TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 8

[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 ⚔️️ SUMMARY: 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. 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. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *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 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. SUMMARY: Merlin has a Plan B in case Camelot failed the trials: raise a sunken ship and offer it to the Elphame Traders on their way out in exchange for permission to travel their waters. Characters prepare for ritual magic to raise a sunken ship and travel underwater at the empty Camelot docks to gather ritual ingredients for it. After they've done all they can, Merlin sets up a little beach party with a bit of master magic for anyone who came along for the trip. After arriving, people may have heard about recent events-- the people of Camelot voted against war and to instead accept the trials of the people of Celliwig. The trials are now concluded, and a good number of people are emotionally exhausted and taking time to recover. Word from Celliwig has not yet arrived, but across multiple social media platforms, including AOL, there are clips of Merlin's cryptic addendum to Arthur's announcement along with notes that the meeting date was delayed a couple of days due to the awful weather and a need to rest after how bleak the trials were to some people. With people down and out, it won't hurt to have the new arrivals pitch in and learn a thing or two. "Lucky me, we've got a decent group. Celliwig's out of our hands now, but what isn't is a back-up plan. Vote was close enough I figured we'd have enough people to get a head start. Celliwig is closer and much less dangerous to deal with, we'd be able to communicate much faster with the faeries' queendom. They're not big on internet. Big followers of the Old Ways. T-L-D-R, we can't just text the queen and ask if drop-bys are on the table. We'd never make it past the leviathans without permission, so here's the plan: There is a... fixer-upper of a vessel sunken about a hundred yards from shore tossed out from Bermuda. We tried to build docks here forever ago, but you can guess the Bermuda triangle spitting out stuff in the lake all the time didn't go great. We just keep it up for visitors now, but there's plenty to explore in the immediate area that we can magic back into business." A ⦿ Shipwreckers He goes on to explain that the fairies value items that were once lost and refound, so step one is exploring the shipwreck with fellow magic users to find what amounts to a scavenger hunt list of items from the ship. He sets everyone off with a quick spell that essentially transforms their clothing into swimsuits that best fit their preferences and personality-- that means no one's going to get a swimsuit that makes them horribly uncomfortable, he's not harassing anyone. After that, magicians will be directed to use their magic to get down to the ship. It's not as convenient as underwater breathing and not as easily sustainable, but there's definitely different ways to go about it. Light magic users will find they can create a forcefield above the surface of the water and go under the water, though they may run out of oxygen quickly. Elemental users can find they can create a similar bubble by pushing water out of the way, though may run into the same diminishing air without a more advanced elemental user already in the game who can pull oxygen out of the water or an alchemist who can create chemical reactions to generate oxygen. Animal mages may be able to convince local lake life to help push bubbles along, and healers will be instrumental in healing oxygen deprivation if anyone stays under too long! (Note: If two characters can't create a bubble, you can put in a third NPC to do the bubble while your characters handle other roles during the search.) No matter what, make sure you bring someone who can watch your back. Rumors have it that the Fuath are harassing anything that comes near the area. Fuath are intangible spirits that may present as giant humanoids at about 8-9 feet each, but with the mane and tail of a yellow horse, with no noses and keen eyes. They hold grudges against anyone who takes advantage of their surroundings, even if not their own, and will come to attempt to throw those who try to take from the ships and flying through the air to land somewhere else in the water. Be very cautious about using names around the Fuath, as though they do not speak in human tongue, they have a particular ability to draw people and animals in using names that makes them very difficult to escape once you've been found. They've been known to turn familiars against their partners. They can be deterred, dissipated through attack to buy you time, but they'll keep coming so get in and out of the ship as fast as you can and definitely stick to more combat-heavy magics like dark and cognitive mages! *Note: These magics are all examples of ways to use primary magic, but feel free to get creative with your character's magic if you think of something else! B ⦿ Hoist the Flags Once all the ingredients are gathered, the ritual is underway! With the mementos from the ship, swim to a protective circle formed at the top of the water by Merlin that will keep the Fuath out. There, you need to take whatever item you gathered from the ship and try to find someone with a similar item. This "sister" item will allow you to pull the essence of the item up from the ship. It takes a load of people to raise a whole ship, but pouring your magic into the item and chanting the spell will cause the ship to resurface and restore itself to its original state before the crash, using residual memories from all the different items on the ship. Of course, finding a partner with a matching item while swimming around could be a challenge, especially if you don't get along-- it may take a while for everyone to get on the same page. It certainly won't clean up all the algae and kelp and wayward flopping fish, it brings the ship back to a livable state.. and a much cooler, more explorable one. Get a quick exploration