Test Drive Meme #2: Fallow

[royaldecreemods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the Royal Decree Test Drive Meme!

If you're new here – hi, hello, welcome! This is your chance to give your potential character a little test run and see how they might fit into the world of Rosavelle. You can find all the relevant info over on our Navigation Page, so take a peek if you need to get caught up on the setting, rules, or just want to gnaw on the worldbuilding a bit.

This TDM is non-canon to the game overall, but feel free to treat individual threads or CR as canon between characters if everyone involved agrees. We've included some prompts and locations below to help spark ideas, but as always, feel free to go off-script and go ham!

---

When Fallow fully arrives, the blustery winds and swirling snow of Wilting seem to hush all at once and what remains is a serene, crystalline stillness. Every non-evergreen plant has tucked itself into a deep slumber, conserving strength for the next season and waiting patiently for their time to bloom again. This deep into the cold season, snow rarely falls but frost paints everything it can touch, freezing the grounds and making the canals slow with thick ice. The wind coming in from the Azurite Sea is sharp enough to sting and on some mornings even the bravest islanders hesitate at their doorways before stepping out.

As the weeks move on though, Fallow begins to soften. The cold eases bit by bit, the ice loosens its grip, the first hints of green begin to peek through the frost. Budding isn't far behind, and you can feel it stirring.

By now you've likely found your footing in the ebb and flow of island life, and you know how things go around here: when someone needs a little warmth, a little effort, or a little magic, the people of Rosavelle come together - and that includes you!

PROMPTS

Frost Crab Caper

The fishermen of Maerlys bring troubling news: frost crabs - normally dormant until the heart of Fallow - have started scuttling unexpectedly across the wharf a good few weeks earlier than expected. They're harmless (except for when they get mad enough to pinch you) but extremely mischievous and have begun stealing shiny objects: rings, hairpins, lanterns, and occasionally whole baskets of fruit. A daytime crew have assembled to return all the stolen objects back to their owners while a late-night round-up party has formed, complete with lanterns, nets, and bribery snacks - you're welcome to join either one! Try to lure the crabs back toward their proper nesting grounds, retrieve pilfered trinkets or just end up leading a parade of clicking claws down the dock. At least you'll be able to break the ice with one of your fellow volunteers… hopefully?

A Steamy Situation

The Marelys springs have undergone an odd change - the steam has begun shifting hues when the light hits it and there are iridescent petals floating on the surface that definitely weren't there yesterday. According to locals, this is their usual seasonal shift that happens around Fallow and despite the effects, it's nothing to be worried about. What are the effects, you ask? Well, it seems like anyone bathing in the spring (or just hanging out close enough) when the steam changes colours gets hit with a little mood-misting enchantments. These impulses range from "suddenly giggly" to "existentially contemplative." Between the poor people are trying to enjoy a nice soak and ending up emotionally compromised, alchemists who want to bottle the steam and trying not to inhale anything weird yourself, there goes your relaxing day at the springs…

Silent Garden

One of Bellvine Hill's fancier nobles is in a bit of a panic: their Fallow garden, normally full of cold weather blooms that chime musically during the frosty season, has gone totally silent. Thankfully, it seems like the flowers themselves are fine (even if the noble is very much not) and the flowers simply need to be stirred to life. According to the noble, the best push is a show of "strong emotion" but nobody can figure out which one. So now volunteers are stopping by to experiment: singing, storytelling, reciting poetry, bringing friends or trying to provoke the blooms into chiming with sheer stubbornness. The noble seems happy to pay anyone who gets their garden singing again, so why not bring a friend along and try? Or maybe see if you can compete to get the reward first?

Free Samples (At What Cost)

An apothecary in Bellvine Hile has decided that now is the perfect time to begin experimenting with their brand-new line of "cold-weather comfort potions." Volunteers are needed to try out these little bottled "warmers," but the side effects are proving to be… interesting. Some samplers have started radiating enough heat to fog every window in a ten-foot radius, others won't stop emitting gentle sparkles whenever they speak, some poor souls find themselves blurting out an unfiltered truth every time a cold breeze passes through… in any case, even if you're not brave enough to try one of the bottles yourself, the increasingly frazzled apothecary will need help (or at least, a stiff drink) while troubleshooting these magical mishaps. It's better than freezing your butt off, isn't it?

