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

Kiryu Kazuma | Ryu Ga Gotoku/Yakuza | Healing + Kinetic

[lone_horse]

Arrival

[ Suffice to say that while Kiryu loves the water, he is not in the best mood at being dropped into a bay with no warning while wearing his suit. He adapts quickly, though the drag of the wet fabric is troublesome, and avoids the giant jellyfish as best he can since he prefers to handle huge aquatic life with a speargun if he's going to meddle with it. All the same, he gets to the surface, only to be greeted by... well, he'd say a dragon but it's a rather small dragon. At least for the moment. Silver-scaled and sinuous, about the size of a large house cat. He'll end up walking out of the water with the creature curled up on his shoulders, his eyes catching on the golden claws.

He can listen to instructions, watch and learn from those around him and follow the herd. He'll 'check the shitbox' and get his things: his bag, his phone, a set of extra clothes, and a couple of crumpled pieces of paper that wouldn't mean anything to anyone but him. Then it's following again, listening, taking in the situation and deciding that for now, he'll watch and observe until he's in a carriage and... well, at least he can get himself a glass of scotch. He definitely could use it.

Once they get to Red Spring, he's more than ready to have someplace to settle down for the night. Being assigned a roommate doesn't trouble him; he's spent too many years behind bars to be troubled by someone else in his space. He can be polite and respectful but he won't spend much time in the room anyway. Instead, he's off to the training grounds to learn what he'll need to learn in order to utilize what abilities this place provides. He's not surprised to find out the kind of magic best suited to him; on the contrary, he seems pleased and the trainers won't find a more dutiful and focused student.

He'll check the spring a few times for signs that would tell him he isn't welcome before he makes his way down there to enjoy the waters. He'll definitely be enjoying this as long as he has access to it; these old bones need a little more care than they used to, after all.]

Vying for Votes

[ Kiryu isn't sure which one of the approaches is the smartest, when it comes right down to it, but he knows which one of the events he intends to go on: the cave expedition, as it seems the most likely to be dangerous given the names of the places they'll be traveling near and what he knows about caves and mining. Besides: hitting things with pickaxes sounds like a rather cathartic activity at the moment. He'll probably try and dig up all kinds of gemstones, as he's the type to think of helping a group instead of just himself, but he can appreciate how helpful the rose quartz and moonstones are as he continues to work on his own skills.]

Bullheaded Approach

[ There's no question where Kiryu is when the attack starts: at first, checking around to make sure everyone in the building he was in is okay and then he's going to be heading out to try and face the minotaur. He's definitely aware of the difference in his capabilities from before he came here to now, feels like he's starting a new game and has to earn them all back again rusty again. But that won't stop him from trying to stop someone from hurting other people.

After the thing is chased off, Kiryu will be using what he's learned of his healing magic to try and heal those injured as well as see if there are places what strength he has can be used to lift debris or get people to safer structures. He probably won't necessarily start the buddy system spell himself, but if someone asks him, he'd be more than willing to agree. Even if the actual effects are less than great. ]

Red Spring

[scriptwriter]

[If there was one thing that he wished that he got to experience more at home, it'd be the hot springs. After a long day of getting adjusted here and doing some magic training, Kotarou figured that he could take a dip. He had already showered himself and was ready to take a dip and relax... But it looked like a much older man than him was already bathing there. Wrapped with a towel around his waist, Kotarou laughs a bit awkwardly at Kiryu before rubbing the back of his head.]

Oh, sorry! I didn't know the springs were already taken. If you don't want any company, I can leave.

[lone_horse]

[ Kiryu is the last person who would ever make someone leave when it was clear they needed the waters. He shakes his head, dips it lower to indicate an apology for any awkwardness, and gestures at the empty space available to him, as long as he doesn't mind sharing with him. Strange new world or not, he'll keep his back against the wall where it can't raise any questions or concerns. ]

It would be rude to keep this for myself. Please.

[ A soft, deep voice, soothing and polite. ]

[scriptwriter]

Oh! Uh, no problem! I just wasn't sure if you wanted some quiet time since it's been a loooong crazy day and-- Ah, yeah. I should totally get in here, huh?

[He looked really tough from first glance, but hearing him sound so polite catches him off guard. Kotarou is actually a bit taken aback. Looks could be deceiving as the saying goes. This man seemed to be Japanese, so Kotarou already felt a little more at home here. He bows his head right back... Socializing was always a bit of process for Kotarou as he never fully knew how to approach someone correctly. He wanted to be a man who could get along with anyone and he was still set on that goal. So Kotarou decides take off his towel and steps into the spring space that Kiryu had offered.]

Uhhh... You're new around here, right? I think I saw you on the caravan earlier.

[lone_horse]

Yes.