of the ship and help clean up some of the lake slime before Merlin flags over the traders. Or goof around until then, and learn a sick free spell called (Recipe) Cool Firework: create a rocket firework from your fingertips. Make sure you're aiming it into the sky when you cast this spell, or Merlin will set off a Camelot totem right beneath your feet. No sinking the ship when they just got it up. The fireworks will attract the Elphame Traders, who are leaving the day after they close up shop to head back to Elphame, before the set out to leave. Merlin negotiates offering the ship to them as an offering for Queen Elphame to give them permission to travel in the Elphame territory. At that point, the ship is pulled into the docks and Camelot citizens are ushered out for the fae traders to take over the ship. C ⦿ Beach Episode Once everything's said and done it.. really only took a couple of hours, so the whole group is done around 4pm. There's plenty of time left for dinner and a good time at the beach a short walk away from the docks and the sun doesn't go down until around 9pm. Before Merlin leaves everyone to themselves, he conjures up a buffet-style table with loads of fresh food and drink, watermelons and bats for smashing. The swimsuits provided earlier wear off at midnight, though you'll probably want to leave before then since it still gets chilly in the evening, especially if you're all wet from playing with the chest full of waterguns or the beach balls distributed around the beach. The docks are nearby, so feel free to call your friends over to come hang out with you, even if they didn't help. It's a beach party, enjoy it! SUMMARY: Unseelie faeries and unseemly humans have teamed up to kidnap a small number of otherworlders in the chaos of the trials to fight in an underground fight ring. Play as a victim or be part of the squad to put an end to it if you're more good-leaning, or villains can choose to participate as audience and pay for "gifts" to be given to their favorite fighters during matches. CW: These prompts contain kidnapping, illegal and forced fighting, and inhumane treatment of fighters. Just because people are tired doesn't mean that the world stops for them... crime certainly doesn't. Throughout the start of the month, people are going missing. Exactly what's happening.. well, finding the truth out about that is going to depend on your perspective. A ⦿ Cursed Kidnapees Kidnapping victims will find themselves suddenly blinded by a spell, and then chloroformed by a floating cloth pressed against their face. (Smart kidnappers don't touch their victims if they have magic, you know!) When they wake up, they'll find themselves in a dungeon with at least a dozen other people. There's definitely not room to lay down, and sitting down as you had been propped up immediately starts you with a potentially uncomfortable view. Don't worry, someone's peeks in from a window at the top of the room-- an extremely handsome-looking man with long, wavy hair and pupils slitted like a cat's. "Let's see.. You two, you'll be the first fight of the night. Winner gets dinner, gyahaha!" It's a fighting ring. You've been kidnapped into a fighting ring and there's no obvious escape! Fight against fellow captives and monsters for your dinner and to buy time to figure out what you're going to do... At least you start hand to hand, so there's nothing lethal... right? (See Audience for more details.) B ⦿ Audacious Audience Maybe you're a less scrupulous sort and saw an invitation to this event hidden on the dark web, or got invited by a particularly sketchy friend. Either way, you've got cage-side seats close enough to chat with either fellow audience members or interact with the cage fighters. As a bonus point, audience members can spend some of their G on betting or on purchasing "boons" for their favorite fighters, such as weapons or enhancement spells. They can also bid against other audience members for special sabotages that make it harder to fight-- foot weights, strange masks, roller skates, hinderance hexes.. get creative with it! It's the biggest fight show that you can interact with your wallet... newbies may find it's a very lucrative way to make a pretty penny very fast. (As always, remember to communicate with anyone you're helping/sabotaging so you don't go past anyone's OOC comfort level.) C ⦿ Roaring Rescuers Thankfully, the fae who want nothing more than to sow discord and the greedy humans who joined in their venture are a bit disorganized. Even the beginning-level heroes among us will be able to track them down and topple them with a little bar hopping to gather information from the locals. Eventually, one of them will give up having overheard some "scary looking fellows" talking about which of the patrons of the bar looked like they'd be good in a fight before getting extra hush-hush. Follow all the leads, and you'll find yourself at an outlying, smaller-scale castle with a dungeon tower and an underground fighting ring built beneath its floors. Sneak in and unlock individual fighter dungeon doors while the fights are providing a wealth of distraction. Maybe you'll find a grateful Fogueria who casts a temporary fire-immunity spell on you to allow you to do ride them into battle to bust up the fight going on right now. There's definitely gratitude going on, regardless of moral compass, and you may find gifts of food and drink (non-alcoholic if you're not old enough) placed at your door over the next week for your deeds. 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. • We are testing out formats for key points displays, to be voted on for player preference based on what seems to work best for the most people. The other options were used here (end of post summary format) and here (start of post preview format). The format featured on this post is the last option, which will provide small summaries under the banner of each prompt set. A poll will be put up before the next event to see which format will be used going forward, so please keep in the back of your mind which seems most comfortable/makes the content more easily accessible. •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