Meteor Mayhem

A spectacular meteor shower is passing over Primavain tonight and the central square is overflowing with bundled-up locals who've gathered to watch it streak across the sky. Every stoop and balcony is crowded, half with spectators and half with vendors who are happily plying everyone with spiced cocoa, roasted nuts, honey pastries and the like. According to the locals, if you and a friend work together to hold a jar or a cup or something similar at just the right angle as the meteors pass overhead, you can "catch" a falling star fragment before it fades - a tiny fragment of magic said to bring good luck. Whether or not that's remotely true… well, you're absolutely going to try anyway, right?

Make & Mend Festival

In honor of Fallow's turning season, Marigold Hall is hosting its annual Make & Mend Festival, where citizens bring in their worn out belongings for a little TLC. Local craftspeople are set up at long tables offering guidance, tools, and expertise - but don't expect to just drop your item off and wander away! Tradition says you've got to help repair it yourself, since the act of mending something dear is supposed to bring good fortune into the coming season. There's a spot for everyone, even if you're not the crafty type - someone's got to keep the cider warm and the pastry trays full!

Sprite Scramble

The frost sprites are out and about and the groundskeepers are not thrilled about it. A sudden cold snap seems to have lured the tiny troublemakers out of the nooks and crannies of the courtyards and now they're flitting around and playing harmless (but annoying) pranks on anyone passing through the castle gardens. Fortunately, the sprites are harmless and actually pretty easy to coax around. They like singing and pastry crumbs.. Volunteers are needed to help wrangle them back toward the Everbloom's Greenhouse where they actually belong. Just watch your step - startled sprites tend to leave surprise ice patches wherever they go and you do not want to discover one of those the hard way.

Crownkeeper Trot-Along

The Crownkeepers' horses have gotten a little too energetic for their own good. Something about the shifting weather has left the steeds restless and bored and the stablehands are doing everything they can to keep them from inventing their own problems. To help burn off some of that energy, the stablehands are organizing a short afternoon trot through the castle gardens and they're inviting anyone willing to lend a hand. You can lead a horse, ride one if you've got the skill, or just walk alongside handing out sugar cubes and gentle pats. There are scenic paths to wander and at least one mare who insists on stopping to inspect every statue along the way so really, it's a calm, cozy way to spend the afternoon… assuming none of the steeds get any bright ideas.

(CODE)

Comments

QUESTIONS

[royaldecreemods]

Any questions about anything on the TDM? Drop them here!

Nathaniel Berger | Pokemon OC

[stormkingofshepherds]

Frost Crab Caper

Belle? [The young man is dressed in several layers, apparently trying to cover up as much of his skin as possible. There's a giant fly trap floating behind him as he makes his way across the dock, his walking stick occasionally catching, the floating plant moving to support him whenever he stumbles.] Where are you-oh no.

[There's a much larger crablike creature with a round, stony shell, who has somehow managed to gather a squad of frost crabs around her. It seems she's trying to organize them somehow, and has traced out what looks like a rough diagram of paths.]

Belle? Belle, what are you planning? [At least the crabs seem mostly focused on her, so there's a lot of shiny objects just lying abandoned by the side?]

Make and Mend

[Nathaniel's brought a jacket that has a tear in it, that looks fairly well-kept, although it also has signs of being mended several times previously. He picks up some threads and cloth, looking through them as Macy, his flytrap companion, continues to hover over his shoulder.]

What do you think? Just sew it up, or do a patch? [He seems to be talking to her, but anyone else can feel free to chime in.]

Crownkeeper Trot-Along

[Nathaniel might not have experience with horses, or even horse-like Pokemon, but he hasn't lost his shepherd's instincts. So he's managing to lead a horse, talking to it soothingly while occasionally reaching up to scratch it between the ears or under the chin, quietly noting which spots seem best. His other hand has his walking stick, while for once Macy seems to be hovering more of a distance away, not wanting to spook the horse. Unfortunately, that means when Nathaniel's walking stick gets caught on a hole in the dirt and he stumbles, she's not able to catch him fast enough, sending him tumbling to the ground, while also dropping the horse's lead.]

Fuck!

Trot-Along

[gal_paladin]

I’ve got it.

[The woman in the blue and gold tabard and the white and gold battledress - perhaps a phrase the local tailors took too literally, not that Alesha’s complaining - gallantly rides to the rescue. She trots up with her own horse, takes the reins with one hand and offers a strong arm up with the other. How is she steering her horse? Well, she doesn’t ride sidesaddle, and let’s just say her hips don’t lie.]