[ Not exactly a man of few words, but certain a man who didn't waste them. Once the other man is in the spring, he'll let his shoulders drop a little and start letting the waters do their work again. His eyes slip closed, but he won't be rude. ]

I came in on the caravan.

[ Just to confirm that's what he's answering. He opens one eye and peers over at Kotarou. ]

Have you been here longer?

[scriptwriter]

No... It's my first day around here too. And I still feel like a fish outta water.

[This worked out fine for Kotarou as he was a good mix of extroverted and introverted. He could keep up a conversation through sheer curiosity and determination alone, but he had enough common sense (most of the time) to know when to drop a subject.

He decides to lean back against the wall himself. It was nice to have someone around to just vent your thoughts especially whenever they were in the same boat as you. He didn't do that enough whenever he was in Guardian and at school.]

All of this is really strange. One minute I was giving it my all for something important and the next minute... I end up here and learn that we've got a whole mess of worlds to save. I dunno if they've got the right guy for the job... I'm not exactly hero material.

bullheaded

[garyoutensei]

[ Baiken couldn't say her intentions in marching up to the minotaur are half a noble as Kiryu's were. Certainly it *was* in her mind, to be upset about innocent people being caught up in this hoss' grudge over losing some rocks, but it was mostly just a seething rage at having been attacked. The fact that a non-human attacked her didn't really at all help.

Which was likely something Kiryu, of all people, would notice as she pushed herself out of the rubble. Just a heavy, choking aura of violence and rage. The sort of thing that spoke volumes of her intentions. ]

[lone_horse]

[ He definitely notices, and what comes out of his mouth is the same thing he's been telling himself as he straightens his suit and shakes off the smaller bits of debris. ]

Remember: we're still adjusting to these new abilities.

[ But he has every intention of doing something. And he can do something better if they figure out how to attack together. It's definitely not his strong suit; he's used to playing the vanguard. Or the only guard. But that thing looks a little big for him to tiger drop, quite frankly. ]

What can you do?

[ Just that. They can go from there. ]

[garyoutensei]

I never had to use magic to kill before, even monsters like this. I won't need it now.

[ And that was, for the most part, the truth. Sure, she didn't have access to the seals she'd build into her sword before, but nothing of her words suggested simple ego or bragging. She spoke a learned truth, and her scars seemed to prove it. ]

You'll see what I can do. Just don't get in my way.

[lone_horse]

[ Kiryu is, himself, a hand to hand fighter. He knows how to use a sword, but he doesn't generally need them most of the time. This thing, however, is much bigger than what he's ever dealt with except in that zombie game we don't talk about and he grunts in some irritation when she implies he'll get in her way.

He won't doubt her, though. Instead, he's rushing forward and moves to grab a broken piece of pipe to swing as he heads for it. ]

[garyoutensei]

[ Come on, Kiryu, if you can punch a tiger, you can punch a minotaur. Probably. She gave a nod. Honestly, she hadn't meant her words about not getting in her way as stand-offish, even if she knew that's how they'd come off. It was more just a warning to give her a wide berth. This guy, she could tell from his eyes, had seen plenty of violence and death. He hadn't flinched when she'd mentioned she was a killer, after all. What's more, well... he was Japanese. And more and more, that was starting to mean something to her, again.

Heading to the Minotaur, she knew they weren't going to be the only ones to challenge it, so they had to be quick, and make shit count. Baiken dashed low, trying to circle around the beast, leaving the front of the angry minotaur's guard to Kiryu. She had a plan, in mind... ]

Vying for Votes

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin didn't agree with the notion that they should go to war with Celliwig, but the notion of crystals that enhanced and synced up with the known schools of magic was, as a blacksmith, too good to ignore. If he could get a sizable amount of crystals and figure out a way to enchant his wares with them, he could share the knowledge with the Elphame Traders and maybe help broker some sort of peace or deal.]

[So he is very eagerly hauling entirely too much equipment into these caves.]

[Spotting Kiryu, he motions to get the man's attention.]

Hey, give me a hand! I think there's a rich crystal vein down this path.

[lone_horse]

[ As is his way, there's a quick 'nani?' as he realizes that he's the one being called, and then he'll trot over, taking in the man's over-burdened state. He won't wait very long before reaching for what look like the most obvious and easy to pluck items from his arms. ]

How far down?

[ A smooth, deep voice, quiet but intent on being helpful. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Not far but it's a bit off the beaten path. I don't think a lot of people know about it yet.

I'll split the take with you, sound fair?

[Are you going for that substory completion, Kiryu?]

[lone_horse]

[ Of course he is. He can hear the goofy guitar strum music starting just looking at you. ]

Fair.

[ And he doesn't mind going off the beaten path. There is, he'll think to himself, a chance that the man is intending something less than up front but he's not particularly worried about it. More than likely, it's exactly what it sounds like. He hopes it's exactly what it sounds like. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Alright, follow me.

