TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 7

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ 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, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. 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 and a pair of special ear buds (the supplier was out of the regular ones) 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. 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. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! 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. After the new arrivals come in, they'll find that this month they came in on the middle of a rather tumultuous time... people are arguing and debating about a future decision to be made. King Arthur recently tried to negotiate with Celliwig's people to open the doors to Camelot, but they refused, and the people have been left with a decision: 1. attempt long-distance, slow wooing of Queen Elphame via the Elphame Traders of the next couple of months, 2. attempt to prove a balanced and deeper understanding of the need for both pure and impure hearts by suggesting an acceptance of trials from Celliwig, or 3. band together under Camelot's flag to invade Celliwig. Celliwig is a place of communication between Elphame and Camelot that bypasses the need for weeks of dangerous, often fatal travel, so the choice is very important in regards to how Camelot both presents itself to the fae people in the future. To that end, people with strong beliefs about particular choices have arranged gatherings to draw people in to hear their perspectives on what the choice should be. A ⦿ Honey Over Vinegar A wide variety of people have sided with this group, including the Elphame Traders, as cutting Celliwig off from them would mean a much harder journey each month to the city of Camelot. (Though commerce always does find a way.) This group is hosting a Tree-Picking Tournament! Of course, the trees to be picked are out in the farmlands, and members of the lobbying group will be giving people free one-use Farm Totems to get to the tournament. The trees in this grove are a little different than normal trees, however. For one, they don't bear fruit. This is Camelot's cookie orchard, composed of special fairy tree hybrids that grow a variety of sweet treats on their branches instead of fruits. There are your usual chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, but also little puff-like wedding cookies on bushes or checkboard cookies blossoming out of stems instead of flowers. There are even some trees that have clusters of miniature French macarons! The best part, at the end when you turn in your cookies for the count and get your participation prize (and bonus pamphlet about how slow and steady wins the race), you can totally keep and eat them, so be careful not to drop them! How you get them down from the tree is up to you, of course. Try some magic, or maybe just some regular old tree-shaking will do the trick.. just be careful you don't accidentally knock down any wasp nests. Those stings will hurt bad! B ⦿ A Balanced Approach The party of people who want to try to woo Celliwig over to smooth things over see this little political gathering with cookie-based bribery and quickly fashion their own event to make sure the fanfare isn't all for just the one idea. To gather people in to hear their side of the story, this group has decided to host a bug catching contest! Head out into those flower fields between Camelot and the Red Springs that are now thriving thanks to April's plentiful rains. Whether you use a net or figure out how to use your magic to get the bugs, it's how many you catch, not what kinds you catch that count-- so make it fast and make it plentiful! And at the end of the day, what you choose to do with your captured bugs is up to you. Crush them or free them, keep them or eat them, whatever it is you want to do... ultimately, all moral choices are valid, right? So let's go along with what Celliwig wants! Don't forget that May is the season of the frog, however, and you'll be in competition with a variety of sentient and wise members of the Frog Tribe, a group of bipedal frogs who live in the southernmost part of the lake and come up to the flowerfields to stick their tongues out for some delicious bug treats. They have no problem sticking their tongues right into your captured bug nest, hopping on heads to steal your catches, and do all kinds of crazy interferences like snipping belts and tonguing ankles to trip people. You may want someone to watch your back for this