Are you alright, milord?

Daiwa Scarlet | Umamusume | Hydrangea

[tripletiara]

Crab Thief

[ A loud, piercing shriek breaks the peace of the air, and a girl with auburn twin tails chases after a frost crab that has a tiara in its big, meaty claws. ]

Give that back right now!!

[ Normally, she likes to keep herself absolutely calm and composed. The picture of perfection. Yet now, she's on the verge of furious tears, with salt burning the corners of her eyes and a growl in the back of her throat. ]


Trot-Along Lil' Daiwa

[ What's this? What's this? There are weird creatures over there! What's this? They're hooved and covered in hair! What's this? She can't believe her eyes, she must be dreaming! Wake up Scarlet, it's a mare!!

In the stables, Daiwa Scarlet stares at a mare with her half-eaten carrot dangling precariously in her shock-loosened fingers. ]

M-My, this is... [ Why does this creature have ears like hers? And a tail like hers?! ] What are you?

[ Her visible confusion doesn't stop her from petting the mare along the nose as the creature tries to huff and snuffle her way to getting the carrot. ]


Wildcard!

[ Let me know if you have any other thoughts for a prompt! ]

Trot Along

[okanetendo]

[well, doesn’t this reaction seem familiar to “Her Lady Mannerism, The Marchessa Furinkan,” Nabiki Tendo. She may take a moment to sip her boba milk tea and observe the horse’s confusion over horses.]

…you wouldn’t happen to know a force of nature named Gold Ship, would you?

Unohana Retsu | Bleach

[sliceoflifepolysemy]

[I - Sprite Scramble]

[With a disarming smile, Retsu stepped through the way, heels clicking on icy pools and pavement trailed by a array of gold, glowing chains leading to a number of sprites tethered at their ends. The little things chirped and munched away at the flaky pieces of a croissant she'd offered them.

Occasionally, her hand would snap out and another chain would snatch a mischievous little one out of the air, pulling it close so she could break off another piece of her breakfast to offer it before she continued her way to the greenhouse. Not a single complaint or battle followed her that entire time.]

[II - Crownkeeper Trot-Along]

[What Retsu had done to make the horse she'd been leading upset was anyone's guess but a handler or two had come beside in an effort to get between her and the horse only for her to raise a gloved hand with a curt and stern dismissal. Even as it raised its hooves and snorted at her initially, it settled and lowered its head as she'd spoken rather softly to it with a smile and hand held out:]

Be still.

[Only then did it let her pet it, leaving its handlers a little wild-eyed for how easily it had de-escalated.]

[III - A Steamy Situation]

Fufu...

[It had been a long time since she'd attended a public spring, considering that her function as a Captain afforded her luxuries and privileges easily forgotten. It was when that giggle slipped from her so unceremoniously that she'd reflexively brought her hand up to cover her mouth, shutting her eyes and sighing in an effort to disguise her irritation.

She'd turn to anyone beside her and offer a friendly smile while they were soaking.]

My apologies for the noise--I haven't the slightest clue what came over me.

[IV - Wildcard]

[Hit me! She's wandering around and enjoying her day, so you'll catch her most anywhere, though she won't be participating in anything that'll ruin her clothes.]

Steamy Situation

[nyx_it]

[Oh, she is never leaving this place. This hot spring is the first time she's felt warm in a long time. She could live here, and has all but laid down in order to submerge all seven feet of herself in the hot water.]

[At least until someone laughs... at least. She thinks it's a laugh?]

[Vetra sits up a little more, looking around, before the woman speaks up again. She shakes her head, offering as assuring an expression as her face is capable of making.]

It's fine. Surprised me a little, but - no harm done, right?

Cheria Barnes 🎀 Tales of Graces f

[she_wears_short_skirts]

((Some responses may come from a_prisoner_no_more!))


✿ FROST CRAB CAPER

Oh no you don't!

[That's Cheria firing off daggers at any frost crab she sees. She's not actually looking to skewer them, though: depending on the circumstances she's either trying to startle them into dropping whatever they've pilfered (in which case there might be someone on standby to snatch them back up) or herd them towards a specific location (a net or nesting ground). In any case, watch out for flying daggers and/or a girl on the run.