[Darin takes the normal path for several dozen yards then stops where there's a bit of a drop off. It's clear that the path should fork to the left, but he starts heading right where there's a somewhat steep slope.]

Hope you've got decent balance. If not, I can drop some rope and slide down myself for you.

( hot spring )

[revile]

[ He's been lounging in the water in silence for a good while when Sakyo hears the padding of footsteps on the concrete. A single eye opens just to get a brief glimpse at the new guest. The details are blurry without his glasses, folded and propped at the edge of the pool along with an extra towel just in case he gets water splashed on them. Nothing much stands out about the guy, so he closes his eye immediately, not interested in making a fuss about extra company. He wouldn't expect to have this hot spring to himself and it'd be stupid to start any trouble.

As he feels the water ripple he opens his eyes once more just to make sure his legs aren't in the way. He can see the other man more clearly this time. Large, opposing build, much older than him. Then it strikes him there, the same way he imagines it does when people look at him.

Ah. What a coincidence.

Sakyo closes his eyes again once the other occupant seems to make himself comfortable. Suddenly, he speaks. ]

I have to say this is the last place I'd expect to find one of my own kind in.

[lone_horse]

[ Kiryu pauses as the man starts to speak, but (perhaps surprisingly) as he finishes, his shoulders relax and he seems, if anything, more settled. The fact that he'd remarked on his tattoo, what it meant, but not on the specific tattoo, not on him specifically? Means that while they might share a type of lifestyle, they probably don't share a world. Which makes this both easier and harder.]

Oh? Why is that?

[ He doesn't see how the two would conflict; there were any number of hot heads who were willing to fight anyone and everything they could just for the thrill of it, after all. And any gokudo who could see past their own nose would see the value in ensuring that their world and others were kept safe. Of course, he'd known far too many who couldn't. But that's a frustration for another day. ]

[revile]

[ Well thank god his assessment isn't going to get him into trouble. He just wants to relax, not get into a fight, and it seems like the other guy has the same idea. ]

It's like one of those tedious fantasy video games the kids play. You don't exactly just plop the yakuza into that kind of setting. Hell, who even heard of a video game about yakuza?

[ Yeah, Yakuza video games don't exist. Hah. ]

[lone_horse]

[ Definitely not one with humor. You can't have humor in a Yakuza story. Who would do that? ]

Is it?

[ He's never played one. He'd beat up several people trying to get one back for a small boy in a story that had ended rather heart-warmingly in a moment between father and son, but he didn't know what the damn thing actually was.

But he can agree with the last part. He lets out a small snort and shakes his head. No, no video games about them. At least he hopes not.]

A fight is a fight, though. There are a few others I wouldn't mind fighting beside me here.

[ He'll sit up just a little bit, hide his tattoo a little less against the rim of the spring. ]

Kiryu Kazuma. [ A dip of his head. It's an introduction. ]

[revile]

[ Sounds about close, with all this magic and weird fantasy pets and saving the world nonsense. Right up Itaru's alley. Hell, it sounds like something Muku would be into too, that knight in shining armor stuff he's so in love with. Jeez, why aren't they here instead of him? They'd get way more out of this trip. ]

What a predictable answer. [ Sakyo huffs and reclines a little more comfortably against the edge of the water. ] I don't know though, I figured someone like you'd get more of a kick from getting your hands dirty in real life than in a video game.

[ He was like that back when he'd been a young little yakuza underling. Now, Sakyo just gets his hands dirty with managing his family's checkbooks and money. He prefers that. Afterall, he loves money. ]

Sakyo Furuichi. Nice to meet you. Hope you're settling in better than I've been.

Arrival

[dolcedeleche]

How come you have a full suit?

[Dolce is stuck in her swimwear and freezing!]

[A sigh.] I suppose it would be troublesome to dry out my dress and hat, but still, this is just another kind of trouble.

[Yes, randomly jealous.]

Re: Arrival

[lone_horse]

[ It doesn't really matter what the subjective reality might be; there is a young girl who is cold and he has his suit jacket with him. He'll pull it off almost immediately and do his best to squeeze the water out of it before he'll offer it to her. ]

Until you get something else.

[dolcedeleche]

[Oh! That was not what she expected at all! She blushes darker than her hair, matching what would have been her dress, if she had it, and tries to figure out what to say!!!? What is manners, and oh no, he's solid, not a ghost, and ahhhh....]

Thank you! [Glows in the dark with all the blushing. Quick, be cool!]

[She glances sideways, like she's totally not embarrassed!] I'm Dolce. [... And....] And I normally dress more warmly. [... Well, it's true.]

[lone_horse]

[ He nods, because he would expect as such. Most people don't usually run around in their bathing suits. ]

Kiryu. Hopefully they have warmer clothes over there.

[ Where they're heading. But he wasn't about to make her wait for it. ]