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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. |
mika kagehira, enstars (witch)
eventually, mika is successfully goaded into eating some of the food — despite himself, really. the waffle he’d eaten had tasted light and airy, almost soapy despite being oddly sweet, and once he’d found himself feeling almost the same way he couldn’t help but laugh. of course, the fae had laughed with him, but when his became more nervous and switched to a request for help, well they’d just kept laughing, and laughing. and laughing.
or maybe they did help, in their own odd, fairy way. mika isn’t actually sure enough to judge them, even if he is troubled. now, instead, his feet are rooted to the ground again alright. his body still feels light as air, and if he lets himself go then it feels like gravity works itself backwards on him, but, well. the collection of vines and roots that secure him to the floor won’t budge an inch no matter how much gravity or he pulls at them.
so for a while, he just stands there. meekly accepting headpats and wondering if maybe this is a timed spell, and it’ll wear off sooner or later if he just waits it out. whatever it is, it’s definitely embarrassing — he’s been rooted to the ground in what feels like the busiest section of the banquet, with monsters, witches, and fairies all bustling back and forth. )( it's only a matter of time before he gets fed up with waiting. it would be one thing if he were off in some corner that were easily ignored by one and all, but being intermittently surrounded and having people pass around him like he's part of the scenery has his stomach turning in anxious knots, and he's not feeling so light anymore. so as some lucky passerby moves to walk just a little too close, mika reaches out to tap them on the shoulder — or tug lightly at their sleeve. as long as they stop long enough to glance in his direction and see this very distressed looking teen. )
'Scuse me, do ya have a moment.( by now he feels like he’s gotten more adjusted to it. the tricks, that is. between the floating away, laughing fits, getting glued to two different surfaces, and even wandering around the party as an odd-eyed cat for a few minutes, these fae seem to have a fitting sense of humour for their kind, at least. so it’s probably no wonder that mika is avoiding the fae for now — ducking behind strangers, and taking the long way around wherever he needs to, to avoid them. it’s taking one such detour though that he comes across some poor soul who seems to have had a trick played on them.
at a glance, mika can’t tell if it’s the kind they play when they like you or when you’ve said something wrong, but either way, it doesn’t look pleasant for the person involved. with vines wrapped tightly around them, keeping their arms stuck to their sides. intermittently though, there are brightly coloured flowers blooming throughout, and mika feels almost bad for thinking that they look pretty. as if to make up for the fact, he approaches. )
Have ya tried singin’ for ‘em yet? They seem to like when ya do that.
( there’s no guarantee it’ll work, but hey — it’s had a two out of three success rate for mika so far. he may as well offer it up, at least. he’s heard that singing to plants helps them grow too though, so who knows. )( wildcard! or feel free to reach me at
1b
And of course he's never able to leave anyone alone when they need help. ]
Yes, of course! How can I help you? Are you okay?
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( it's a relief to see that the boy stopped — but come to think of it, mika doesn't really have much of an idea what kind of help to ask for to begin with. his wide-eyed, mismatched gaze flickers between izuku and the roots tangling up his feet and legs for a moment before he gestures down at them to indicate his problem. )
I was thinkin' about usin' magic or some such, but I'm not real good at it yet so...
( imagine a small fire spell gone wrong in this situation — yikes, he'd rather ask for help than ask for a disaster like that waiting to happen. )
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[ Just let him crouch down beside the roots, reaching out to touch them and test how strongly they're locked on. ]
But the question is what would be most effective...I think, if we don't want to damage anything, it might be best to simply ask.
[ The roots, he means. He figures that if they're polite about it, and just use their magic to communicate - ]
Do you mind if I give it a try?
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( watching izuku, mika follows suit and kneels down alongside him. he may not have the best balance, but the way that the roots twist themselves up around his calves — he'd have to be pretty talented at being clumsy to manage to knock himself down now. )
I don't really mind, though I gotta say, I been beggin' for 'em to let go for ages now.
( not with magic, mind you. just, you know, whining and pleading. that said, he's not one to shoot down an idea if it means that this time it might actually work. )
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[ His palms shimmer with green as they hover over the roots, Izuku's gaze focused but abstract - ]
Okay, now!
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S-sorry to bother ya, but if you'd unwrap yourself from my legs. I really need to move, see, an' I'd be sure come back to bring you lots of water to make sure ya grow big an' strong if ya do. Please let me go...!
