon king who fought demons and converted them to his legions. Apparently it's the same in all other realms, even those with magic. Kitsuno was --" His expression flickered briefly.

Even with the kitsune Princess version here, her name and the memory of her still caused him pain and various forms of guilt. In so much as someone as him could experience guilt. "The name of a woman extremely important to me. The version here is a kitsune princess whose version of the Demon King chose to go into the shadow lands to conquer all the demons and keep them in check so people could enjoy themselves. I'm not sure his full motivations, but our story is much the same. It is the only title I prefer, as it has many diverse meanings, and I've long since been convinced of the futility of the titles of Lords and Kings, of shoguns and emperors. My ambition is greater than all of them."

[enchantressofore]

Leandro pondered over that thoughtfully, seeming to look Nobunaga over before giving an impish smile, "A considerate Demon King. What a novel idea, I had no idea such a thing was possible. Then again, a mere man can be pushed to move the heavens themselves if it's for the sake of a woman close to him."

It was meant to be a tease, but a part of him admired that. What a shame he couldn't be bonded to someone like that, but he needed to know what kind of person he did have at his side first. It didn't help that she seemed to be asleep though, but maybe he'd find out once she was awake again.

"Of course, I could be reading too much into that."

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga blushed furiously!!!! "That's not it at all! I was this ambitious when my father died! My brother and Uncle tried to assassinate me, and I realized the only way to fix my lands was to be so strong even demons couldn't fight against me!"

HUFFFFFFF!!!!!!

BLUSH!

GRRRR!!!

Although, with a deep breath, he wondered if part of it NOW wasn't for Kitsuno's sake. He didn't have regrets, but if he could have a second chance (as he was), he would have certainly tried to drag out every second he could with her. And the only way he would acknowledge the other Demon King version of himself was if he was stronger and therefore better able to protect her freedom and own ambitions -- which it didn't sound like he was! So Oda would just do it himself!

The back of his neck felt hot. "Even you must have ambitions, right? What's yours?" He assumed Adela's was to create a masterwork blade still. "Kimon only seeks to do his job without getting too scraped up. Kind of disappointing for an invincible oni, really." Kimon just rolled his eyes behind them.

[enchantressofore]

The little demon couldn't help chuckling at the reaction. For a man who referred to himself as a demon king, that was a refreshingly human response. He didn't think someone with such a great sense of self could be so bashful. Still, it was probably best not to push it for the moment.

"My ambitions?" He seemed surprised at the question, straightening a little before he tried to think it over, "That's a good question. I like my life as it is right now, and I'm enjoying myself, so I haven't really thought about anything greater. Maybe that's something I'll figure out with a bit more searching."

[konpeito_aji]

Sparkle sparkle!

"Join my army! You can look after your charge, and help her not collapse while she learns to forge a masterwork here!"

SPARKLE!

[enchantressofore]

"You are quite the bold one," He commented at first, a comment to buy himself time before he came up with an answer, "I'm bound to what the girl will do, so if she decides on entering your service I'm going with her, like it or not. But do you honestly think it's going to be that easy? She already doesn't seem fond of you."

He finally wore an expression other than a smile, a concerned frown as he looked her over, "I still wonder what kind of person she is."

He didn't say it, but that look she gave him earlier bothered him. It was like she saw a monster, which he guessed he understood, but maybe there was more to it than that. He didn't even get a chance to say a word, after all... He'd tell her off for how rude that was later. Maybe.

[konpeito_aji]

He calls himself the Demon King, he has to be bold. To say the least!

"Seems like she's in shock. I guess you don't know much more about her either?"

[enchantressofore]

"Please, I'm not a mind-reader. Leave that to the cognitive magicians, and it's more fun to figure things out anyway," He shrugged, taking a moment to stretch before striding back over to her and sitting on her head once again, "Seems like her losing all of her tools 'in fire' is more recent than I could have guessed though, if she's coughing up smoke and soot. I guess I can imagine it being overwhelming to go through that, then falling into the lake and waking up in a different world on top of it."

A sigh, but he patted her head and seemed almost gentle for a brief moment, "It'll be annoying, but I can wait. I've waited this long to be bonded to someone, and there's no harm in taking a few more days before she's ready."

[konpeito_aji]

Oda laughed at the first part. "I'm the same way!" Demons think alike???

Nobunaga nodded. "Others have had troubles between wounds from home, and the dip in the water. Are there more like you here just waiting?"

He'd have asked his oni, but Kimon mostly didn't talk, and only occasionally in dissenting grunts of varying degrees of annoyance.