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TDM: MARCH
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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 character, put one in! This time around, reserves will expire after the first 48 hours of applications being opened. Those first 48 hours will be open to those who have reserves only, so we recommend placing one. It will not guarantee you a spot, but it will guarantee you can post your app immediately when they open.With that taken care of...
• Applications Open The 24th! There will be a cap of 30 applications accepted this round, and apps will close whenever we've reached that cap. If there are slots left after the reserves-only period, apps will open to those without reserves. 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 Underground
Take a moment. Let your eyes adjust to the dark, your ears to echoing silence, but for the steady drip of condensation down the stone walls that surround you. The tunnels down here are wide, the ceilings high, but they are dim, devoid of sunlight and breeze. The only light, in fact, comes from the shards of softly-glowing shards of quartz lining the ground and the bio-luminescent algae that smears the stone in long, blue veins, pulsing gently, pushing breathable air into the otherwise-stale passageways. The air is damp, but the temperature is moderate - almost comfortable. The tunnels fork off and meander from where you are, some narrowing and some widening, but none seem to lead you to the surface, no matter how long you wander. Is it a trick of the light, that the algae glows a little brighter, pulses a little quicker, when you head in a particular direction? It's hard to sort your senses so deep underground, far from the world above where things make sense. Hopefully you've found a friend by now.
 The Crystal Cavern Many of the tunnels, both wide and narrow, lead to the same place: a massive chamber hewn out of the stone by time, and the drip-drip of water from the ceiling into the central lake. Perhaps you came out toward the bottom, and the ceiling is a thousand feet above you, or maybe you came out toward the top, and the lake is a thousand feet below. There are a hundred or more holes in the sloping stone walls that lead to more tunnels, and something like natural steps down from most of them. In a way, it resembles a beehive, this room acting as a central hub of sorts. This is also the first place you find signs of life. Short, tough little tufts of grass growing from the thin soil, bone white in color, having long abandoned photosynthesis and chlorophyll. More of the glowing algae. Small, skittering insects - beetles, grubs and worms. The occasional albino rat, much larger and louder than rats have any right to be. Ruffled and capped fungi growing on the wet rock like parasites, some as large as a grown man. Blind, slimy cave fish wriggling around in the still waters of the lake. And milling around the great stone cavern, slurping up the glowing algae that covers the rocks and grows in lacy sheets across the water, are dozens of great beasts, bigger than horses. Shaped like worms, but with dozens and dozens of stubby, fleshy legs, these creatures are huge, with velvety, multi-colored hides, and though their antennae wave in curiosity when approached, they don't seem aggressive. At least, as long as you avoid the big silk-wrapped bundles stuck to the walls and ground all over the cavern. These are their egg sacs, and if their young are threatened, they'll quickly shoot jets of viscous slime, a quick drying adhesive, that can slow and trap even the strongest adult. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, you better hope someone can wrench you loose - the worms seem content to eat algae, until they've caught prey. Each worm has a long, hooked, chitinous blade concealed within its fleshy jaws to tear and shred, and a nightmarish round mouth full of multiple rows of teeth. Navigate carefully. There at the bottom of the lake, where it feeds into an underground stream that leads down another wide tunnel, there are a few small rowboats, some missing oars, certainly not enough for everyone. You'll have to share if you want to get out of here. Or you can keep hanging out with the giant wormipedes. |
 The Procession As you proceed down the stream by boat, the lighting grows just a little brighter, seeming a little more purposeful in how the glowing algae is planted, how the softly glowing crystals are placed. You start seeing a new type of moss, greyish-green and growing in ragged sheets from the ceiling of the tunnel. Watch your head - it's near impossible to cut through this stuff should you get tangled. For a while, you only hear the soft splashing of the gentle stream, but then... there is a flash of torch light, up ahead. The boat ahead is longer than the one you use, better kept, and full of people - three Monsters, all whose forms are based on creatures that thrive underground, in pieces of armor, holding spears, and one very elderly Witch woman, seated in the middle, wrinkled hands folded primly in her lap. Her milky gaze stares straight ahead, with something soft and proud in the set of her face. One of the Monsters holds the torch, the other rows the boat, and the third settles down next to her; they speak in hushed