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1a!!
fucking seriously? ]
Oi, oi! Get the fuck away from him! [ he'll push any who stand in his way, and swat away the fae flocking all over mika. it's in koga's nature, and the whole thing is too confusing to just ignore this; he knows this boy, remembers seeing him together with another of their classmates when ritsu and mao dragged most of 2-b shopping when koga had wanted to go alone to begin with. whatever happens with the people in his class is none of his business, none whatsoever, but...—— all of this is such a goddamn mess! ]
Hey, you alright?! Tch, don't tell me ya actually went and ate the food... [ has shu not taught him not to eat food offered by strangers, especially when they all got wings sprouting from their backs??? ] Don't go dyin' on me now!
!!
Die?! Nnah... I though maybe if I took just one bite, they might be satisfied with that an' leave me alone, but...
( as you can probably guess, it didn't really work out as he'd hoped. )
Ah, wait a minute. What are you doin' here anyway?
2-b 5ever!!!
[ sure, sure, it's not like 2-b is exactly the closest class in terms of classmate affinity, but what kind of person would koga be if he just left a familiar face be attacked by all those bug-people? besides, he'd only hear an annoying earful from some people if he didn't do anything about it, is all. it doesn't mean anything.
he clicks his tongue in annoyance at the way vines seem to wrap around kagehira's ankles, but ripping on them thankfully seems to prove itself a fair easier job than he had assumed - either because koga is naturally stronger than his classmate, or whatever other reason that surely has nothing to do about this place. ]
Figured a weaklin' like ya wouldn't have been able to free yourself. Now get up and get the hell outta here! This place is freakin' the hell outta me, I wanna leave already!
thats us!! now i wish i made the prompt 2b instead
Thank ya kindly. I'll definitely repay ya for this somehow, Oogami-kun.
( even if this is just a dream, and you are just a dreamed-up oogami-kun. tapping his feet on the ground lightly in turn to get some circulation back into them, mika points to indicate one of the many hallways he happened to be standing near. )
A lotta people were goin' this way, I wonder if that's the way outta here?
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[ because he couldn't care less whether this weird kid repays him or not. it's just the right thing to do. if something happened to him because koga decided to ignore mika and leave him to his devices, how would he ever manage to sleep at night? hell, even leon would be disappointed in him. ]
Hmmm? I dunno, but it's better than nothin'. You good? Can you walk? [ because yes, koga will drop you over his shoulder and carry you out of this place if it means actually getting something done, mika. he is no madara, but such a skinny boy with no muscles couldn't be heavy weight. ]
If we can't find an exit I'll force one of these annoyin' bugs to tell me where the hell it is. I ain't gonna stay in this place.
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Nnah, I wouldn't try messin' with 'em if I were you... It's them that got me stuck, ya know, they seem to be doin' all kinds of tricks an' all to people. Probably it's best to just stay away from 'em from now on, if we can.
( at the very least, this is his most preferred option. not to mention that their words made mika's head feel like it was spinning when he tried to have a conversation with them; not only changing topics, but saying things that made no sense at all to him, it was hard for him to keep up or get anything right out of these strange little creatures. based on that, mika feels he has good reason to think they'd give bad directions, and so shakes his head to dismiss the thought. )
Let's try lookin' around for a li'l while first. It can't be that hard to get outta here.
2
She's about to go on another one of her verbal rampages, frustrated she couldn't get out of it thanks to not being able to use magic without making wild gestures, but when a familiar face arrives along with a suggestion, she simmers down a bit. Juuuust a little bit.]
... Hah?
[She'll stop herself with just that to express her incredulous feelings towards his suggestion, completely omitting her usual "The fuck are you sayin'?" from it. For some reason, when it comes to Mika, she can't help but dial down her rude behavior, almost as if she can't bring herself to hurt his feelings in any way.
So, she'll humor him a little.]
Didja get stuck in somethin' like this too or some shit, Mika? Is that how you know?
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How'd ya know, Suzu-chan?
( grinning sheepishly, he offers up a nod to her surprisingly accurate guess. these fairies seem quite fond of stapling people to floors and walls and, well, just generally catching them up in inconvenient traps of all kinds around here. observing them all, there's definitely more than one way to get out of these, but mika figured he'd suggest the one that had worked for him. )
Seems kinda like they wanna see somethin' you're good at, an' you're real good at singin, so.
( free entertainment! never hurts to try. or well, maybe it could hurt, but probably not much more than just being stuck in this position to begin with. )
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[A rhetorical question, really, because she's already made the decision. She kind of doubts her preferred cacophonic and wild style would result in anything good, given the aesthetics of this place, so...]
Oi, help me out too, yeah? The flowers... or at least these philistine bug bastards might like it if we harmonize well.
