dagung | TDM: April

Test Drive: April

All threads can be considered game canon,

the prompts and test drive itself will be

• Reserves Open Today! If you're interested in securing a spot, put one in! We accept applications without reserves too, of course. Reserves will expire three days before the end of the application period, on the 28th.
• Applications Open The 24th! These will last until the end of the month, the 30th, with the game formally beginning on May 1st. The application page can be found here.
• If you have any questions about the game or the world, please refer to the FAQ page; if you still have questions, feel free to ask them! For questions specific to the test drive, please ask them on the appropriate thread.
• For the purposes of the test drive, your character will have access to all magics taught by the Coven if they're a Witch, and as much of their shifted form as you'd like if they're a Monster. Feel free to play around and experiment with each!
• Test drive threads can be used as samples for your applications!

You feel like you're floating. Around you, colors and sounds and smells swirl as if trapped in a whirlpool, vibrancy and hue ever shifting. The more you watch them, the less solid they are; they only become clear out of the corner of your eye. The area around you begins to feel more solid as well, until your feet are on the ground, the wind brushes playfully against your face -

and you know one thing, and one thing alone: this is a dream, and an incredibly realistic one at that.

The Tea Party

The air turns a sweeter smell, almost like a bakery; the gentle laughter and chatter of living creatures filters in through leaves that brush against you, hanging from winding vines that hang from above. Flowers in shades of orange and red glow faintly among the greenery, their petals curling in shyly once they're paid attention to. As the area comes more into focus, the shadows of insect-winged forms become clearer, flitting about - talking about some kind of party, about a Queen, about the Courts meeting on neutral ground for the first time in a thousand years.

You're not entirely sure what's going on, and it doesn't seem as if anyone's noticed you've arrived - but three different paths unfurl in your mind's eye, vague in shape and meaning.

A Taste of Faeryland...
Following the voices, you find them: smaller-than-average humanoids with thin limbs, a variety of wings (prismatic butterfly, fuzzy moth, delicate bee - all of it), large, glittering compound eyes, antennas fitting their winged insect-type... Those familiar with the tales of the fae might recognize these Monsters as something similar. They greet you as if you were an old friend regardless of your appearance, inviting you to sit down at the table - which seems to go on forever in the large dining hall-esque canopy of nature they have set up, lined with elegant porcelain tableware and shimmering orbs of magic.

The food is similarly endless, ranging from the familiar to the unusual, and careful observation (or just plain digging in) shows the following effects: breakfast foods make you glow and emit colorful sparks, brunch foods get you floating as if filled with bubbles, lunch foods will make you feel as if you've taken part in happy hour, dinner foods will make you insatiably hungry, and dessert will make you feel as if you should simply stay in Faeryland forever... It's possible to mix and match these with effects, but do be careful.

The creatures present speak in high, lilting voices about nothing in particular at all - if asked anything serious, they merely give the character a curious if disproving look and say it's impolite to speak of politics over a meal. Ask something a little more lighthearted though, and they laugh and still... don't quite answer, patting your hand and asking if you'd like an extra slice of buttered bread and jam. The tables aren't exactly the best place for eavesdropping and learning what's going on, it seems - but there are plenty of exits out of the dining hall. Large, beetle-like Fae stand guard at the entrances of various hallways outside of the hall in the castle though, preventing anyone from entering them. When asked, they simply reply these are to private quarters that ordinary guests aren't allowed into and refuse to budge on the matter.

A Coalition of Interests...
The Seelie and the Unseelie Courts of the Fae - whether you know them or not, evidently it's a big deal that they're meeting tonight. Or over several days and nights; the Fae themselves seem to be in a bit of an argument over how long they actually want to stay in the same company as their counterparts, neutral ground of the Dewaint Forest. Regardless, there are no marked differences between the two physically, and they all speak of a singular Queen heading them; behaviorally, though, that's another thing entirely.

Those of the Seelie Court are quicker to engage in conversation and prefer it one-on-one, hardly allowing a word in edgewise and getting irritated when interrupted; their pranks are usually mildly malicious, with spells causing uncontrollable laughter, color changes, and charms to make the charmee fall in love at first sight with whomever they see first peppering their repertoire. Returning to their good graces is fairly easy - the gift of something pretty as an apology tends to work, but each Fae has their own very particular gift they like. If it's messed up even a little bit, they won't accept it, and will merely play another trick upon the giftee.

Those of the Unseelie Court, meanwhile, are a little harder to talk to; they prefer to prank and trick first to test those they might be interested in as a group, not unlike children trying to get the attention of someone they like by pulling their hair. Their pranks usually range from genuine hurt (such as pulling hair, stinging nettles, or simply beating them with bound vines) to curses (losing one's voice, the head of an ass, or full-scale animal transformations). Withstanding these, or standing up to these Fae, earns as much of their ire as it does their respect - the truly respectful human will be subjected to headpats and collars, like a pet.

A Treacherous Adventure...
As beautiful as it is outside of the main dining hall and newly-grown castle (just for the momentous occasion itself, going by the rumors!), Faeryland as a whole is mired in danger. The wrong step sends one tumbling down a rabbit hole full of interesting sights, landing in a wide field of drooping flowers that snore softly and scream bloodcurdling loud when awoken. No matter how long one walks, discovering both familiar and unfamiliar sights, never ends in finding the castle again. In fact, it's much easier to find yourself accidentally going deeper into the woods. The exceptionally tall trees of the Dewaint Forest show hints of decay and rot, the smell of the dead barely covered by the flowers desperately growing across the blackened bodies of Fae and other animals that wandered too close to the growing infection in the area.