voices, with little smiles. After a while, the rowing Monster slows the boat, before they can bump into a thick, heavy, impenetrable curtain of grayish-green moss that stretches across the whole tunnel, blocking the way, like a gate. The other two help the woman to her feet, and guide her toward the front of the boat - and the curtain of moss. She reaches out for it blindly, and they help her step onto the edge. There is something almost ritual or reverent about the movements, the way they regard the Witch as she touches the curtain of moss... and is wrapped into it quickly, swallowed up, absorbed. After twenty minutes of gentle pulsing, the lump that used to be the Witch is no more, and the whole of the moss pulses with light and magic. The Monsters watch this whole process vigilantly, and once the lights die down, they continue on. The moss parts to allow the boat through, brushing against the Monsters but not swallowing them. The procession happens a few more times, in separate boats, with separate victims - but all are very, very elderly, and seem proud, even happy to meet their fates. Trying to follow them further after the ritual will have the same thing happen for your boat - the moss will part, and brush over those in the boat without causing harm. If you happen to be infected with the Cwyld, however... you might meet the same fate as the old woman, with the moss reaching and grabbing for you. The procession can be stopped, but drawing attention will draw the ire of the Monster guards, and, strangely, the victims themselves, who will fly into a distressed rage at the interruption. |
 The Marketplace Beyond the veil of moss lies... civilization? The cavern is enormous, big enough to contain a city at least as big as Aefenglom, if not larger, though the population at a glance seems to be much smaller. Twenty thousand people, perhaps, give or take. Buildings have been carved out of huge stone spires, or formed by draping cloth around and between the natural stalactites and stalagmites. Monsters tend to be quite tall or bulky, possessing obvious physical strength, while Witches and humans tend to be shorter than in Aefenglom. They all mingle on the streets together, with no immediately obvious class difference. Since there is no weather to dress for, some don't bother to dress at all, though humans at least tend to wear flowy silks or simple clothes made from wormipede hides. The streets are wide and the buildings far-spaced, and many get around on the backs of those worm creatures, having made them saddles and reins. The stream ends in a lake right next to a marketplace, with many small boats docked on its pebbled shores. The stalls sell all kinds of goods: clothing made from fine silk and worm hide or rat fur, skewered meat (It's bug.), weapons, armor, jewelry made from chunks of beautiful stone. Your arrival is bound to cause a stir though, so keep your head down, and maybe it's time to snatch a disguise from one of the clothing stalls. Monster guards, occasionally flanked by Witches, patrol the streets and keep the peace, and stopping to talk to anyone will make one thing clear: they are not at all used to outsiders. They won't believe a word you say about being from above ground, and they've never heard of your world or Aefenglom. You're nomads from the tunnels, right? Of course, don't be ridiculous, you can't fool them with tall tales! At least they're usually willing to talk - briefly, of course, everyone is very busy down here, it's morning and many will be heading to tend to the herd soon. Those who are subtle and pointed in their questions can learn a lot about the vast but also small civilization below the surface of the world. Strength is valued here - the stronger the Monster or more powerful the Witch, the higher their rank in society, and the closer they live to the center, largest spires of stone. Monster-Witch Bonded pairs are the be-all-end-all, and often wear matching wrist-guards or pendants proudly. Pretending to be Bonded to another will put many of the natives at ease, though Monster-Monster pairs get snide comments about how you have to team up to find a good Witch, and Witch-Witch pairs will get odd looks and assume you both have a very strong Monster partner somewhere. It must be quite rare for Witches to go un-bonded here, and any who pass through without an obvious partner may be propositioned by young Monsters showing off their various talents. Unbonded Monsters may be nudged in the direction of any strange, unbonded Witches - usually fellow Mirrorbound - in a poor attempt at matchmaking. Those poor unbonded Witches need protection, right? Or so the locals think. It's too bad trying to go any farther than the Marketplace will get you stopped by guards and turned back, however. They don't allow nomads into the inner city. |
lio fotia | promare | harpy
( perhaps your eyes are somewhere else, but your ears may not be--- the unmistakable sound of something whistling through air at a great velocity might be something that draws your attention upward. something is diving toward you, blonde hair and a determined set of eyes honed in on your position, and it doesn't look like it's about to stop. a flash of blonde feathers and what looks like wicked talons ready to snatch and tear into whatever it may touch.
but instead...
