dagung | TDM: April

Entry tags:

* tdm

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

I. FIRST PATH: SKETCHY DIVERSIONS

[ Izuku overthinks everything, even in the sanctity of his own mind and dreams. He's got a composition notebook open and he's mumbling frantically to himself as he sketches the different Fae he can see - the ones who stay still long enough, anyway. Notes and thoughts on them are crammed into the margins, and he's sitting with his shoulders hunched as he...

Takes notes. That's the first thing that comes to mind in a fantasy dream, Izuku? Really?

At least he's content. If you're inclined to interrupt frantic muttering and note-taking/drawing, feel free to startle him out of his intense concentration mode. ]

II. FIRST PATH: MENU

[ He's still taking notes a little later, but this time he's also testing some things out. Namely? The foods. It didn't take long to figure out that they all do something, because he'd tried a brunch food first of all and suddenly he'd found himself pulling off a float skill usually reserved for a different classmate, but he's not entirely certain of the distinctions here...

After all, it's hard to qualify what food goes where. He's definitely figured out several patterns, though, his exhaustive list of what does what scrawled across two pages... ]

So if pancakes make you glow pink, then - well, waffles did blue - hm, and eggs did colors too...so it's all breakfast foods? I see. That has to be the connection...but, maybe we should test the muffins too? If it's confirmed, then -

[ He's just going to keep chattering happily to himself about magical dream food, yeah. ]

III. SECOND PATH: (UN)/SEELIE TRICKS

[ Unfortunately, Izuku is curious enough to interrupt the Seelie with questions before realizing what a bad idea that is, and enough of a trouble magnet to run into the Unseelie without meaning to. Accordingly, you can find him: ]

A. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
[ This one is a little mean, really, but it might not be that obvious. Izuku's expressive, sure, but he's shy enough that the flustered look he takes on might not be a dead giveaway to infatuation. In fact, it's not clear if he's even going to approach your character despite having just seen them...

But he's the Deku who never gives up now, isn't he? So after a moment of hesitation he hurries up, flushed and flustered. ]

Um! Wait a second, I - [ Aaaaand then he trips. Directly into your character, if they don't dodge. Suave, Izuku. ]

B. STATIC SHOCK
[ Alternately, maybe you catch him while he's sparking very lightly. This time his curse is that he's constantly emitting a low-level static electricity, which means the slightest brush up against him will cause a shock...which is two sided, because his luck is absolutely terrible. So an accidental brush against your character causes him to yelp and jolt. ]

Ow! I mean - ! [ Crap. His eyes widen. ] I'm sorry! I've been trying to fix this one for a while, I didn't mean to run into you.

C. HANDHOLDING HIJINKS
[ An alternate curse: walking within even five feet of Izuku will find your hand being mysteriously magnetized and then suddenly locked in his hands. Your fingers lace together. It's wonderful, if you actually like holding hands, but even if you do you probably didn't intend to...

And no matter how hard either of them tugs at their connected hands, it's impossible to simply let go. ]

Oh no. [ He doesn't mind holding hands, really, but Izuku immediately feels all sorts of guilty for unintentionally hand-napping someone. ]

D. QUIET FOR ONCE
[ Suddenly, muttering is impossible. So is talking. Worse? He's figured out what this particular Seelie would like...so he's resigned to tugging at your character's sleeve, holding up his notebook so they can read: ]

If I write a poem, do you mind reading it aloud for me? It might be dangerous for you if they don't like it, but writing it for them on paper hasn't worked yet.

E. HELPFUL HEROICS
[ Maybe he isn't the one to be tricked or cursed, though. If you look to be having a rough time of things, there's a chance the green-haired boy will come up to you looking mildly worried but friendly, a smile firmly in place. ]

Sorry, but - do you need a hand? They seem to like gifts, and I don't mind helping you find one.

[ He's probably had to do it for himself several times by this point. ]

IV. THIRD PATH: COMBAT

A. ATTACK
[ Unsurprisingly, Izuku's first instinct is to try to reach for a quirk that simply isn't there. But his second instinct, barely an instant later, is to reach for magic he knows is there, in that weird way he can't quite explain even with dream logic. It takes a form familiar to him: sparks of lightning, and he directs it in a way that is familiar to him: with a kick. It's a weird combination of magic and muscle memory, and he stares after he does it, before his expression firms up. ]

Hey! If you take the left, I'll take the right, so - !

[ He's always been about teamwork and rescuing. ]

B. DEFEND
[ Or perhaps a shield of green light appears in front of a blow meant for you. ]

Come on! I'll cover you, so let's work together!

I. OWN PATH: MAGIC AND MAYHEM

[ Back in the first path, at the party? You might also find Izuku experimenting with that magic. He has notes scattered around him as he plays with it, although they seem vague and disjointed compared to his usual work with note-taking...Catch him: ]

A. CONJURATION/DIVINATION
[ Calling up and speaking to a small rabbit. He starts to feed it some lettuce after a little while, and seems to be talking about...where to find better lettuce? Why is he entertaining this conversation. ]

B. EVOCATION
[ Muttering to himself as he conjures sparks from one hand and ice from the other, looking intensely pleased and curious about the entire thing. ]

- I wonder if that's what it feels like?

C. ILLUSION
[ Carefully, carefully building up a tiny illusion landscape of a city, with tiny people in it...it's his hometown, isn't it? And there are little heroes running around...

It's like a kid playing with action figures. ]

D. UNIVERSAL
[ Teleporting suddenly in front of you, in a swirl of notebook paper and a yelp as he tries to collect all the suddenly loose paper. Sorry if he jumpscared you. ]

NOTES

[ If none of these prompts work for you and you would like to do something else, please feel free to PM me at this journal or contact me on discord at Maggie#0451 or on plurk at roseburst. You can also add me at either if you'd like to plot or discuss anything, or simply throw me an alternate prompt if you have an idea. ]

[Julian leans down in order to get a better glimpse of the notebook when it's offered up to him, one thick auburn brow lifted in a gesture of vague curiosity. However, once the words have been properly digested, his face splits around a bright and dashing smile.]

Danger, you say? Count me in! And lucky for you, I'm rather good at dramatic readings.

[Dramatic anything, really.]

[ At least this guy looks like he can handle himself! It's the eyepatch. Somehow an eyepatch just exudes an air of competence (even though maybe it shouldn't, because it means that someone lost an eye). And danger. Obviously this guy was the best possible person to choose to read his poem...

Izuku points at one of the Seelie, then clicks his pen to add some more. ]

Are you good at poetry, too? I mean, I could use an opinion on my work in addition to an orator.

[ Because he's never...written poetry before...but he's sleuthed out that's what he has to do to get his voice back. ]

[Julian's singular gaze follows the direction of the pointed pen, travels back again as the stranger before him begins to write. Takes in the words with a quick nod of agreement, his enthusiasm quite undampened.]

Oh, I should say so. I'm sure I can be of assistance. I may not be an expert precisely, but I know something good when I read it. So, let's hear it, then! Or, er, see it, in this instance.

Izuku Midoriya | My Hero Academia | Choice: Witch

iii - D

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III - A. Love at First Sight

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iv - a

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iii, c.

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iii — a

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hand holding cuz RIP wonder duo

(don't) kill him

thoughts and prayers

iv-b

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