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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. |
kaoru hakaze. ♥ ensemble stars!. ♥ ota.
ii. WHERE IS THE LAND BEYOND THE EYE?
iii. WHERE IS THE PATH TO WONDERLAND?
iv. WILDCARD
ii
Why are there so many celebrities here. That's definitely UNDEAD's Kaoru Hakaze, approaching her, asking for a favor regarding a... col... lar...?
Uh. She's going to back away a bit, her expression a mix of both uneasiness and Judging.]
Dude. Like, I'm a fan and everythin', but... Ain't that kinda sudden? Don'cha think ya need to get to know people a bit more before pullin' somethin' like that on 'em?
[It's very clear that she's made some... assumptions... about all this.]
closes eyes
Oh, a fan? I should've known, given how cute you are.
[ UNDEAD really gets around, huh... -- they've got a fanbase even in this odd dreamscape, this space of somewhere or another. That's wild. ]
Err, no? It's totally not like that. Really. I mean... honestly, if it weren't for this totally awkward thing they latched onto me, I wouldn't waste time asking a sweet girl like you to do something so tedious. Or maybe, it's exactly because you look so sweet that I decided to ask...? ♪
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Lord, she isn't straight enough for thisEuuuugh. Even if she's aware of what this idol's archetype was, being from an all-girls' school, she isn't used to... this. And in her perspective, he's laying it on pretty thick. Rather than blush, it's quite the opposite, a bit of color leaving her face as she averts her gaze.]H-Hmph, spare your meaningless flirtations. A "mortal" like you can't sway a "Lucifer" like me with such empy flatteries. [Ugh, this so awkward that even she's having difficulty maintaining her facade.] 'sides, if you can touch it like that, can't ya just undo it yourself?
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[ He's not going to say it... that it's probably magicked onto him or whatever, but it's at least heavily implied. It's beyond strange to have something ]
Or maybe it just needs that special touch from a certain someone... ?
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Urgh... Wish you coulda phrased it less weird, but I gotcha. My magic for that kinda thing ain't that strong though, I need a conduit if it ain't about burnin' things to a crisp.
[And, she reaches out with a hand, as if going in for a shake.]
Here. Gimme your hand, Kaoru-san.
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But he gladly offers his hand, obedient as ever in front of a pretty girl. A girl who just so happens to possibly be... his only hope here. Maybe.
He's got to get this off to avoid anymore future judgment, okay? ]
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Anyway, weird as it is to hold hands with some guy she's seen often on TV and CD covers and things, there's no way around it. So, Suzu hesitates only a little bit as she takes Kaoru's hand into hers, and closes her eyes to concentrate. Eventually, she manages to channel her magical energy into Kaoru, manifesting itself into a tingling sensation that flows from his hand, up his arm, and then to his neck---That flow maintains itself as the collar around Kaoru's neck starts shaking in place, as if it's trying to undo itself.
Suzu allows this to keep up for a few minutes, before she just gives up and cuts the flow. Opening her eyes, she sighs in frustration.]
... Shit, that thing's pretty strong. I can think of one more way of makin' the current stronger, but I don't really wanna...
[That last part comes out in a childishly whiny tone. It's embarrassing, and she has some reservations of using that method for a dude she barely knows on a personal level---]
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Whoa, whoa. That feels... it's a weird feeling, like... I don't know how to describe it.
[ He's feeling gingerly around the leather collar, fingertips brushing against tiny scorched spots lined up along the inside. It's amazing if not a little scary, and there's obvious wonder plastered across his stupid, handsome face.
He's about to say something dumb again. Go figure. ]
Hmm... almost like I could feel your affection coursing through me? That's what it is, I bet. After all, they say love is another form of magic, right?
im sorry
Fan as she is, senior as Kaoru may be, Suzu's temper far triumphs any basic due respect she owes, as her patience quickly gets thinner. She scowls up at him as her grip on his hand tightens, like she's trying to crush it.]
Haaah? Quit goin' on and on about love or whatever bullshit; I ain't about that life. If ya keep that up, I'm ditchin' you for real. You want me to help ya out or not?