event, lest you get done in by a hopper. C ⦿ A Show of Strength The more war-hungry citizens of Camelot seek to go to war. This whole issue will be over if Celliwig itself isn't the one in charge of communication and it's just made directly between Elphame and Camelot, rather than having a mediator who refuses to mediate. They believe that a show of strength is the only way to solve this problem, and as such, they'll be demonstrating that the greatest rewards come from strength by organizing an expedition to a cave at the base of the Ash Mountains. Taking a path squarely between the Dusklight Woods and the edge of the Lands of Rot to the base of the Ash Mountains, this expedition will lead into a cave known as the Giant Cave. It's a pretty on-the-nose name, since it really is a big cave. One of the cool things about this cave is that it's filled with geodes. Those who have enough strength can use provided pickaxes and drills to dig up their own crystals and gold, both great for jewelry and enchanting. In particular, there is a large amount of: • Rose quartz: dark mages can make their love spells much more powerful and healers can use this to enhance spells that soothe anxieties and self-doubt • Amethyst: siphoners increase the potency of counter-curses and light mages will find this stone makes their hard light shields stronger than ever • Agate: strengthen cognitive abilities like post-cognition for a clearer picture of what happened by enhancing perception, and death mages will find they're able to extend their possession times by about 30 minutes by using an agate to stablize their aura • Moonstones: will increase navigation as a traveler's protection for kinetic users-- no longer will you risk tripping over a rock while going at enhanced speeds, or can be traded to fairies to potentially bring down a steep price to something more reasonable • Black tourmaline: a crystal that shields from opposition/negativity-- for technomancers and elementalists, this means that technology is more likely to side with them over another technomancer, or elementalists will find that when using opposing elements, theirs will come out stronger-- like water vs fire, electric vs rock, etc. • Hematite: can soothe blood, leaving it a good tool to enhance animal and blood magic-- animals may trust you more readily by having a calming effect on them, and blood mages may find that they heal more readily after using their abilities • Boji stone: alchemists will find that this is a good stabilizer for for particularly volatile potion combinations, and the properties of this stone leaves green mages to sense new types of plants they haven't yet encountered in passing, even if they're not looking at them It's not particularly a contest in this case-- you can keep and use what you want, and this show of strength has given you more power than ever, so why not consider the same concept for how to deal with our unneighborly neighbors in Celliwig? It may be sweaty business, but surely hitting some rocks will show you the value of strength! With the surprisingly tame day in the Giant Cave, one would think that the Ash Mountains were something of a safe place. No one really bothered the travelers, but that's because no one had been home at the time. as it turns out, the Giant Cave is home to a giant... douchebag of a minotaur. Not a giant, despite the name. His name is Simon and he doesn't like to share, and now that a bunch of people have gone and taken his rocks (he didn't even know there were crystals inside, nor does he do anything with them). Now he has to take his revenge, regardless of not knowing who actually took the crystals that were never really his to begin with, they just happened to be in rocks near where he sleeps. A ⦿ A Stone's Throw from Revenge The minotaur is a very instinctive creature, and his instincts say that the people of Camelot, the nearest settlement, are the ones who need to be punished for this. He uses his superhuman strength to drag huge rocks and boulders all the way to the north-east edge of Camelot, seemingly for no reason, until he's got practically a wall built. At which point he starts picking them up, spinning, and then vaulting the rocks into Camelot's buildings. You may find yourself inside of one of those buildings and scrambling to check if everyone and yourself is okay, or perhaps you're rushing out to stop the minotaur from throwing another. Either way, it's a sudden attack and you're going to have to act fast. Trying to attack the minotaur will be difficult, since it has superhman strength and durability, sharp