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

Achilles | Hades | this is so late and i should be asleep rn

[fearisfortheweak]

Arrival

[When the majority of your time as a Shade is spent standing guard within your lord's house, to find oneself suddenly submerged is quite jarring indeed.

When he breaches the surface, his arm comes up to shield his eyes. A brightness like that can't be mistaken, no matter how long it's been since he's last experienced it.

It takes awhile for his eyes to accommodate— long enough for a giant pillow jelly to inflate underneath him. After some soft words and a gesture of appreciation, as well as a gathering of his bearings, he makes his way for the shore.

Once he's on solid ground, any nearby are given a nod, perhaps a singular soft-spoken word of greeting. His gaze lingers a little longer on some than others, though not for more than a couple seconds.

All the beasts don't escape his notice, and he looks over as a violet-green swallow descends upon his shoulder.

He murmurs:]

How curious.

The Red Spring

[What will rapidly become apparent to the person roomed with him is that Achilles is not the slightest bit familiar with modern technology.

His spear is set next to one of the beds, and... yeah, there's no move to interact with anything in the room beyond some staring and maybe a furrowed brow.

Actually, he'll be seated on the bed, a look of intense concentration on his face as he stares down at his smart phone. The earbuds are hanging just inside his ear, causing them to fall out now and then. He sort of fumbles them back on, balancing them precariously, before he returns to the phone. He taps at his device slowly, with great purpose, and a lot of confusion.

... help him...]

Captured

[Seems like waking up in unexpected places is the name of the game lately. He'd been thankful the first time around when the setting he'd appeared in seemed rather peaceful and civilized. After all, it was just as easy to end up in a less than hospitable situation... as the case seemed to be now.

Though calm and steady as ever, there's no mistaking the tension in his form and the disapproving edge to his mouth. It's once the man disappears briefly that he lets out a low breath, turning his gaze upon his "opponent". He speaks only as loud as he has to be heard by them, his tone carrying a gentle reassurance:]

Don't worry about me; I've been through much worse.

Wildcard

[HMU via pm or Ruipressed#4474 on Disco!]

Arrival; /EYES EMOJI/

[inevitablerest]

[He comes down to the shore when the new arrivals are unceremoniously dumped into the water because lending assistance to those confused and wary souls who wander cold and dripping wet onto the sand gives him a sense of purpose that's pleasantly familiar.

What he doesn't expect is to find someone whose face and bearing as as familiar to him as anyone he might call family or friend in the House of Hades. He stares for a moment in surprise before he approaches, leaving shallow footprints in the sand behind him.]

Achilles.

[Yes, there's no mistaking the man. Thanatos speaks his name gently, with the respect it deserves, and hopefully his presence isn't too... unsettling.]

BREATHES!!!

[fearisfortheweak]

[Truth be told, there's so many unfamiliar sights all around him, the familiar presence isn't immediately noticed.

But when someone approaches, his gaze comes over. There's even more confusion at the realization of just who was the owner of those soft steps.]

Thanatos.

[The soft voice that responds to him carries surprise. Briefly, his eyes dart downwards, before coming back up.

As the surprise wears off, a bemused chuckle escapes him. Far from being unsettled, it seems Thanatos' presence has reassured him.]

Were it not for the fact I've not slept in ages, I'd wonder if I was dreaming right now.

!!!!!!! EXCITED

[inevitablerest]

[Has Achilles ever seen him with his feet on the ground, he wonders briefly, much less walking about on them. He follows the man's attention down for a moment to his currently bare feet, then lifts it back up.]

The transition can be a jarring one. [He admits after a thoughtful pause. He rests a palm against the hilt of his sword - the scythe, for now, not actually with him - and looks out over the water.] With little to make the landing easier.

[But then his attention turns back to the old soldier and an almost-smile crosses his face. Zagreus would be happy to see Achilles.]

I can only assure you that you're not dreaming. How do you feel?

ECHOES!! EXCITEMENT

[fearisfortheweak]

[In hindsight, it'd been silly to be surprised by his feet on the ground. Truly, everything about this situation could be said to be much stranger.

There's a quiet respect in his own eyes as he listens to the man before him. Though in the house their interactions were quite limited, he'd nevertheless gained an understanding of him through all the time he'd spent in Tartarus.

His gaze follows to the waters.]

A common place of arrival, then?

[When addressed, he also returns his attention to Thanatos. There's a pause as he considers the question.]

Bewildered, mostly. To be on the surface again is...

