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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's currently giving Augustine a look like he maybe hung the moon, and also the stars - which quickly transitions into flustered apology as he scrambles up and backwards. ]
I'm sorry! I think one of them, uh, tripped me - [ He's twiddling his index fingers together, looking first at the ground then shyly back up - then at the ground again. Basically, he looks like a teenager with a crush. ]
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Unless you tripped upon air, I suppose it's safe to assume you did.
[Despite the frown, he's not angry. More flustered than angry.
He gets up slowly with a slight wince but he's fine nevertheless. After taking a moment to dust himself off, Augustine peers over at the youth again with a curious glance.]
Not a good first impression but I won't hold it against you. [He smiles somewhat in hopes of easing the boy's tension.] The name's Augustine and you are?
[Introductions are in order.]
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Although it may still be imperative to find the Fae a gift to get rid of a teenaged lovesick puppy, or to just wait out the charm. It should end eventually, right? ] Thank you, really! I'll do my best to, er, not trip again? I promise I don't trip that often usually.
[ He just breaks his bones and such in other, more dramatic ways. ]
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Charmed. [He replies with a kind enough smile.] I'm certain you can handle walking, correct? I'll be requiring your aid in finding a suitable gift for our generous hosts.
[Sorry, Midoriya. They best get to work now. Augustine isn't interested in having this little tyke follow him everywhere like a love sick puppy. People might get the wrong idea about them both.
They must break the spell.]
We're in search of something pretty whether it be a flower, a pearl or something quite shiny. Do you think you're up for the task?
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That's exactly the sort of heroic person Izuku genuinely admires.
Right now, he looks simply excited to get to spend time with his newfound crush/love/idol. ]
Of course! I mean, I can definitely help! Should we begin looking now? I think I saw some flowers in that direction - not a garden, but wildflowers, so taking them should be okay...
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Wildflowers? [Not a bad idea at all. Augustine doubts the faeries would appreciate them tearing up their garden here but wildflowers? Oh, they might like that.] That could work!
We could also fashion the flowers we find into flowers crowns for them to wear. I'm certain they'll love that.
[Seems like a surefire plan, no? Augustine seems to think so.]
Lead the way, little one.
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[ Well. Perhaps not so very long ago from the relatively short distance of sixteen years to gaze backwards, but it felt a long time ago to Izuku. He starts walking, looking over at Augustine every few seconds like he can't quite believe his luck to get to go on a walk (!!!) with this guy.
This is such a good dream. 10/10 yelp review. ]
B-but, I'm sure yours are much better!
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Did she now? [He questions with a delighted smile.] It seems we share that in common.
[As much as he doesn't want to take that trip down memory lane, he does. If there's one person in the entire world that he misses the most, it would be his mother. It was a bittersweet reunion the last they met, one marred by the chaos that overtook his homeland of Illyria. Nevertheless, he misses her.]
Spare me. [He says with a chuckle.] I'll be surprised if I still remember how. So, I'll be relying on you to teach me.
[Augustine grows quiet once they reach the outskirts of the garden. Without the faeries watchful gaze upon them, he can't help but feel a little more at ease now.]
Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
[They have an entire field of flowers to frolic within. It's picture perfect out here but honestly, it could be a little dangerous. After all, neither of them know of what kind of creatures lurk here.]
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...That said, he finds a spot that seems to have a lot of flowers in reach and sits down, trying to pick the prettiest ones. ]
How many flower crowns did you want to make? I remember well enough to teach, for sure!
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They're tricksters in his world, annoying little tricksters who were dealt a terrible hand during the war. The Illyrians, his people, certainly saw to that.]
I say we should keep the number even.
[He suggests as he settles down next to Midoriya upon the grass. In all truth, he's a little tired after being exposed to sunlight this long but he'll manage.]
If we make only three, another faery might become jealous. However, if we make too many--our little flower crowns will lose their value. Therefore, we'll play it safe and only make six to appease the faeries we saw in the garden.
[He plucks out a bright blue flower from the nearby shrubbery and holds it up to Midoriya.]
With a bluebell at the center, we'll humbly ask for the faeries to free us from their game.
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But I do think the bluebell center will be good - sort of like, like a jewel?
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...A little party game, I suppose. [Augustine answers with a slight chuckle.] The flower crowns will give us an edge over our hosts. They won't expect it.
[Or at least he hope they wouldn't. None of the faeries followed them into the fields, so many they'll still have the element of surprise to go along with their clever gifts.]
Yes, precisely like jewel. The bluebells are bright enough in hue to mimic a moonstone.
[He answers with a grin as he tries to follow Midoriya's lead here. Augustine, despite his many skills, isn't very good at crafting. Yes, his mother showed him how to make flower crown in his youth but he hasn't done so in a long time. So course his attempt at this ends in failure. He pulls too hard on the delicate stems and ends up tearing them.]
Oh my. [A sheepish laugh escapes him as he brushes off the leaves and petals off his clothing.] Let me try that again. It certainly can't be that difficult.
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It's okay! You just have to be careful - the stems are pretty delicate, after all...
[ Nearer to childhood, his own attempts are more careful and familiar with the work. There's a quick smile despite Augustine's mess, as Izuku works slowly and methodically. ]
It's just a matter of patience!