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iii
of course, the living-corpses that sprout from the ground are certainly not exempt from koga's general feeling towards it. it fucking sucks, and trying to find the exit but failing miserably at it only adds to his sour mood. he vents it out in a single, stronger-than-intended kick against a corpse's skull, that is sent flying until it rests next to one certain blonde bitch, bleeding out its weird white magic. ]
——?! Hakaze-senpai?! What, so you're here too, huh. The hell you doin' all clamped up to that tree, like you're some little kid who got separated from his mother? You afraid or somethin'?
[ because clearly the normal person wouldn't be terrified of this forest and winged, suddenly dead-alive corpses??? ]
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He jumps slightly at the aforementioned skull, because like, what the? Can't his underclassman read the mood a little more? It's scary out here. Stop making things scarier! ]
Seriously, could you not? This really isn't the time for you to be acting out like a brat...
[ There's a pause right after, because it's not as if he didn't pick up on Koga's throwaway comment, separated from his mother, and it bunches up something hidden and stored away in his chest for a moment. When he next manages to recover from the sickening lurch of his stomach and the ever-present feeling of loss, he places a hand on his hip... a disappointed, tired hand. This isn't much of a dream anymore. ]
I know you tend to get overexcited with so much going on, kind of like a puppy in a park, but there's some seriously wild stuff going on out here. I don't need you bringing any unwanted attention in this direction, okay~?
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[ skeleton who? that corpse was simply getting in his way, okay.
but yeah, all things considered, he did notice something is... amiss, in this place. nevermind the smell, or the way everything seems dead in this forest and trying to steal life from the ones full of it. koga isn't made of steel, despite his outward behavior, and all of this does creep him out, to some extent. he just isn't about letting it get under his skin, is all. isn't all of this just a dream? ]
So that's why ya glued to that tree, huh. Like these things are goin' to just ignore ya like that. You just look like prey for them, all scared and meek.
[ you have to fight them HEAD ON like a REAL MAN, kaoru. do we look like ra*bits to you?? ——but the earth moves again, because koga can smell it. that rotten smell of a corpse coming to the surface. ]
Oh, seems like more are comin', huh. Figures they got no intentions on makin' this easy. Maybe I should just leave ya there so ya can grow some bones. [ and again, this is just a dream. not like anything would happen to the real kaoru hakaze, right? ] Meanwhile I'll be findin' the exit outta this place, damn thing smells so bad it's makin' me sick.
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[ His underclassman may be one of the biggest brats he's ever met, but he isn't that heartless, right?
Because he can smell it too, the way the earth sways all rough and full with its decay, like its shaking out its impurities and letting them loose unto the forest. There's no way he wants to be left alone in the middle of such a horrific scenario, sickness or no, and so he hops awkwardly away from damp shade and bark and over to Koga's side...
Even if he doesn't look as determined to face his fears or anything, like... they may be UNDEAD, but that doesn't mean they have to take on the real thing? He's just the awkward sidekick in a horror movie now, okay. And hopefully not the one who takes a wrong turn and dies first. ]
What's got you so pumped to take out these things, anyway? Trying to prove yourself to a bunch of corpses? C'mon, Doggie, there's way better ways to show off your manly side or whatever. Like protecting me on the way out of here?
[ Gerogero, yadda yadda. ]
iii undead party with the dead
( the voice comes not from beside or even behind kaoru, but above— in the tree against which kaoru is leaning, there appears to be rei hanging with his arms loosely folded on one of the thicker branches above, the rest of him obscured by darkness and leaves. he seems, for some reason, right at home.
the sound that had startled kaoru to begin with, though, had come from somewhere behind kaoru, strangely enough. )
Are you all right? You seem a little pale.
( he says, as if this were all the most natural thing in the world— this conversation; this choice of location; that one of them is in a tree and one of them is a little faint beside it.