tifa lockhart | ffvii | elemental & light + dolphin

[starshower]

🌠 i. arrival

[Where—?

The thought is cut short when Tifa realizes that she's neck-deep in water, her legs and arms wading instinctively to keep herself afloat as she tries to cough the water out from her lungs. The last thing she can recall is looking on to the world past Midgar, the city behind her, and the rain hitting her face for the first time in a long time before she was plunged into the lake.

Not what she was expecting when it started to fall.

She isn't alone, though. Through her blurred vision, she can see others caught in the same struggle of trying to keep their heads up, but just as she tries to call out to them, something beneath the surface slides between her legs to thrust her up and forward, interrupting her voice. The thin nose of a small dolphin pokes out, baring its teeth as it chirps at her.

Needless to say, she's confused, but it seems that it wants to help, so she'll ask her hundreds of questions later. Right now, she's more worried about extending a hand out to whoever's just been dropped into the lake next to her.]

Here! It's okay.

🌠 ii. beach episode

[Under any normal circumstance, Tifa might have been able to enjoy the festivities. The food and drinks look delicious, and people are having fun splashing around in the water—this is just the kind of light fun she should have been looking forward to... but having just had her world turned upside-down again, it's hard for her to do much more than quietly contemplate to herself.

She's sitting on the beach, legs out just far enough that the waves can kiss her toes when they come and go, and despite her pensive glow, she's wearing a heavy smile.

Most of her questions had been answered on the way to the Red Springs, so while those concerns have been washed away, others still linger. It's guilt that weighs on her most—she shouldn't be sitting here on the beach when the rest of them back home have so much left to do. When she still has so much left to do! None of this is her fault, and yet—

Familiar chirps jerk Tifa from those deprecating thoughts. The game of volleyball is interrupted when a dolphin leaps up from the water to knock the ball out of mid-air in Tifa's direction with its tail, and she's able to catch it just before it hits her. She rises, a laugh easing some of the tension in her shoulders, and lifts the ball over her head, her smile turning sheepish.]

My serve?

[Seems her familiar wanted to get her attention, and... well, it worked!]