(Or, possibly, lightning. Cheria won't want to go this route unless absolutely necessary — it's rather overkill for such harmless critters — but stungunning the crabs for some crowd control is technically possible, particularly if they're in contact with the water.)

When she's not tired out from a night getting (things back from) crabs, Cheria's happy to help with finding the proper homes for all the stolen goods. Though the romantic dreamer in her can't help but speculate about the backstories of some of these shinies...]

I wonder how many of these are wedding rings? They're so lovely...

[Or:]

Ah...we probably shouldn't look inside this locket, right?

[But she's just so curious — !]


✿ MAKE & MEND FESTIVAL

[In the process of getting the frost crabs to chill out, a claw or two (or a few) ended up snagging on Cheria's favorite set of clothes (i.e. her canon outfit). While the damage isn't too bad, it's still noticeable enough to need addressing.

Fortunately, Cheria is not entirely without mending skills of her own, and she goes about her work with comfortable confidence. She can help others out with simple techniques/advice, if asked. For anything more complicated, though...well, she can at least be a listening ear?]


✿ SPRITE SCRAMBLE

[Boy, never a dull day in Rosavelle! It sure is a lively place with lots of surprises. Some of them are delightful...some of them are a touch more frightful.

Or, in this case, frostful. Cheria's out and about her day when she spots a few frost sprites ready to drop a large snowball on an unsuspecting victim. Nothing that'll hurt, but the victim certainly is going get a cold shock nonetheless if it connects.]

Watch out, above you — !

[QUIZ TIME, what happens next:

a) The intended victim (may or may not be your character!) reacts in time to get out of the way and/or deliver some retaliation;

b) Immediately after shouting out the warning Cheria barges in to push the intended victim out of the way; this may or may not result in the victim getting knocked to the ground and Cheria falling on top of them

c) The intended victim is too slow and gets snowballed on the noggin

d) all of the above??? somehow?????

hint: there are no wrong answers]


✿ CHOOSE YOUR OWN

['Tis the season! ...is what I would say, but it's always the season to make up ur own fun]

sprite scramble: b (you know i gotta)

[drawnbythesword]

[It all happens so quickly. One moment, Asbel is standing around, minding his own business. The next, he hears a familiar voice he recognizes calling out to him. He turns in the direction of the voice and--]

Oogh!

[He takes a full-brunt tackle from Cheria and falls to the ground, dragging her down with him as he desperately tries and fails to try and catch his balance. Should have remembered to use Around Step.

As he recovers, he realizes the situation he's in: on the ground, Cheria on top of him. His face goes white, mild panic in his eyes.]

Ch-Cheria...?! Are you alright?

[His first thoughts immediately are worrying that she got hurt, after all.]

kyoshika magadori | hundred line: last defense academy

[believesit]

sprite scramble

[ now that kyoshika has gotten a good idea of what the problem is, she can go about starting to fix it! wrangling the tiny sprites back to the greenhouse shouldn’t be too difficult. while the butterfly net is most likely as unnecessary as the sword by her side, she’s ready to get down to business!

which is finding a place she’s sure she saw one sneak towards, and standing firm with her arms crossed. ]

Hmhm! Please, listen to my song!

[ that’s right, they told her that they like singing. thus, she has to come up with a fun and catchy song to sing. and so, she clears her throat and readies her butterfly net. ]

♪Come aboard and bring along… all your hopes and dreams!
Together we will find everything that we’re looking for— ♪

[ this song might sound a little familiar. she’s not particularly bad at singing, but naturally the butterfly net isn’t helping matters. please help her. ]

frost crab caper

Halt, foul creature! Cease running at once!

[ she’d been minding her business, not paying much attention to the warnings about the frost crabs. in fact, part of her wanted to catch one to see if they tasted good. instead, one of them managed to get the drop on her, and take something off her person. ]

Return the Holy Jumonji Sword and I won’t boil you! [ as the grab scuttles away with her sword, kyoshika reaches out, slightly panicked. ]

Don’t worry! I can almost reach you—! Please, stay strong…! [ she dives and… manages to fall with no success. please help her. ]

a steamy situa— steamy?!

[ who on earth (or, rosavelle in this case) could ever turn down the chance to go take a dip in the springs? kyoshika didn’t really pay any mind to the steam or petals… that’s absolutely part of the experience, isn’t it? and thus as she goes down to take her dip, having found herself a cute bathing suit, she lets out a pleased sigh. and then, another sigh.

and then a deep, heavy, sigh. ]

What is this… is it right for me to truly be resting like this while the others battle for humanity’s sake? What kind of dishonorable cur am I to bathe while the fate of the whole world is still at stake?