he, more or less, is able to slow himself down by extending those wings of his by holding his arms out. angling himself slightly, he aims toward one of those albino rats that stand out more than his initial target. with ease he lands on top of it, though with a slower descent he more or less ends up knocking it into the lake.
it skips. once, twice, three times, and then collides into a fish.
after watching his handiwork, the harpy turns to look at you coolly. )
Sorry. I've been testing out my capabilities. I hope I didn't scare you.
ii - marketplace
( he's too polite to dissuade one of these native witches from taking him by the arm (wing?) and dragging him toward someone--- anyone, really--- another mirrorbound. it's somewhat easy given that his bones are a lot lighter than they were before, but also he isn't going to try to pull away from charity. it also doesn't help that lio is somewhat smaller in physique anyway, though it should be very clear through grit teeth and narrowed eyes that he is quite upsetti about this situation.
still...
he has to be pushed into a stranger who may not know him. again, it doesn't matter if it's another monster or a witch, because the first thing that comes out of his mouth is: )
I don't believe them, the whole bonding thing. I don't really need a partner here.
( at least, he prefers a very Specific Kind of person to be with. )
But they say I need protection. Do I really look like I need it?
iii - wildcard
( have something for lio? he'll be fluttering around the cave, practicing his flying and gliding, as well as wandering around the marketplace in search for things that are his style (read: leather that isn't from a bug) )
ii
[ she actually seems to give his question some considerable thought. does he look like he needs protection? well, he does look a little tiny, but also slightly intimidating with how he stands and carries himself. she scratches her chin for a moment before she suddenly grins, hands on her waist. ]
I don't know!
[ that doesn't answer the question....but okay......... ]
What I do know, though, is that they might not leave you alone if you don't bond with someone. You really wanna deal with that?
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... are you offering? ( a beat, and then: ) We can at least give off the appearance of being bonded.
( he doesn't know her. he's not going to put himself in a vulnerable position, at least not until he's familiar with her. )
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[ i mean, she could have just said that outright but it's a good thing lio's smart. she's kind of iffy about actually bonding with people, too, so pretending's more than okay with her. sylvia flashes him a grin, rabbit ears perks up excitedly. (she's not one to talk about being tiny, because she's pretty tiny herself.) ]
I'm Sylvia, by the way. What's your name? We should get that out of the way before we start faking it, right?
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I'm Lio. ( he extends one wing, though he regrets it as soon as he does. without a true hand, it's a little awkward. ) We might get some odd looks, but... it's best to pretend for now until we can get something that will allow us some relief from prying eyes.
( those rabbit ears... expressive, aren't they? )
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Nice to meet you! [ she extends her hand -- claws, rather -- and carefully shakes his...wing. it's fine, she'll make it work! ]
Yeah, yeah, you're right! I'd rather get strange looks than people bothering me about Bonds left and right. I guess a Monster-Monster Bond is kinda weird to them, but eh, who cares? [ her ears relax a little as she folds her arms across her chest. ]
I like your wings, by the way!
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Nice to meet you too. ( she's polite. he can appreciate that, versus some of the more jarring personalities he's had to deal/work with. ) And you're not wrong, they seem fixated on that kind of relationship. It must provide them more than just comfort in that regard.
( because there's no way you have to like the person you're bonded with, right? )
And I like your ears. Perhaps we will get less stares because of our unique features? Though we do seem to be smaller than the average monster here.
( feels bad, man. )
Hopefully we don't get stepped on.
ii
At the remark on bonds, Momo gives an apologetic sort of grin.] It depends how long you're here, really. If this is just a dream for you, it won't become enough of a problem for you to need a bond.
[That said, he has noticed the people heckling about it, and Lio is a monster...] ...If we fake that we're bonded, we'll have less people trying to literally shove us into one, though. If you want to avoid dealing with more of that.
[It's a casual, cheerful sort of offer, Momo not seeming too fussed himself either way.]
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with a shrug, lio covers the lower half of his face with a wing, peering at momo from behind it. )
If that's what it'll take to get them to give me some quiet...
( both of his eyebrows raise. )
... we'll need to find matching accessories. Shall we go together?
( hand in hand, hand in wing, something in something... )
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Sure, let's see what we can find. Though I don't know what currency they use here, so I might have to trade for it.