horns atop its head, and can smell you coming from a mile away. Get creative, and stop the minotaur before it's too late! B ⦿ There's Safety in Numbers Once the minotaur's attacks stop, it flees to recover its wounds, promising it will come back to destroy Camelot once and for all. It's a time for reprieve and to help clean up the damage. Use your magic to help clean up broken buildings and structures, or heal and help others who were injured in the sudden, mostly unprovoked attack. Many of the uninjured citizens will be going around town and providing drinks, towels, and cups of noodles to those who are helping out. Because of the impending threat of the minotaur's return, it's recommended that otherworlder's use the (Recipe) Buddy System spell. The way they explain it, it's a spell designed to alert your buddy if you're in danger and lasts about an hour. The way it actually works is you must be touching your buddy in any way at all times for the next hour. Unfortunately, it seems like the volunteers sharing the recipe may have missed that it was created in a kindergarten class, not for adults. C ⦿ Gross Thankfully, the Buddy System wears off before the Minotaur is back for round two. When the Minotaur returns, the castle has since gathered forces to the edge of town to defend it from another attack. It's unclear where the Minotaur went to get healed, but whoever he went to apparently had some advice, however, and the instinctive minotaur gave into a different instinct for part two of his revenge. Rather than go right back to his pile of rocks, he instead travels the day to get to the southernmost part of Camelot and barrels into town unopposed, as most of the troupes are where they had thought he would come from again. After all, minotaurs are not known to be big thinkers. Instead of violently destroying this time, however, the minotaur instead heads straight to lowertown's well-- and takes a pee in it. It turns out, not only does he have a giant-- ahem, but he is a giant dick as well. Now the entire lowertown has to be evacuated due to contaminated water up to other areas of Camelot. Many people who live there are relocated to live in extra castle rooms. After all, Minotaur Urine is known to be incredibly potent and stinky. Mages who are able to handle the smell are asked to come help perform a ritual of water purification for the lowertown's water system. This ritual involves multiple groups of people performing synchronic magic, a magic type that requires you to be in perfect sync with your partner. Draw a special ritual circle with four candles at equidistant points. Chant a spell in sync with your partner, and blow a special powder made of ground jasper, charcoal, and rosemary into the center of the circle. It will be drawn into the candles' flames and with enough people doing this, all impurities will be removed from the lowertown's water and dissipate into the atmosphere. KEY POINTS New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. There is a vote pending for Camelot and each side of the issue is trying to engage otherworlders to their side of the vote. The slow/steady approach is hosting a cookie harvesting tournament from a grove of cookie trees, the middleground group is hosting a bug-catching contest, and the group that wants war is hosting a mining expedition. The mining expedition aggros an asshole of a minotaur, who throws rocks at Camelot. Driven away, the townspeople try to help by distributing a spell called "Buddy System" which binds two people together, not realizing it was intended for kindergarteners. (Oops.) The minotaur returns and pees in the lowertown's water, so a ritual of water purification must be performed because it's gross and stinky. The minotaur is still at large. **** The above key points are a new feature we're going to start including on TDMs and Events. Since it's new, the format is still fluid, so please let us know if you have any feedback for this section here. It should just include brief summaries of each prompt to make parsing information easier and more accessible. The original prompts should still be read and referred to for complete information and details. **** 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. • A poll will go up a little later this week regarding the mentioned voting, which should be answered ICly by each character you play. The poll will remain open through the 15th so that newly accepted characters may also vote if they choose to. •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. • 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