[ she slips a little further into the water, downtrodden. ]

I hope humanity will forgive me. I’m still weak… the allure of soaking is too much to ignore.

[ she seems bummed, but not bummed enough to actually move from her spot or think about getting out. she’ll just keep sighing, both enjoying the hot spring and cursing herself for doing so. please help her. ]

silent garden

[ you there! you accidentally made eye contact with this samurai girl while volunteering at the garden! you probably know what that means!! ]

Excuse me. I need your assistance.

[ kyoshika folds her arms, nodding her head. ]

I've had a lot of time to think of a solution to our noble's problem. Verily, so much has been tried, but none have been successful. I had to think, 'what could truly stir such a strong enough emotion to rouse these flowers from their sleep'? And then, it hit me!

[ a beat. ] Ahem. It hit me twice, but we won't discuss one of the thoughts. Anyway! Here is my proposal!

[ and thus, her hand goes to the hilt of the Holy Jumonji Sword, stanced up. ]

A hot blooded battle! Please, fight me!

[ or help her, whichever. ]

wildcard

(( giving this a second try! i'm sorry for this dumbass. i haven't settled on any route yet but please let me know if you're not cool with spoilers for hundred line! if there's any questions or you want something specific, hit me up on plurk at jusenkyo! ))

silent garden

[wingstosee]

[ the good news: this lady seems to be remarkably unbothered by the whole "many-eyed wings, body of light, drifting a few inches above the ground" stuff? that's probably good. it's sort of... it's a lot for most people. she's relieved! really! she is! not at all disappointed that she's not getting more recognition for being the devil!

the bad news: ]

Wait, wait, wait - what's that supposed to mean? [ she's not even taking a defensive stance. she's just sort of staring wide-eyed. ] "We won't discuss one of the thoughts?" Wwwwwhy not?

komano manato 💥 zenless zone zero (new player)

[antibully]

1. I'VE GOT CRABS.

HEY!! Get your ass back here!!

<sub>[ A. It's hard to miss the 198cm dog-man running through the wharf as he chases down a particular crab that seems to have something of value in it's clutches. The guy seems mad, and a person of his stature seems to radiate an intimidating presence. He's obviously not someone to be meddled with. In fact, as he turns a curve around a small structure on the wharf, one might even be concerned about the well-being of the crab. Maybe go check on it?

B. Or, perhaps Komano isn't watching where he's going, and boom, crashes right into someone! His body is immensely solid, it just might knock someone right on their ass, and the look that he is giving... oh boy. It looks like he might start a fight! ]</sub>

2. I'VE GOT PASTRIES.

<sub>[ He could definitely help with some of the worn out belongings and their mending TLC, but Komano has something else in mind that catches his interest more. Could he be offering lessons? After all, he is a jack of all trades, master of none. That's what happens when you have to work multiple part time jobs to support orphans that you've picked up off the street, but anyway...

No way. This guy is part of the hospitality committee, and he's the one who has been baking some of the refreshments. Komano goes from table to table, handing them out, all the while wearing an adorable, pink apron. ]</sub>

You hungry? You must be workin' hard.

3. I'VE GOT HORSES (kinda.)

<sub>[ See, the funny thing is, he can't really help the kind of unsettling aura he radiates. Komano hasn't even left the stable to take these horses for a walk, because everytime he gets close to one, even with a carrot or a sugar cube, it spooks the horse away.

So catch him sort of 🧍 standing there with his ears folded back and his large, fluffy tail curling between his ankles slightly. ]</sub>

C'mon. I ain't gonna hurt'cha.

_{[ hewwo i'm ashu!! feel free to wildcard or something!! my plurk is justaways ]}

Trips and falls and tags u, 1A-B mixed together sue me

[saudadist]

[ Compared to the wall of man meat that plows into her, Lucy is a twig easily bent by the breeze. The collision knocks her flat on her rear, and while she's growling from it as she sits up, she reins herself in. She can behave. She can be nice!! ...even if it's hard. ]

You're chasing this thing, right?