🌠 iii. cursed kidnapees

[This wouldn't be the first tussle Tifa's ever been in, but it's certainly the strangest. Even being tossed around and locked away in Corneo's mansion was playground levels of fighting in comparison to this. This time, it involves not only her, but other people being brought here against their will, and that's not something she'll stand for.

She also understands the necessity for discretion when the situation calls for it. This place is no joke, so with an air of defiance in her step, she goes along with it, following the wavy-haired man up and into the ring, where the audience cheers and sneers, already placing their bets for or against her as she faces up against her first opponent: you.

Tifa may not be big or buff, but she looks capable. She's lithe, toned, and keeps herself in good shape. Her only tell of vulnerability is the way her lips press together when she briefly meets her opponent's gaze, but she maintains her hard expression as she gives the room a glance, searching for a way out.

But the bell rings, signalling that the match is about to start, and with her feet spread to center herself, she raises her fists.]

Please... [is all she says, her voice strained, before the bell rings again, and kicks off the match with... a kick.

Think fast???]

🌠 iv. wildcard

( None of these prompts work? Feel free to leave something else below! )

iii

[tantailizing]

[Hard to say who the bets will sway to for this one. Zidane doesn't even get why they bother sending him out anymore, but maybe it's because he bounces back pretty well without healing magic? There's still a few new bruises and scratches from the last monster match they had him in, but whatever.]

[Stepping into the ring he... raises an eyebrow and tilts his head. It's not a matter of questioning mentally whether or not the woman before him can fight, but it's more he hadn't seen her before. How recently did they bring her in and how has no one noticed by now how many had been kidnapped? Also, she didn't look familiar so new arrival too? Damn...]

[The bell sounds, and he blocks her kick as she comes in, springing back with the momentum. His brows furrow - 'please'? Did she need this win then? That's fine with him, his tail swaying behind him as his lip quirks a bit. They at least had to make this look decent - he didn't miss some of that jeering starting up aimed her way.]

[starshower]

[Tifa doesn't miss the jeers either. Those kinds of calls were bound to happen in a seedy place like this, but she steels herself against them, ignoring them as she pours all of her focus on Zidane instead.

She's surprised—and relieved—when he blocks her first attack, but him springing back away from her puts her in a difficult situation. She doesn't want to fight him, especially after seeing the cuts and bruises his previous battles have left him with, but she needs to close the gap somehow, and make all of this seem believable...

So Tifa lunges forward after him and feints a sweep of the leg, but instead she catches him with an arm around his chest before he can fall.]

Please, [with more urgency this time, beneath all the cheers from the audience.

She lets him down to the ground, making it look harder than it actually is. It all happens so fast that the crowd can barely register what's going on, and with her hair hiding her face, she lowers her guard. Tifa wants to ask if he's okay, but there's hardly any time to waste.]

Just follow my lead. Gonna try finding a way out of this.

[tantailizing]

[Oooh, so she's actually a close-range grappler type. He'd have to introduce her to Izzy later since she wanted to learn to fight more with her hands it seemed, but now's probably not the time to think about introductions.]

[He's curious what she's up to when she's got him (and he's not complaining), but he manages to keep his face straight.]

Been trying. I can take the fall this round so you have more time, but we have to play it up more.

['Breaking' away, he rolls back to his feet and lowers his stance, looking a bit more ready to fight than he has in a while. When they get out of here, he's sleeping for a day.]

[starshower]

[Been trying...? Tifa's expression falters for half a second as he tumbles away from her. How long has this been going on before they took her, if he's already tried to find a way out? It doesn't matter—any amount of time is too long to be stuck here.]

Right.

[It's said with conviction when she takes a roll in the direction opposite him, adjusting her stance as if she were about to take on something much bigger than him. They have to make this look real if they don't want to be tossed back down into the dungeons, so...

