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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. |
a taste of faeryland
Interestingly, the fae themselves seem to have no care for whatever lies beyond in those hallways ("private quarters," he'd been told as well, upon a brief inquiry), which makes it seem all the more strange that it would be kept so guarded.
The self-proclaimed princess doesn't have any more luck than the rest of them, though her annoyance is more palpable than most. When Akira approaches, it's with hands in his pockets and a hint of a commiserative smile. ]
It was a good try. Pretty convincing. [ Just not to that one guard, apparently. ]
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It does not appear they hold much regard for titles from realms beyond their own, unfortunately. But... thank you. My pride appreciates it.
[She's... not quite copping to all of it being an act...]
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I'm not sure they hold much regard for any of us. [ For as much as all of the non-fae are welcomed as guests, it's hard to tell why, exactly, they're here. No one he's spoken to or overheard seems to know for sure, aside from the basic information surrounding some meeting between Courts and a Queen, and just as often as he's seen guests being pranked and cursed by the winged creatures.
But his eyes are sliding back to the guard nearby. ] It probably wouldn't be too hard to sneak by.
suddenly this is all i never knew i needed
... But it's an intriguing proposal, certainly; one that speaks to both her desire to find out what is truly going on here as well as her frustration with the general attitude of the fae attendants of this banquet. Can she trust it, however? It's quite a lot to ask of a stranger, when she has little clue as to what the consequences would be if they were caught.
She lowers her voice when she asks:] Do you have a plan?
what an unlikely pair of troublemakers *~*
[ It's usually his teammates who come up with the plans; Akira just helps execute them. But he's been through enough of them that he may be able to swing something with the help of his new possible-partner-in-crime. Slipping past one guard is the most basic of basic, after all.
Despite his answer, he appears to be considering the options, fingers coming up to worry at a lock of hair as he glances here and there. Asking a non-guard fae for help is unlikely to yield any results. There's always bullshitting their way through with some false reason, but considering how the guard didn't bat an eye at her previous claim, Akira doubts that would work. A good, old fashioned distraction might do the trick. His mind slips back to his acquaintance from the dining table earlier who seemed to come into some kind of magical aptitude in this place—that sure would be useful right about now, but Akira hasn't seem him since.
His eyes slide back over to the woman before him. If only... ]
... You wouldn't happen to be able to do magic, would you?
she's already got a mask and a ninja alter ego i'm just sayin
It... does not take the form I am accustomed to-- [A fact that deeply unsettles her, truthfully, but she presses on regardless] --but yes, I do possess a certain amount of magical ability.
[Whether or not it will be useful depends on what kind of ideas he has. He seems to be putting a bit more thought into their situation and surroundings that she doesn't believe the next words out of his mouth are going to be to brute force an entry with magical power, but there's only one way to be certain that they won't.]
I would rather avoid hurting anyone, directly or indirectly, however. As frustrating as our "hosts" are with their guests, I would not wish to see how they treat those they consider their enemies.
[she just got out of being on the run from a magic monarch-type entity okay she doesn't want to go back--]
phantom thieves smash edition!!!
His thoughts are interrupted as she continues. Glancing over, he offers something like a reassuring half-smile. ] Nothing like that, don't worry.
[ As curious as he is about what lies in those hallways, and as little as he trusts the fae surrounding them, it doesn't seem like enough to resort to violence. They're not exactly being threatened here—and yeah, he doesn't really want to cause a ruckus that could potentially land them in hot water. ]
I was just thinking a distraction would work. Something harmless. [ They only need a guard to look away for a moment. ] If you could make some kind of light or noise...
p l e a s e (i never saw it coming)
A distraction, hm...
[A light show would typically be child's play for her, but as things are now she's less certain as to the extent of her abilities. It's has to be something simple, but also not something that could be waved off as another prank. Something the stoic guards would actually care enough about to investigate...
Setting the floral canopy on fire a little crosses her mind, but that would probably run up against the "harmless" stipulation of their plan. Better not risk having the whole thing come down accidentally.]
What about the lights on the table? [She asks with a small gesture to the shimmering orbs running down the banquet table at even intervals.] I could attempt to break one or two... perhaps they would take offense to their decorations being disturbed?
[And there is a not insignificant amount of intoxicated seeming fae that the finger could be pointed at if things go south...]
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Akira nods his approval of the suggestion. ] That might be enough.
[ And, well, there's only one way to find out for sure. ]
Do you know how close you have to be to do it?
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[If she can do it but only if she's right next to the thing, that doesn't really help them, does it. She spares another glance around the hall before waving for Akira to follow her towards a section of wall relatively close to one of the guarded doorways. Perhaps it's a little risky trying this near a guard, but hey, if it works, then they can slip right in.]