(it isn't natural, of course. for all the time rei's spent in graveyards to be accustomed to this gloomy monochrome, the faint chill in the air and shrill screams in the air from skittish little fauna are simply symptoms there's plenty terribly wrong here, and that isn't even beginning to address the more literal undead lurking about.
he's only grateful—or, perhaps, regretful—that the familiar scent he'd tasted had indeed been kaoru's. he'd followed the shape of its owner from afar, but he hadn't been entirely sure of who it was until just now, when kaoru finally erred too close.) )
why are you two so weird
It's more than just a little haunting to see red glowing down at him from above, at least when his feet are still a bit uneven and shaky within the soaked guts of the earth below. Still, the reveal sparks obvious alarm in his expression, if only for a moment, and it's enough to make him separate himself from the damp touch of bark.
Seriously, if anyone else were in his place, they'd be really creeped out.
He recovers quickly enough, because at least this someone is reliable, a face and a name that seem to speak of protection whenever they're close. Not that there's anything he can do to stop the stench of the dead, rotting and ever present or anything of the sort, but it's the thought that counts, right? Even the slightest gust of air carries terrible things with it, and he's just... going to do his best to contain his disgust visibly. Nothing's going to stop him from complaining, though. ]
Uh, not really... even if I'm usually not the one crumpled over and begging for help...
[ It's difficult to explain why... -- but. ]
This place is totally rancid and it's throwing me off. Can't you smell that? I can't be the only one... -- and yet people just keep on running even further into the unknown like nothing's wrong.
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( tumbling into the vast unknown, uncertain of tomorrow . . . well, symbolic talk aside, he does know what kaoru means. he can't explain how he knows the scent so intimately, or how it seems to rot in his mouth when he swallows the air, but he understands. it's something too strong and too articulate to be native to his normal set of senses. it's unnerving to know the stench of rot so well. )
But you're right, hence my choice of location. The scent is . . . stronger still, but weaker higher up. It's safer, here, too, from the things prowling the dark. I recommend you take to a branch as well.
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[ But he's listening to the actual advice ( thanks ), because if there's a way to dampen the sick, intoxicating scent of murder and death that lingers all around, then he's going to chance it.
Luckily it's not that tricky of a tree to scale, even for someone who's never that keen on exerting himself, but on the way up and after swinging himself awkwardly over and onto an exposed perch that hopefully isn't as dead as it looks, he notices a pretty nasty nick on his hand. ]
Ah~, lucky me.
[ He holds it up awkwardly, dirty and bleeding, and his heart beats heavy and nervous at how strong that smell is too, because it isn't right... and yet it's encompassing everything that was bothering him just moments ago. ]
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it's when his lips part slightly, intent on making some remark based on his best guess as to what kaoru meant to show him that the scent hits him, curdling at the back of his throat. the smell of blood, unmistakable and uncomfortably nostalgic of home, the scent so strangely vivid against the decaying death around them.
for a flicker of a moment, his eyes had gone wide in uncharacteristic surprise— but he's quick to recover. he just doesn't like how the scent sits on his tongue, unrelenting. )
... Shouldn't you know better than to show an open wound to a vampire? Really, now, Kaoru-kun. ( he reaches for his tie, tugging it loose. ) It'll be infected quick enough in a place like this. Let me see it.
( he intends to wrap it up, to stop off the scent of it and brush it from his mind. it isn't the scent of blood that attracts him, but the open flesh. he doesn't ... understand that, exactly, in words, and he doesn't want to; better do away with it entirely. the concern it might get infected, at least, is real, though it's usually not such a pressing one that he'd sacrifice a tie over it. )
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Fear isn't one of those things. It needs no uttering in order to slide itself neatly underneath a door, to coil around you and consume the lingering traces of your footsteps.
... so when Kaoru realizes he's been holding his breath for what feels like days when it's only been a minute or two, where the soft rise and fall of his chest combined with the murmur of advice are the only things that seem to snap him out of a momentary trance, it's only natural for fear to make itself comfortable. Right. He starts focusing, coming back to the situation and his hand and away from the entrancing smell of iron that's slowly dripping its way towards his wrist.
Something's off. Seriously off.
But it's not like he'll ever admit it. Not now, at least. If he pays too much attention to it or lets that something become noticeable, it's only going to cause more trouble in the long run. ]
Hahah... very funny. You're dedicated to the whole vampire shtick even now? Ah... but, thanks.