[He seems at a loss for words. The Underworld, though it had become familiar and home, could not compare.

Finally, he settles with:]

Jarring, as you said.

[He's sure he'll have time to sort through his feelings later. For now, he simply nods to the god of death.]

It sounds as though you've some grasp of the situation.

SO MUCH!!!

[inevitablerest]

The only place, as far as I can tell.

[Thanatos' respect of Achilles comes mostly from the high regard that he knows Zagreus holds for him. Ordinarily, he has little patience for mortals and especially ones who died the way that Achilles chose to, but time and death have tempered this shade to someone far different to his living self.

And speaking of living... has he noticed?]

I do. I've been here for some time. [This, he realises, will no doubt be a confusing statement.] The passage of time is strange here. You may have only recently seen me while I've been in this place for several months.

[Archimedes would probably do a better job of explaining it.]

I can attempt to answer any questions you have.

[fearisfortheweak]

[Ah, he was anticipating this, then? That makes sense.

The words that follow have him looking thoughtful.]

Been in this place for several months— without returning to the House. I see...

[All things considered, seeing Thanatos up here wasn't the most absurd thing to happen. After all, he was a ferryman for mortals and often journeyed to the surface to carry out his job. It'd been easy enough to guess he might've been here while performing his duty.

Ah... questions. He gives a nod of appreciation.]

Then, where is this place?

[inevitablerest]

[Ordinarily such a thing would leave him feeling nauseous - being away from the House for so long. Here, a great many things have been turned on their head. Not least the fact that he and his brother are hardly gods at all, save for their names and vast years of experience.

He tilts his head slightly in a gesture for Achilles to follow him as they talk, and rather than immediately make for the cliffside path he leads them on a more leisurely route alongside the gently rippling edge of the water.]

They call it Avalon, though I've never heard of such a place before. [Thanatos frowns, clasping his hands behind his back.] There are powers at work here the likes of which I didn't think possible.

[fearisfortheweak]

[He follows along compliantly, not at all minding the stroll around the water. It was refreshing to take a walk in the warm sun after having been drenched, and especially after having been, well, dead for so long. So there's a great appreciation in his eyes as he takes everything in.

Of course, he still gives the god beside him his utmost attention.]

Neither have I.

[The part that comes after is boggling. To hear that from a god... These powers must be well beyond belief, and Achilles struggled to grapple with the sheer scale of power that even the gods he knew had.

Yet, it makes sense. It must be a significant power indeed to cause a well-respected and oft feared god to appear so mortal.]

That's.. a lot to take in.

Captured | !!! :D

[bloodandlife]

[It’s dim, here in the crowded cage, filled with shadows. Which is why Zagreus can’t quite make out what this fellow looks like, this opponent of his. Doesn’t matter, though - he’s done this a few times already, he knows how it goes.

But then the man speaks, and the voice is so familiar that for a moment Zagreus thinks he must have imagined it.

He replies in a similarly quiet voice, though the surprise is evident in it.]

Achilles, sir? That can’t be you, can it?

SDJFSDFK!! please forgive me i have like four icons,,,

[fearisfortheweak]

[Of all the voices to respond to him, it's one that he least expects. It's enough to shock him into brief wordlessness.]

... Lad...

[The fact he'd gotten himself caught was something he'd quickly brushed off. But for them to have pulled a quick one on Zagreus, a god...

Ah, but the rules are different here.

First thing's first:]

Indeed it is. I was careless.

[But, he's quickly moving past that, an air of concern in his voice:]

Are you alright? Not injured, are you?

[The more his eyes adjust to the darkness, the more they flick over the familiar form, looking for anything out of place.]

arrival; !!!!

[verytired]

[ Hypnos doesn't like things that require a lot of effort; however, between his magic and the transportation services here, he managed to make it to the beach where they were, and he summons his familiar. The two of them familiar enough that Hypnos has been able to lounge against it. He kicks up one leg but then notices someone - well, hears someone very familiar behind him. He jerks upright, finally standing (though still slouching) to face the man. ]

Right? This place is completely strange. But you'll get used to it pretty fast. It's been awhile, it seems like.

[ Maybe not for Achilles, though. ]

[fearisfortheweak]

[For all their time spent in the same space, Hypnos is one of the gods Achilles has the least amount of interaction with.

He has heard quite a bit of his snoring, however.

Nevertheless, he regards him with a polite dip of his head.]

Ah, that's right. You don't generally visit the surface, do you?