What look like corpses will tremble and rise when they sense someone is close by - their eyes and mouth are pure white, contrasting with the darkness around them, and throughout the shell are cracks of a similarly pulsing whiteness; it smells magical, it feels incredibly heavy and overpowering, and it might just be too powerful for those most sensitive to the corruption and to magic. The shadowy creatures' wings are larger than normal and monstrous, with their bodies held up by the dew-crying flowers that simultaneously hold them back yet sneak their roots closer to grab those who awakened them and drag them closer. Where the monster begins and ends with the corrupted nature it's made its bed in isn't completely clear, but one thing is: it's very, very hungry.

Thankfully, it's a good thing some of you have new abilities at hand, and some of you have a few neat changes to help. Teaming up makes things go quicker, and once defeated, these creatures bleed white magic and disappear in ashy smoke, shell breaking off in bits to reveal a dried-up corpse of a Fae. Nothing else remains, not even a hint to their identity, and the more of these monstrously-turned Monsters characters meet, the bigger and more terrifying they get.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Justine hesitates, staring at Majima's hand. What's this? A pinky promise? She smiles and after a pause she loops her pinky around his. Its a cute gesture, innocent and enchanting.

Her lips stretch into a warm smile as she gently inclines her head in a nod.] Thank you.

[She releases his hand and shifts so that she's sitting next to him. Her eyes close and within seconds she's asleep. Justine's breaths become shallow and slow as her head tilts and rests on Majima's shoulder. If he moves, he will undoubtedly wake her up.]

[ What? What was this, now? She was going to sleep on him?

And yet once her head rested on his shoulder, there was nothing he could do but remain still, as her support. ]

Good night, Justine.

[ He said quietly, and then he waited, watching the garden and listening to the sound of wind through the leaves. If she was that tired, who was he to argue? ]

[Her dreams are peaceful at first. A silent black veil of nothing for her to float within, safe and calm. It doesn't last. The voices tease and taunt her sleeping thoughts until she's surrounded by pain.

It's been less than an hour when Justine wakes gasping. Her heart is racing and it takes her a few terrifying seconds to remember where she is.]

Majima?

[She whispers his name and turns to find him sitting next to her. Her hands are clutched over her heart and she's trembling, her eyes wide as she stares at him.]

[ His voice was beside her ear, the natural consequence of Justine having fallen asleep on him. ]

I'm here. Sounded like you were havin' a bad dream at the end.

[ He started to shrug off his jacket. ]

Are ya cold? Here, you can use this.

Oh. Thank you.

[She takes his jacket, pulling it around her slim frame as she settles back into her seat. It isn't the afternoon air that's made her cold but she's thankful for the jacket and the thin shield it offers her.]

How long has it been?

Less than an hour. Don't worry, ya didn't miss anything.

[ In fact, the fae hadn't even been too disruptive. Maybe they were busy tormenting the other guests. ]

Feel a little better?

A bit. Thank you.

[Justine tugs the Jacket a little closer and inhales the think scent of smoke. It's comforting in a way, though she can't exactly explain why.]

Why are you being so kind to me?

What's that, now? It's just normal, ain't it? Lookin' out for other people?

[ Well, maybe it was for Majima, but he just sort of felt like this was right -- helping Justine, if he could. Something about her made him want to. ]

Ya seemed pretty tired, so I'm glad you got at least a little shut-eye. It's rough bein' on all the time.

[Justine gently shakes her head while running her fingers through the messy strands of her silky midnight hair.]

I'm wondering what your ulterior motive is. That's all.

[She doesn't live in a world where people don't have a secondary agenda.]

It is but... it's something I have to do. [She turns to look at him, pulling her knees to her chest as her arms wrap around her knees.] It's hard when you're alone. [And it's hard to trust.] I must be lucky to have run into you.

[As a cat and a man.]

I look that suspicious, huh?

[ It was the evil chancellor bit all over again... ]

But it is hard. So, uh... don't go it alone if you can manage not to, that'd be my advice. Granted I didn't take it, myself. But I'm thinkin' now maybe things would've been easier if...

[ And now? What was he going to do? He needed to get back to Tokyo to rebuild his place in the hierarchy. He shook his head. ]

Sorry. Not your problem, I know. Is it too chilly? Wanna head inside?

No. It's not that.

[She shakes her head gently from side to side as she spoke.] I'm not used to it. [Kindness is so rare for her.] You don't have to stop.

It might not be my problem but I can listen. [Justine smiles gently at Majima.] Or we can go inside.

[Majima gives good advice but Justine isn't sure if she can truly follow it. She might not be entirely alone but its hard for her to trust people. So far Majima seems like a good person but what if that isn't the case? How can she blindly believe him? It doesn't matter that she wants too. The odds aren't in his favor.]

Alright, but you let me know.

[ Hopefully, Justine wouldn't hold out on him. ]

I spent a couple of years playin' by the rules and trying not to make my problem someone else's, is all. And now all I can think is I was deprivin' myself for no good reason.

[ He cast a glance further outward, over the grounds. ]

Not like anyone else was trying to play nice.

I will.

[It's a little chilly but the cool air is nice. It's sharp, clear and it helps Justine remain focused on the here and now.]

I guess they don't. [Her nails lightly play with the hem of his jacket as she spoke.] People don't play fair, neither to fairies or any other creature I've met.

But we all have problems. It's okay to share the burden.

TDM: April

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