[onecupdrunk]

Shogetsu let out a brief chuff as he leaned hard into Nobunaga's hand, tilting his head to try and get him to scratch his favourite spots. His chin was nice, sure, but he wanted it more elsewhere!

"Any questions? I'm sure I'll figure things out when I see it myself," Masamune seemed content simply watching Nobunaga and Shougetsu for the moment though, leaning back against the spring's edge as he did, "It'll be more fun to see it with my own eyes, even if I don't know what to expect."

[enchantressofore]

"Because my life is none of your concern, nor is it anyone else's save for my own," Adela answered, perhaps unaware that it wasn't the point Dolce was trying to address, "I find it strange that you would in the first place."

[enchantressofore]

That stunned her into silence for a good few moments.

"... That... That is kind, truly," Her words were numb when she spoke, and she seemed unable to meet his eye when she finally did break eye-contact, "I mean... You know almost nothing of me, you have seen one work that is not wholly my own, you have no reason to offer that to me."

[dolcedeleche]

Hopefully not. Town's far away from here. She'll be fine though, she's stronger than she looks.

Mm. [Nods and gets sort of almost jogging towards the stairs.]

[dolcedeleche]

"You really think that," Dolce said matter-of-factly, watching Adela. The woman was more messed up than Doug! WOW!

"I'm a Guardian of Selphia. Four of us put everything on the line so that the town and country could be safe and continue no matter what. It wasn't easy. But Selphia is that kind of place."

She went back to her knitting, her nerves getting the best of her. "We're stronger because we help each other, even when we don't know each other. I was asleep for hundreds of years, and when I woke up, my parents were gone, everything I'd ever known, except the ghost who can't ever leave me." There was a sudden spike of fear at the idea that maybe Pico could now, but it's not important. Her hands shake... and she sets the knitting back in her lap.

"But even so, no one knew about the Guardians, what we did, how we came there, what we'd given up to be there, but they still welcomed us in. They'd do that for anyone. That's the kind of place Selphia is. Nancy took me in and I was confused like you are now. I didn't know why she would do that, or who she was, and I didn't have any money or anything. But she gave me a room, a chemistry set, and she and Doctor Jones treated me with more kindness than I could have ever expected."

Sigh. "So..."

She glances away again, the exact opposite direction. "Drink it. If you want to hate me, do it later. It's hard to think straight when all of this happens at once. And I want to be more like Nancy and Dr. Jones." She picked up her knitting. "That's all it is. Don't think too much on it, okay?"

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"Hm...you raise a valid point. I won't withdraw my invitation but...let me ask you this."

He crosses his arms and fixes her with a scrutinizing look.

"Why become a blacksmith? What do you feel when you're in the forge?"

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera looks down in thought and then glances at the fairy that seems to be Linneus’s familiar.]

Quiet. There were only a handful of people there, but also... I met another Takeshi. He didn’t know anything about those other worlds, and then my pet collar started to malfunction... he helped deactivate it... and the world we were on got invaded by zombies. I uh. I died, and came back. Other than that, it was a very peaceful place, but it felt lonely.

[schmisse]

... I suppose not.

[ It's not like anything bad's happened yet! ]

So, we have about an hour together. What would you like to do?

[blahblahblah]

Yeah. Can't turn it off. Don't really want to, either - it keeps me out of trouble. Or in trouble, sometimes. Anyway, I... might ask questions later, but right now that's not really what I'm worried about. I've got all this... this to deal with first. [She gestures outward, apparently meaning "all of the things".] I was out trying to ask questions, but either I'm asking the wrong questions or I'm just bad at gathering information. [And now she remembers she was mad earlier; some of it leaks back into her tone, but it's not like Yang's done anything to earn it. Which reminds her-]

I'm Rita.

[originaldragoon]

So just like the big cats back in her home world, just with fancy strips.

"And you want to keep such a beast as a pet?" Rose wasn't being judgmental or anything. She hand raised a dragon herself. Though she did not refer to Michael as a pet. He was a beast of war.

Somehow, such a pet seemed to suit the man sitting across from her. She didn't know much about him, but she could sense that he had a wild air about him.

[blahblahblah]

You'd have gotten there sooner or later. The nice thing about pickaxes is that if you keep using one in the same spot, eventually you shift something. It's a toss-up if that means you get what you wanted or the whole wall comes down, though.

But anyway, you're welcome. I might as well help if I'm having a good day, right? And that's kinda what all this is in the first place. Bringing people together.

[blahblahblah]

W-wha-hey! Put me down-! [Oh, spirits, he's spinning her and he's so excited, what's going on, what did she do- okay, she's going back down, this is fine-]

U-uh. I don't have my notes, they're at home. I don't do it much, so I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'd be interested to see what you're trying. I'd like to believe I can help you, but I definitely at least want to make sure what you're doing isn't going to doom us all. [A beat, then quickly-] What was that all about?

[roseeclair]

[... Okay yeah, that is Rei in a Very Bad Mood ice cold right there.]

Well... no, but that's why I came over. To see if you need help.

[At least she's not completely folding.

Also, Mai might notice the large mass of jade green lightning by Makoto's side shaped like a... bear. Not a platypus bear either, just... a bear.]