Tifa easily takes the lead in their movements, trusting that Zidane will follow through. He moves with experience, and any seasoned fighter will be able to see her hits coming from a mile away. Thankfully, most of the audience is either too stupid or too preoccupied with their snide comments and cheers to notice. She switches between punches and throws, and then brings them back together again in a light headlock.]

You've tried? How long have you been here?

ii.

[warbun]

[Volleyball is a new experience for Lizzie. Very new. As in, she just learned the rules about twenty minutes ago.

That said, she's pretty sure it's not supposed to involve a dolphin passing the ball to someone who isn't even in the game. But who is she to judge--it's a casual pick-up game, and no one else seems especially bothered. Lizzie shoots the other woman a grin.]

Looks like it! Here, my team's one short--come on over to this side.

[starshower]

[Tifa's smile softens at the invite, and she doesn't wait another beat to wander into the water. Thankfully, it isn't too far in, so it doesn't get too deep, but it's deep enough that she can feel the cool chill of it submerging her up to her knees. The game itself doesn't seem too complicated: hit the ball over the net to the other side, and if it touches the water, it's a point for the opposing team. She hadn't been playing, but she'd been watching the whole thing closely enough.

She pauses when she finds her spot, nodding in greeting to the others who've welcomed her, and glances around for a sign of her familiar. She likes to come and go as she pleases, summoned in splashes of water and vanishing in the same manner, so it makes sense that she'd be gone again, so she shrugs it off and prepares her very first serve.]

I gotta warn you. I pack a mean punch.

[She doesn't mean to brag (she kind of does), but she hurls it over the net with her knuckles where the rubber beach ball splashes in the water, giving their opponents hardly any time to stop it.]

[warbun]

If that's the case, then I definitely want you on this side of the net.

[Even better, she backs up those words with action. Lizzie grins as she watches a member of the other team swim out to collect the ball as it floats away. The other team doesn't have a chance]

Well done! Have you played this game before? Vollerball, I think it's called?

[Close enough.]

[starshower]

[They have a moment while the team has to go fetch the ball when it's carried back in the direction of the shore by the waves, and Tifa gives her arms a stretch, preparing for the next round. She's trying not to stare at the ears on top of her head, managing only slightly to pretend like she isn't at least a little curious.]

Is that what it's called?

[This game shall be known as Vollerball, now until forever.]

Never heard of it until today. Just learned the rules from watching. Kids used to play something like it back home, but I don't know if it had a name.

[It was mostly just "toss the ball around and make a game of it", as far as she's concerned.

Their conversation is cut short by the next serve coming in, from a muscular woman in the back. It's an impressive pass over the net, and Tifa motions to Lizzie when it comes flying at her.]

i

[concierto]

[It might not have been someone plopping right into the cold lake beside her but someone watching her with a curious gaze from the water's edge! A small green-clad boy without a hat couching there with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his palms.]

Well then, that is decidedly not a manatee. I hope this doesn't disappoint poor Miss Klee.

[He gives a small wave.]

Hello out there! You might want to watch out for any bombs in the water!

[starshower]

Huh!?

[Did he just say bombs?!?

Tifa's surprise turns into an instinctive, full-body reaction, and the dolphin carrying her to shore takes it the same way. It flails its tail to propel her forward a little bit faster, and Tifa tries her best not to completely topple over into the water again. The familiar itself isn't that big, but between it and the water, she's become light enough that it can push her all the way to the sand where the boy is curled up waiting.

So fast that she comes crashing into him if he doesn't move, her and the dolphin both...!]

[concierto]

[He just said bombs!! Because he's actually legitimately not sure how many times Klee has put bombs into the lake or not by now.]

Oh-!

[Venti will hop back with a flourish of kinetic magic like he's on the air. And land on his feet nearby! ... And simply let her land as she will. Hopefully, it's not on her face.]

That was quite majestic if I do say so myself. Are you alright?

[starshower]

[You don't "just say bombs"! Not so nonchalantly either!