[He can probably come up with something suitably interesting out of his pockets, if these people don't have any idea about what's going on up on the surface. Maybe he can give them some food or something, since that and nailpolish is what he tends to have in his pockets most often other than a weapon.]
Oh, and before we get caught out for not knowing each other's names - I'm Momo. Nice to meet you.
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Momo. ( okay. weird name. ) I'm Lio. ( something about how their names end with -o that makes him snort lightly. ) I'm sure we can figure out a way to trade... perhaps they will be okay with a few of my feathers.
( they do look precious, almost like gold? a blonde with a faint green tint that shimmers. )
I'm guessing you're some kind of witch, unless you're hiding something that I can't see.
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The feathers are a good point, though - it might make for a more enticing trade considering their magical value even beyond the pretty factor. Lio catches him out pretty early on with what half of the population he is here, though, and he nods to the guess, with no reason to hide what he is.]
Yeah, I'm a witch rather than a monster. Which means I can tell you that the feathers should be a good trade, I think some witches use them for spellwork. So you've got more than just the pretty factor going for them - just make sure you pick ones that are already shedding out and don't hurt yourself, okay?
[He doesn't want Lio to have to actually pull out any seated feathers for their ruse to work, but hopefully harpies molt enough that it's less of an issue.]
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knowledge is power, too. )
For spells? ( guess he'll have to make sure he's not stripped bald (naked???) of feathers. ) Can't say I know much about feathers in the first place. Think you can show me which ones are safe to take out?
( it doesn't think about how personal this act might seem, but hey. momo probably wouldn't shy away from it? )
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As it is, while he's no bird expert, he does love animals and has encountered a few birds in his variety and comedy show shenanigans, so he at least knows what he should be looking for.]
I should be able to, but I'll probably have to touch them - if a feather is moulting, it should just fall out with a little coaxing. Do you mind that? If you don't know much about feathers, it might end up hurting more to do it yourself.
[Momo is indeed fine with touching people since he's very tactile in general, but he's met some very reserved types here. So while he's used to having free reign at home off the back of senpai rights in his industry, he does try to ask here if people are okay with it.]
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these feathers are much softer. less substantial? more like down than the ones that make up his wings. )
Maybe these will do better? ( what does he know! ) Or does wherever the feather comes from mean more...
( he hasn't really explored all of himself yet. )
... I trust you'll make the right choice.
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i
His eyes snap up, before his body freezes in some instinctive bout of panic. He watches Lio toss the rat into the fish (an odd string of events to be sure), before finally finding his voice again after a few awkward moments pass. ]
U-Uhm. [ he clears his throat and tries again ] Only mildly...
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they're cute.
it's only now that he realizes his heart is pounding and he can hear the blood pumping in his ears. that cold, steely-eyed expression melts into a smirk and a glint of adrenaline. )
I figured the easiest way to get an idea of where to go was fly. What else are wings made for?
( and then even that borderline predatory grin turns warm, cognizant of having someone to finally talk to. )
Never mind that. Do you know where we are?
i
You're fortunate that I was not more startled. I'd hate to have put a bullet in someone so young.
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Lucky for me. ( but then lio's attention goes straight for those feathers. ) Are those your own? Or did others like me meet your bullets before I did?
( how unfortunate lio would be if his first encounter with someone in his dream wanted him for decorative purposes. )
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Aye, they are. I'm not unlike you, child. Though I've not been keen on indulging my instincts, as you have.
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( he glares at her warily, wondering what she means. truth be told, testing the limits of his dream (and his imagination) was his original goal... but he probably could've done it in a more conservative and less dangerous way. )
I won't know my limits if I play it safe.
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Your youth is speaking for you, it seems. I assure you, you will not have a lack of danger to seek out in this world, if that's your aim. But I do hope you'll be at least a little more cautious.
You're also too young to be dying, after all.
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but it... wears on him. there's something to it that makes him itch. )
Too young to die? ( looking away first, lio shakes his head. ) No such thing, but I'm not planning on dying any time soon.
( even if he was close. but her concern begs the question: )
Why are you looking out for me...?
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But his question... Well. ]
An old habit of mine. You should listen to your elders. [ Another chuckle, but this time it seemed to... lack any real mirth. ]
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I don't need to listen to anyone to walk the right path.
( or fly it, as it were. with a quick shake of his head, he re-establishes his glare. )
Especially because I don't know who you are, or why you're here.
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