[granmaster]

[ Yep, it turned chaotic. Gran knew he should've fought back just a little bit more.

Gran runs forward to catch up, ready to cast the necessary fire. However, as he approached, he heard Darin's scream. He knew that if he devolved into panic now, the whole plan could be for naught. ]

Relax! Stick to the plan and we can get this minotaur under control!!

[granmaster]

[ So his gut feeling was right. There was no easy way out outside of helping the world they found themselves in. But hearing that there were current political issues going on that only made the problem worse? Something told him that his input might be needed after all.

Though Eustace's comment about being on time earns a snort. ] Gee, thanks.

[ He puts his brain to work, trying to remember everything that he was told at orientation. He hums before speaking once more. ] Though, honestly... this whole political situation worries me. I'm going to have to find out everything I can get my hands on before making any decisions.

[granmaster]

You're right about that. We've been summoned here to help this world with it's issues.

[ At least, that's what he's gathered so far. Gran had spent more than enough time looking for any sort of clue. It's gone as smoothly as one might think. ]

I will. [ A smile as he starts walking. ] But it's like what I said-- we've been summoned here to assist this world with it's lack of magic... and the Sky Realm is frozen in time because of said lack of magic.

[ Gran's fear betrays the even look on his face. He's not happy with the whole 'frozen time' aspect of the entire situation. ]

[granmaster]

I was a captain of a skyfarer crew. We traveled across the skies in order to help whoever needed us while on the way to a fabled island.

[ He wonders if he'd have to explain the word 'skyfarer', remembering the orientation and seeing people he's never even seen back home. It was equally thrilling as it was terrifying. ]

And you? What did you do?

[floatsaway]

[Scary stuff is, wouldn't you know, scary. But she will ignore the talk about that hellion creature of the dark abyss, and instead chatter about one of her favorite things in the whole world - food. Food is second only to space and heroism to Ochako. ...Okay, third. Her parents are first, then the rest, then food.]

lol np!! ^w^b There's a ton of really good food here - other than fish, you HAVE to try the meat pies, too. A few vendors sell them, but mostly you'll find them in bakeries and cafes.
Oh, and there are grocery stores and marketplaces for fresh fruits and vegetables!! Go early for that stuff, since they sell out super fast...but I found super fresh strawberries and eggs at the farmer's market. You can make some decent money from quests, depending on what you do, and who you do them for, so getting food's not too hard. Honestly, it's the pots, pans, and knives that cost the most...and a GOOD rice cooker.
Do you know how to cook? Since there's internet here, you can probably find some basic how-to videos for ultra simple stuff!!

[scriptwriter]

[Raising falcons, huh? Kotarou never really owned a pet before, but he was good with cats! Then there were two other familiars who came to his distant memory... Though he got a little embarrassed thinking about those weaklings. Not that he didn't care about them... They were just troublesome little runts. Fond memories come to Kotarou's face as he listens to Nobunaga's story. He had to wonder if there were any books about him in this world... He was sure that Nobunaga would've discovered them by now.]

It really depends on where you live. I was raised in the city, so I never really understood what it felt like to fend for myself in the wilderness until I went out on missions for Guardian. And getting a chance to experience more of the world's cultures out there.

[He definitely came off as a dumbass, but it was clear that he was smarter than he looked. Kotarou couldn't help and form more respect for this guy. Chunni as he was, he certainly took his life very seriously. That was something Kotarou enived a bit deep down since he always lived his life half-assedly without any sense of direction. He never truly understood his life's purpose until it was way too late... The leaf bird begins to eat out from Nobunaga's hands very happily. Kotarou would have to make note of those two foods as something that his familiar liked.]

I think keeping a pet around is something that's just ingrained in humanity's instincts. A friend of mine controls a powerful familiar... Though they look like a cute harmless mammoth up close!

[Chibimoth should not be underestimated! If Kotori ever shown up here, Kotarou would've hoped that he would've shown up with with her.]