Tifa skids against the sand, the dolphin vanishing before it takes too much of a hit, leaving her to fend for herself. She's pretty gracious about it, all things considered, breaking her fall enough that she doesn't end up on her face, but on her side instead. She can already feel the sand sticking to her skin, and she's taken a mouthful of it too, so she takes a moment to shake it all off.]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[Her voice is a bit strained... Give her a moment before she peers up, brows wrinkled with worry.]

What do you mean, bombs in the lake? [She pierces Venti with her red eyes.] Why just sit there? Shouldn't we be getting people out?

arrival (I Had To.....!)

[keybearing]

D-dolphin? Tifa?

[Though she is wearing something different to what he was used to. It isn't like that necessarily really matters. He's changed outfits and so has most everyone he knows, obviously. He's just more used to seeing her in the black. Sora doesn't think too much on it though, in at least recognizing her, reaching and taking the offered hand easily enough, as much as he was used to swimming. If she's offering a quicker way to shore to figure what was going on he isn't about to say no.]

[starshower]

[Amidst all of the splashing and yelling, Tifa swears she hears him utter her name as she stretches her hand out to him, but she tries not to think too much of it right now, focusing instead on trying to get him up and out of being neck-deep in water.

She hoists him up, holding onto the boy tight as the dolphin flicks them towards the shore. The water makes them light and easy to carry, so it doesn't take them long to feel the sand between their fingers as the familiar practically hurls them off its back. She manages to break the fall for both of them, landing to make sure that Sora doesn't take the brunt of the impact.

Sand gets in her hair and her shoes, but that's the least of her worries right now. She takes Sora by the shoulders to help him up, and after a cough to clear her throat of the sand that's gotten in there too, she looks him over for any injuries.]

You okay?

[She wasn't expecting the dolphin to throw them onto shore!!!]

[keybearing]

[There's too much commotion to really talk while on the dolphin and all so Sora waits till they are on the shore. He sits and tries not to roll off at least as she holds him. He's unable to really react much with being thrown into the air like that, though she does at least try support him in protecting him when they land. So he himself at least is okay.

He blinks at he stands when she takes him by the shoulders in helping him up. Sora brushes himself off, his hair and clothes but of course he is well used to sand everywhere, checking her to see she is alright after that.]

Yeah. I've definitely had worse falls. You okay?

[starshower]

You and me both.

[She'd be able to laugh at that if it weren't for the fact that she has no idea where the heck they are or how she got here. When she looks out to the water again, the dolphin is gone, as if it had never been there to begin with... Maybe it's out there helping others find their way to land?

Speaking of, when she rises to her feet following Sora, she looks back out to the water to see that the two of them aren't the only people who ended up being dunked.

She exhales with a tired sigh and remembers what he'd said in the lake.]

Sorry, but... do we know each other? Or maybe I misheard earlier...

ii

[theleadingman]

[Balthier, too, has found himself somewhat reluctant to participate in the festivities. They're well-earned, certainly, but there is much about recent events that doesn't quite sit right with him. Like recognizes like, and while his first instinct is to leave those who appear to wish to be left alone to their own devices, the appearance of the dolphin who then sends the volleyball towards the shore does catch his attention.]

Interesting partner you have there.

[He approaches from behind and comes to a pause a handful of inches to her left, standing on the sand with his arms folded across his bare chest, though despite Merlin's spell having granted him a swimsuit, all of his jewelry has remained in place.]

Especially given how many people here would be willing to play. Not the social sort, then?

[starshower]

[Tifa gives the ball a decent serve back into the water, and she returns the players' gratitude with a wave before turning to the man who's just joined her. The dolphin is long gone by now, probably swimming to go bother some other innocent divers, but she pays it no mind. From the sounds of it, their familiars are more than capable of taking care of themselves in their absence.

She wipes the sand from her hands, brushing them against her pristine white sarong and lets them rest on her hips.]

Not that.