[He knows his domain is sleep, though he's hazy on the finer details of how Hypnos exerts his influence.

Having been given a basic rundown of things by Thanatos, he gives a slow, thoughtful nod.]

Any idea just how long?

[verytired]

[ There's an easy, lazy way that Hypnos talks that even with their limited interactions - he'd be used to. He's pretty unfussed by the entire shift in location. Mortality is a weird, weird thing, and he doesn't necessarily love the loss of his power here. ]

Very rarely. I mostly see it through other people.

[ And the way people dream about it and how it exists can be very different. ]

No real idea. I've only been here a couple of months. Myself, Thanatos, and Zagreus.

[fearisfortheweak]

[Considering how much gods tend to identify with their powers, Achilles wouldn't be surprised.

Hypnos, Thanatos, Zagreus, and himself. And then a slew of other people of which he wasn't familiar with.]

Not too long, then.

[In the context of godhood, that was less than the blink of an eye, surely.]

So, how are you finding yourself here?

[verytired]

[ He's right - to him, it's been nothing. A blink in his many years so far, and his many years ahead. It's the way it is for him. Still, it's... odd. There's mortality here that there isn't otherwise. ]

Yeah, not long. And in time, after we help a bit, we'll be plopped right back in hades. Until then, enjoy time up here. In the green, green grass and oceans and -- the life.

[ He's fond of people, clearly. He likes the way they live and their lives. ]

It's fine. I mostly relax, but there's work for someone like -- who wants it. Not me, of course. But Thanatos and Zagreus aren't really good at being idle.

The Red Spring

[slightestcut]

[She had chosen a room by complete random and was not adverse to kicking someone out should they decide that they didn't like her presence; or maybe vice versa. The bandit was far too tired to properly care at the moment and had more than a few things on her mind as she entered the room.

Sharp eyes first landed on the spear next to the bed before moving towards the presumed owner himself. Sizing him up and idly fingering the axes she held at her belt. It was probably good, she thought to herself, that he was distracted for the moment. Then again something about the man told her that, distracted or not, he would put up more than just a little bit of a fight.

It was a feeling that almost reminded her of Lu Bu.

She moved slowly, keeping her eyes on Achilles.]

...What's bothering you?

aaaAAA SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!

[fearisfortheweak]

[His eyes flicker up to the woman who entered, and he gives a nod.]

Greetings, miss.

[...unfortunately the movement causes one of the earbuds to fall out, followed quickly by the other. He looks down and gives a slightly embarrassed chuckle.]

Ah, nothing bothering me, just... I've never seen or used anything quite like this before.

[He gives a small shake of the phone to emphasize his point. But for now, he's letting it rest in his lap in favor of focusing on the person before him.]

But, nevermind that. My name is Achilles. It's a pleasure to meet you...?

aaaaaa!!!! no worries im no better ;w;

[slightestcut]

[Dark eyes watch his every movement before, with a sigh, she slowly moves away from the door. Her hands also moving away from her twin axes.

She was still stiff, but that was more out of a, perhaps unhealthy, dose of paranoia.]

Zheng Jiang.

[Said plainly as she went and sat on the edge of the other bed, axes being placed beside her, not turning her back to him. Instead she focuses on the device in his hand.]

The strange devices they shoved into our hands? [Of course that's what he was focusing on. Never one to miss an opportunity to grasp at some form of authority her mood shifts ever so much to calm herself down.] You haven't gotten used to it then?

[fearisfortheweak]

[He doesn't miss the tension and wariness. A good thing that in general, he isn't prone to making sudden movements. His whole demeanor remains very calm, too, not showing any agitation at the obvious distrust.

The name is an interesting one, definitely not like anything he'd heard before, so he makes an extra careful note of it, repeating it a few times over in his head.

The first question gets a nod, and the second one receives a shake of his head as he looks back down.]

I think I've somewhat a grasp of the basics. It responds to touch, obviously. Emits sound... Though, it doesn't seem to read minds as I'd first thought.

[... is he serious]

[slightestcut]

[Sudden movements to that spear in particular. It's unfortunate that she herself isn't familiar with the legend of Peleus' son. To her he's just some foreign barbarian from the edge of the known world. Much like the rest of everyone here.

This was probably going to be a long, and sleepless, couple of nights.]

It's also possible for it to react to sound as well. If you speak then your words appear in print.

[Or text, not print. But hey whatever.]

It's more useful at presenting whatever information you wish to know about this kingdom.