Gotta say you're really knowledgeable whenever it comes to this kind of thing! Whenever it comes to hunting down monsters... It helps if you have a superpower to get by. Though even without one, you're still gonna have issues against any kind of beast. Tactics, skills and just a bit of luck is what can help you defeat even the strongest monster!

[Kotarou himself finally looks more mature and experienced than he usually acts. Keeping up a facade of cheerful immaturity was usually easier for him as he felt that made it easier for people to get along with him.]

[scriptwriter]

Hmm... If that's the case, then I think I'm in the best of hands whenever it comes to fashion! Yeah, I think you'll be super reliable... Miss?

[Kotarou flashes her a rather cheesy, but bright smile as he genuinely believe in her skills. If she was going out of her way to help him out, then he'd have to remember to pay her back in the future somehow.]

Documents, huh? I've also got a pair of glasses to go along with that. Heh heh... It'd be all part of the Legendary Spy persona that I've built up for himself!

['The Legendary Spy - Suzuki Bond' is the title that he came up with and used more than a few times in his past lifetimes with Guardian missions. If you were going to go undercover, then it was important to have fun with it.]

[onecupdrunk]

"Well, I could always find out what tiger meat tastes like if he becomes too much to handle."

He said it plainly, as if it were such a simple thing, while he played with Shogetsu (who seemed to be completely oblivious to the implication that he could be eaten when he's older).

[originaldragoon]

"Eat him?" Rose raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That sounds unnecessarily cruel and wasteful." And the fact that he said it with such a straight face all while playing with the cub made it so that Rose couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"At least train him so that he will either be tame or be useful for a specific task." She didn't say for that task to be a beast of war. She didn't know if this man was a fellow warrior or not. But with a scar like that over his eye, there was a very good chance that he was.

[enchantressofore]

Stronger because they help each other? Well, maybe that was true for Dolce, and for other people, but for Adela...

Nehra, she didn't know what she could do. Whether this place would stop what would happen to her or not. And there would be no telling what would happen if they found out.

"..."

She looked at the potion, if only briefly, before she closed her eyes and tried simply to rest. With what had just happened to her, with all that was going on then and there (as well as beforehand)... She wasn't sure she could afford trust yet. Not someone she'd only barely met, offering a strange drink. Sleep would probably be enough.

[enchantressofore]

"Why?"

That was a question she hadn't been asked, at least not for a long while. She frowned, less flustered as she began to work it out into words.

"I thought it was interesting since I was a child, but... I honestly do not know if that was pure interest or if I decided to pursue it because my uncle said I should not."

It's a little embarrassing to admit, even to herself, that her reasoning might not be pure love for their shared trade. But, even Adela knew there was more to it than that.

"I wonder if it was only simple spite that got me through, because it was not easy to learn. Truthfully, I do like crafting metalworks -- shaping raw ore into a finished item is satisfying itself. Seeing every process, every effort put into it to change it into something magnificent, that makes it feel worthwhile."

A breath, and she could feel her face heating up as she spoke more, "But... I think what I ultimately wish for is to create something truly unique. Something worthy of someone that can be named the strongest swordsman, that lives past any one man or woman. Even if I were to make a masterwork, it would not be enough until I could reach that peak."

"It must sound childish, spoken like that," Finally Adela closed her eyes, holding an arm close to her body in an effort to try and hide how anxious she felt revealing that much, "I do not think I have put the extent of it into words before this."

[onecupdrunk]

"That's only if it comes to it, I'm not about to let my vision get stopped for anything."

But... After a moment he broke into a grin, giving Shogetsu some belly rubs (much to the cub's pleasure) as he said, "But I don't think that'll happen. I'll just have to make sure he grows up from an unruly kitten into a respectable young tiger! It was fun to see your face when I said that I'd eat him, though."

His smile was brighter when he turned to face Rose again, completely relaxed by then, "I'm Date Masamune, though you might know me as the One-Eyed Dragon. What's your name?"