[She tries to sound casual and not enthusiastic about it, awkwardly averting her gaze a bit... but she's barely containing some eagerness to the prospect of a duet with Mika. It's a bit mysterious to her, but she always got the feeling that they were on the same sort of wavelength, kind of. So it might work well if they tried to sing together.]
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( actually, the idea's kind of exciting to him, too. he's long admired suzu and her band's style, and they get along pretty well — well, they haven't practiced or any such thing like that, so they'll probably be a little off even if they do synchronize well, but in the end it's just flowers. he doubts they need some kind of artistic masterpiece just to let go. leaning forward a bit, he peers up to try and meet her eyes with that same smile still stretched across his lips. )
You got any kinda song in mind, Suzu-chan?
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[It's not like the No Fun Allowed Police in the form of that scowling flamingo-haired dude is here, anyway. And even if she was, Suzu's a rebel! Perfection is for chumps! They can let loose! ... Though she's going to do her best for Mika anyway, because for some reason she can't quite place, she doesn't want to let him down. Especially with the song she's decided to go with.
Nodding a silent tempo with her head, one, two, three... She breathes in, and:]
♪Resound and reverberate, the snowfield's lament...♪
[It's fortunate that her voice is fairly low for a girl's, making hitting that Itsuki guy's notes a little easier. And that she's collected enough Valkyrie CDs and practiced music enough to avoid butchering it.]
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2 + 3 because i can :/
he's able to hear the bushes rustle, giving sign that they're up to no good again and that these fae have a target which seems to be a young boy walking about. he seems timid, which he guesses is why they find some sort of job to pick him of all people so following the slithering vine that sneaks up behind the does ichiro jump and attack at the vine which causes a lot of noise so if mika turns around — he'll see a guy with a vine in his mouth biting down on it like some feral dog.
he spits it out though, sheepish laughter leaving from his lips. )
No need to thank me!
this is literall just 3 you egg
so all he gets from the encounter is that now he's looking right at a tall, furry man with big black ears perched atop his head, and eyes that are both red and green. well, mika still bristles a little bit, but it's hard for him to remain completely on guard against this stranger — he's only ever seen someone else with eyes like that once before, and she ended up being the kind of person mika was happy to get along with. so maybe, just maybe, he can stick around instead of awkwardly trying to excuse himself here.
not that it means his greeting's going to be the most polite, guarded as he tries to be. besides, he still doesn't completely understand what's just happened. so, standing in place and staring back at ichiro, mika tilts his head inquiringly and blinks. )
Nn, for what?
1a
...well, it's not like ritsu's the biggest fan of it either, hence why he's just been kind of sticking away from it all. he keeps watching mika for a while yet, head tilting back and forth every so often with the flick of one of his new floppy ears, before he sidles up real sneaky like behind him. there's no fun in not spooking people. ]
Havin' fun, Mikarin~? You seem pretty cozy with the [ a beat, staring at fae, trying to decide what to call them to their faces before he just continues with ] guests here... Guess they took a likin' to you. ♪
ritsu!! ritsu!!!!
( not that he's actually upset, just, you know — heart racing a mile a minute from the unexpected greeting. with one hand curled into the fabric of his shirt, holding his chest to try and calm down his overreacting heartbeat, mika sighs in relief as he recognizes the familiar face, expression turning sheepish at being so easily frightened. the fae, for their part, seem to enjoy ritsu's greeting too — bursting into laughter that has mika's ears turning red at his own reaction. )
Guess so~ Kinda wish they hadn't though, but what about you Ritsu-kun? Did they give ya those ears too?
( very fluffy looking. he almost...wants... to pet them................ almost visibly resisting the urge to reach. )
mikarin!!!
[ they're fun to play with. ...which he can tell mika wants to do, and ritsu stares at him for a moment before he pats one. ]
You can touch 'em. Once.
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...! They're so soft! ( with his fingers gently running over the fur, of course, the only thing he can think is that they really are just like real rabbit ears. he withdraws shyly after just a moment though, seeming to understand that it might get awkward if he gets too carried away. still! ) Nnah, I gotta say, they really suit ya.
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Think they'd suit you more. [ (thinking abt mikas easter card and) ] But thanks. Fufun, I'm cute and they're cute, right? Even Maakun'd have to agree. ♪
[ ♪♪♪.............. mao isn't here, or he hasn't seen him at all if he is, so that's kind of. depressing. and weird, since mao's usually in his dreams. ]
Wish I could let you try 'em on, but they're like, real and stuff. [ wiggles them for proof, ] Well... "Real" as real gets in a situation like this.
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