Shield me from view as best as you can, and I shall see what I can do.
[She's short and waif-y, that should be pretty easy, right?]
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Got it. [ He's not exactly bulky, but he is taller than her. Akira hopefully does a decent job of blocking the guard's sightline as he casually shifts into it, sliding his hands into his pockets as he look towards the dining table. ]
Do your worst, Your Highness.
no subject
... A boy she doesn't know the name of, she realizes. But it's a bit late for proper introductions at this point, isn't it.
She shoves those thoughts aside and refocuses on the task at hand. It's... difficult, to be certain of what she needs to do to give this new magic she possesses form, and a few moments pass where nothing happens save an increasing amount of frustration appearing on the princess' face. If she could just blast it, that would be one thing; if she could gesture more freely, that would be one thing. But she doesn't want to accidentally end up doing anything that might draw attention back to them...]
F... Forgive me. This magic does not follow the rules I am accustomed to--
[A little stage fright isn't going to stop her from trying again though...! She'll get it eventually, just give her a second!]
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It's fine. Nobody's noticed. [ Finding the frustration on her features, he offers some encouragement: ] Take your time, don't get into your own head.
[ Akira really isn't sure how the magic here works, but this much he's certain of. Overthinking and stressing rarely lead to a good outcome. ]
no subject
[Zelda exhales, a cleansing sort of breath. She can't deny the wisdom in Akira's advice, even if it something she's not necessarily very good at following in practice. Calm down, breathe, don't imagine into existence more pressure than there really is. This boy seems like a patient sort, if it should turn out that she really can't do this after all.
After spending a few more seconds to clear her head, she turns her attention back to the orb. So if the most straightforward options won't work, what will? What can cause something to appear to break all on it's own? Of all the things, it's the clinking of bubbly champagne flutes that gives her inspiration.
She concentrates, drawing circles in the air with her finger. And gradually as she does, Akira's odd ears might be able to pick up a new and strange ringing noise, like someone running their finger over the edge of a wine glass. The sound increases in pitch and volume, and the orb seems to vibrate slightly with energy-- until finally it shatters, bursting into millions of little sparkles of glittering light. Zelda gasps, a hand lifting to cover her mouth as she does.]
It worked...!
[And no one is more surprised by that fact than Zelda herself, but hopefully it's startled a few others...?]
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More importantly, it causes a small-scale ruckus. The sound she was generating was starting to irritate a few of the fae closest to the orb; when it suddenly explodes, there are surprised yelps and the buzzing of wings as they move away from the table.
Akira shifts enough to catch the guard in his peripheral. He hesitates, seemingly unsure about leaving his post, before moving towards the table.
And that's their cue to scoot.
He doesn't need to say anything, only shoot a look towards his partner-in-crime before taking a quick but casual steps towards the abandoned entrance to the hallway. ]
sorry for lateness! rl knocked me out for a bit
She's not so unaware that she doesn't catch Akira's glance in her direction, however. As he steps towards the hallway, she quickly trots along afterwards, sparing one last look back towards the mild chaos at the table as they disappear into the corridor. Fingers are being aggressively pointed this way and that, so it seems like they've escaped suspicion for now.]
That was... certainly simpler than I imagined it would be. [She admits once they're safely out of sight, sparing a glance down to the hand she cast the spell with as she does. A statement that applies both to the use of her magic and the level of distraction needed to slip past the guard. There might be a reason for the latter, but admittedly, she finds herself thinking a lot more about the former at the moment.]
that's perfectly okay!
Nice work. [ He turns from peering back towards the arched entrance of the hallway, ensuring that they're truly out of the proverbial woods, and gives her a smile. ] That was clever.
[ It occurs to Akira then that they seem to have skipped the part where they actually introduce themselves and jumped straight into engaging in risky behavior together. While he definitely doesn't mind the latter part, it's sort of poor manners on his part. ]
Ah… I should've said before. I'm Akira.
thank!
She's presented herself as a fairly stoic, calculating woman throughout this whole affair, but that actually gets a little hum of laughter out of her, accompanied by a small, wry smile of her own.]
Zelda. [For once not bothering with the title; he's already heard it, after all.] It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Akira. I must thank you for your grounding words there.
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Nice to meet you. [ As for her gratitude, he shrugs a good-natured shoulder. That's a hand he's used to offering and seemed like about the only one he could in the moment. ] And no problem.
[ But now that they're here... He turns his attention to the rest of the hallway, which almost seems to continue indefinitely, the walls dotted with identical doors as they stretch on ahead. ]
Why don't we check this out now?