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TDM: April
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aefenglom's test drive! All threads can be considered game canon, should you choose to do so; regardless of if you pick specific threads to remain canon to the game, the prompts and test drive itself will be. This will be touched on later in-game, so it's fairly important to note! Aside from that, here are some quick reminders:• 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.With that taken care of...
• 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. |
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[He wonders if someone else might be able to cast actual spells rather than combining magic with his artes as Sorey does, but that's a thought for later.]
That's right. The last thing we want is for you to turn into a literal pig or something.
[He'd feel a little justified, though.]
... No, I haven't. As far as I know it's just us.
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[Sorey makes a face when Mikleo says that.]
I already became a human firework earlier. I'd rather not become a literal pig while I'm at it.
[He can't help looking a little worried at that response. Still....]
In a way, I'm a little disappointed. But I'm glad I at least got to meet up with you again.
[Who knows when he'll go back to that dreamless sleep? For now, he'll enjoy this one for as long as he can.]
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What? Pigs are nice.
[He squeezes Sorey's hand again, and gently tugs him to the northeast, adjusting their bearings as he gets a little more sure of the direction that isn't right back into corrupted forest.]
... I know. I think it'd be nice to see them, too.
[He doesn't tell Sorey that he gave that up when he went to sleep. Sorey knows. The moment he thought up of this plan and made his decision, he had to be prepared to throw away his human life. And now those humans are gone. Rose's funeral is still fresh in his mind.
Mikleo turns to look at him seriously.]
I'll wait as long as it takes. You know that, right? It's not a matter of if, but when.
We got to see each other a little earlier than I expected, but I'm not complaining.
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He follows along wherever he's tugged. His eyes are back to surveying their surroundings for any trouble. However, the topic then turns a bit more serious, and Sorey looks back at his friend. The brunet smiles with a squeeze of Mikleo's hand.]
I know. You've always waited for me, whether I was sick or hurt...or went unconscious after accepting a pact for the first time.
I'm definitely not complaining about seeing you so soon. Not that I ever would complain about seeing you in the first place.
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You're helpless on your own. It's something I've come to terms with, I suppose.
[There's no bite in the remark whatsoever-- only fondness.
He blushes at that last bit, though. He can't help it when Sorey has that starry-eyed expression. It reminds him of when that journey began so long ago. Nothing's changed.
That's right... nothing's changed.]
I-- [He stops, pauses, breathes a soft laugh.] I can't believe the things you say with a straight face. [When he lifts his eyes, though, he's smiling right back.] I'd do anything to make sure our world is the kind of world you can come back to. I'm working on it, so... you just need to wait a little longer.
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I am not! You're just stubborn.
[His own retort is equally without malice. He just sounds amused.
The Shepherd's smile gets a little softer and more wistful. It's almost a shame that he'll be missing so much of that process, but...well, that's the price he pays for being part of that process.]
You're waiting a long time for me. It's only fair that I wait just as long. I'm sure you'll do fantastic work, Mikleo.
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Even so, he's undeniably connected to this human-- connected since before they were born, even. And Mikleo will be there the day that he opens his eyes and starts a new life, whether it's living out the rest of his human lifespan or as a seraph like many other Shepherds before him.
He sees that wistful expression and squeezes their joined hands again.]
I'll do my best. [He pauses.] Whether this is a dream or not, I can't really say, but... if it is, I'll make it a good one. You should only have good dreams now.
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Sorey smiles more happily with that squeeze of his hand. He's sure he'll be okay...as long as he doesn't think about the scales.]
It's worth it if this is the only dream I have between now and then.
[He grins, then, as the lights of the party start coming into view.]
Besides, I can't wait to hear all the stories you'll have to share!
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Mikleo smiles back, but it's bittersweet. He wishes he were there beside Sorey while he slept, but... he had other things to do. He can't protect his place of rest if he's being a helicopter mom.]
I feel like I would've chosen something with a bit less darkness. Maybe more ruins instead.
[He can still feel the coldness of whatever corruption that is but it's dimmer now, a dull thud in the back of his head.]
Don't laugh, but... I was thinking of writing a book, actually.
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Sorey laughs at that.]
And I would've preferred more of your vanilla ice cream, too! But I guess we're stuck with this for now.
[He himself is starting to feel less sick as they leave the forest behind. The brunet's so used to feeling sick around corruption that it really didn't register until it started going away.]
Why would I laugh? I think that sounds like a great idea.
[The Shepherd smiles brightly at his friend.]
You've always been good with words, so I'm sure you'll become a famous author!