[ It's easy to keep his voice steady and like him since he's grateful for the care. If this wasn't some totally wild, far-out scenario he might be more inclined to say like, 'ew, I'd rather have a girl take care of this', but. He's holding out the injured hand expectantly instead. No way it's going to get infected or anything though... right? ]
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ah, what a puzzle kaoru always was; in need of comfort, but reluctant to let himself be comforted in any conventional way. (distractions might be nice, but covering your eyes when you hide doesn't make the oni any less quicker to find you.) it feels at times he's especially averse to rei in particular landing him a shoulder, so rei would rather treasure kaoru's temporary— or, better yet, he would rather they be in a better situation where he has the luxury of enjoying this.
now that he's received permission, he tugs off his tie and, with careful diligence, begins to wrap it around the offered hand, though he's squinting a little, like he does when he's in need of some glasses to steal, as he manages it. )
When among the unfamiliar, it's simply nature to hold on to that which we know.
( oh... that wasn't bad... he feels so wisenéd and pithy... just put him in a quote book and give him royalties. anyway, he finishes tying kaoru up, and seems pleased with his work. it's quite good for someone not only farsighted, but who's apparently having an especially bad fit of it now, he thinks. )
Still . . . eventually we'll need to go. Familiar with graveyards as I am, this parlour is not a place I think would be best to linger long in.
( and then, like a drunk errant, the earth below them swerves sideways and vacillates a different direction, trembling wild as the dead leaves stumble from the tree around them—
but it isn't the earth that's shaking; only the body of the tree. as the shaking calms, there's the yowl of wood cracking, fault lines running from their branch to the trunk to where some great black beast has dug it's claws into it, its mouth yawning in corpse-like confusion. its head swivels with a sickening cracking of bones as it seems to be looking for a particular target—
and both kaoru and rei are above its vantage point on their branch, and it seems it hasn't noticed them— not yet. )
iii...
What are you so sorry about? [ miffed as ever, but he's still going to extend a free hand out to his classmate. ] Here, hold on to me. We're getting out of here.
[ let him just... cast a protection spell over them with a wave of his finger. god, is this what those weirdos at Switch feel like every damn day? this really isn't izumi's style, but if it's to protect his comrades... ]
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[ Normally this is the time to be all ew, gross, cooties or whatever, but the encroaching darkness and rot seem way more pressing of an issue right now. It's a shame that he's so visibly weak to their surroundings, but something about this situation seems a little familiar despite it all -- his weakness and Izumi's strength in the face of a frustrating situation, that is.
Being shook up to the point of needing to be cared for is a little dispiriting, if not just as familiar, but Kaoru's not going to let a little immaturity be the cause of injury for either of them. He stares back at that hand with only a moment's pause before he takes it eagerly, fingertips fitting so neatly together that it's almost like his hand was meant to be there and had never left.
He braces himself for any push or any pull, the color in his face slightly drained from how sick the heavy, lingering scent of death is making him feel. It sits in the pit of one's throat, and he has to wait a bit before it's safe to say anything more. ]
Like a knight in shining armor, almost...
[ Haha. Only without the armor. ]
i
But a familiar face in distress catches his attention - and he double takes, blinking when he realizes who it is. Undead of course is infamous at Yumenosaki, but he also recognizes him as one of his own senpai's classmates and friends. (at least he thinks they're friends) (Morisawa-senpai and Shinkai-senpai both seem to like him, anyways, so they must be)
He slowly gets up from his seat, brushing the cape of his repayment outfit out of his way and ducking his head a little. ] Mm... can I borrow you for a minute, senpai?
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But right now his lips form a thin line. He needs him? For? Can't he see that Kaoru's busy trying to figure out why his senses are going haywire?
It's not like he wants to get on his bad side or anything, though -- like, just in case this pastel dreamscape conjures up Kanata-kun next or something, and so he pats the seat next to him after giving a friendly, reluctant little wave. ]
It was, uh... Murasaki-kun, right? I don't mind, long as it's nothing too strenuous.