[She can be social when she wants to be, but... something about it doesn't feel right to her. She looks sociable enough, with her smile.]

Just a lot to take in, you know? [In more ways than one. She sets her gaze out to the horizon.] Haven't seen the beach in a long time. Wanted to stop and admire it.

[theleadingman]

Mm— I can hardly disagree with you there.

[His eyelids lower a moment as he dips his head in assent, then turns his gaze out towards the water. He's had a small handful of months to try and adjust to the way things operate here, himself, but even so, it still feels foreign. He doesn't know that it will ever feel like a place he belongs, not with everything he had left behind— the same as so many others.]

Lovely though the scenery here may be, it isn't quite enough to offset all that you've suddenly been asked to accept, I would imagine.

[It had been the same for him— continued to be, in many ways.]

Certainly a view worth admiring, however. I haven't had occasion to visit such a place for some time, myself, at least not with the intent of relaxation.

[starshower]

Seems like that's all they want us to do now.

[The food, the games, the beach and nice weather. It almost feels too good to be true, but he speaks the words that she'd been thinking. Nothing is ever too good to be true, and it's usually a front for something else. Or maybe that's just her more pragmatic side screaming at her not to trust what she sees, especially after everything she's already seen.

She's sure not to get too comfortable enjoying it. Not until she can confirm her suspicions are wrong.]

Never been world hopping before, but it's kinda funny to think about... how we can all still find so much in common between them. [Like being able to enjoy the way the sun is starting to throw shades of violet and orange into a pristine blue sky.] Have you had the chance to relax a little bit around here?

Arrival

[staredintotheabyss]

A little water is nothing, though how exactly she got here is more pressing concern. An ambush? A summon? If it's either, why? Too many questions at the moment that can't be solved wallowing in a pond. It doesn't help all her years of training seem to have dried up at this very instant for whatever reason.
And now suddenly a hand reaching out to help her? This could easily be a trap, but she doesn't have much options at the moment, the older woman takes the younger ones hand as she's pulled up.

Coughing and using her survival knowledge to regain control of her respiratory system. It may hurt her pride a bit..but she needed that]

...Thank you

[starshower]

[Tifa shakes her head, grabbing hold of the girl a little tighter as she's hoisted up over the dolphin's back. It doesn't seem to mind the extra weight, and even chirps in greeting, splashing its tail behind them before rearing around and carrying them to land. Her eyes scan the area, not registering it as anything familiar that she recognizes on Gaia, and while the panic settles in the pit of her stomach, she maintains a neutral expression.

A hundred thoughts—theories—come to her, but then she feels the wet sand as the dolphin rolls them off its back and jets back into the water before she can thank it.

And she's turning quickly to the girl who's shoulders she's kept her hands on and tries to get her to straighten too.]

Not every day you get thrown into a lake like that. [She figures, anyway. Nothing about this is remotely normal.] Are you alright? Can you stand?

[staredintotheabyss]

No...nothing about this fits into an ordinary day

[Which is saying really something in her case;
Ozen does her best to regain composure and dries herself off]

I'm fine; I'm not helpless just yet. I don't know exactly what happened, but it made me so much weaker than before.

[She glances down at the dolphin with a blank expression]

...You seem to have this beast tamed well enough.

[starshower]

[That still isn't going to make her worry or fuss any less, but she does back off, letting her hands fall to her sides as she looks around helplessly instead, searching the water for the dolphin that had saved the both of them.]

I've never seen that dolphin in my life... It just came out of nowhere. Scooped me up, and then I found you in the water. Probably for the best, though.

[She doesn't know how she could have helped without it.

But it's as if the creature has heard the two of them talking about it, because it appears around Tifa's waist in a splash of water and swims around the both of them as if it's still in the middle of the lake, and it chirps and bumps its bottled nose against Ozen in a friendly greeting! So much for not having this thing tamed???

Tifa can't help a laugh.]

Looks like she likes you too!