[ Cue the crab just kind of hovering there before him. Angrily flailing its many legs and claws. How is it doing that? ]

Yor | Spy x Family

[yormama]

Silent Garden

[ The flowers respond to strong emotions. But it's hard to tell which, they say. Yor doesn't have the heart to get angry when the plants clearly need encouragement! So before she tries singing or reading to them, she waves her arms with a big smile on her face and strikes a few poses like she's seen sports cheerers do! Surely this will work! ...hopefully. ]

Come on, flowers! You can do it! Don't be shy, we're all here for you!


Make & Mend

[ Yor doesn't really have much that needs mending. She knows how to stitch and repair her own clothing, so it's never been a concern. So! She's helping out with the mending for others! The only issue is...

Her stitching is very utilitarian. Only clothing colored black look anything remotely acceptable in how their seams come together. Other fabrics, however? Clumsy, obvious stitching. Threads that don't match completely. Seams that pucker in the worst places.

In particular, a child brought their stuffed doll to her to get their leg re-stuffed and attached again...but it was swiftly overstuffed and sewn on in such a way where it has no articulation anymore! Understandably, the child is sniffling and Yor panics as she looks over her work and tries to think of how to fix it. ]

H-Huh? You don't like it? I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I can do it again!


Crownkeeper Trot-Along

[ It started off normally. The handlers helped Yor onto her specific steed, they walked along a lovely trail, and the morning weather made for a bright, beautiful sight.

Unfortunately, human error can often lead to a chain of events that scares the absolute crap out of everyone involved. Yor's sneeze and downright frightening face after spooked a horse nearby and sent it running, her own horse got scared in return, and now she and her steed are zooming down the path with Yor's screeches piercing the morning air. ]

Please stop! Wait a minute!! It's okay! Stop running!! STOOOOOPPPP!!!


WILDCARD

[ Feel free to tag in with a custom prompt or reach out to brainstorm one! ]

Yor! Making and Mending

[gal_paladin]

Not used to anything but clothing, then?

[This from an elegant, dark-skinned woman in a blue beret and a fashionable blue dress under a warm, charcoal grey winter coat. She also wears a gold equilateral cross in a circle, with a ruby in the center, on a filligree chain.

Yor’s training instantly tells her that this unassuming woman is a capable fighter, hard to catch flatfooted and more than ready to defend herself and others, in the unlikely event she needs to.]

Let me show you some tricks. I’ve got 16 years of mending things for my kids and a bit of the local mender’s magic, as well.

Milla Gojira | Kaiju Musume King Of Monsters

[miregoji]

Silent Garden

[Despite her own title, the tall, black scaled girl wasn't usually one to deal with the snooty royal types but...good pay would help her fix up her bike, or at least the best she could while she was in this world. So here she was, stepping into the garden, taking in a deep breath, dorsal plates along her back bristling with just a bit of nervousness.]

So these plants apparently sing normally...? [She mused to herself, thinking over how while she didn't have any experience with them herself, the LAST time a Godzilla interacted with talking plants, she was told it had ended poorly, Hotaka told her that the entire ordeal left him sick for a solid two years!]

Okay...what would Leo do?

Meteor Mayhem

[Milla laughed heartily to herself seeing how lively the town was tonight, happily heading into the Vendor area, hoping to maybe get a jar or cup or something to do that cute little ritual.]

[Kind of hoping to bump into someone while she was in town...it was nice, like those Tanabata festivals the humans held but she didn't have to worry about being jumped by G-Force for awhile and she could just actually relax and have fun! Like anyone else.]

[...Even if her overthinking mind does get just a bit jumpy at the idea of "Star Fragments"]

I wonder how much for one of those cutesy little Star Jars...

[She hoped not much! Any money she had she'd only gotten HERE, back home...being guardian of earth doesn't exactly pay well.]

Meteor Mayhem | Ryu 1/8192 | Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

[soldragon]

[Ryu didn't really... Understand the whole deal. But he'd been working hard, and had already glassblown himself a retort, and was about to pick one up for payment and get to work with it, when--]

Oh! uh--

Well, I was going to see if I could use this one I made, but if you want to check out the old wives' tale, too...

Lucy/Nyuu | Elfen Lied

[saudadist]

Frost Crabs - Lucy

[ As the crafty crabs create a cacophony of conniptions among the citizens, Lucy watches them with an impassive gaze. It's hard to tell where she's looking with her hooded cape on, especially when she keeps tugging it down to hide her horns. Her expression does change, a little, every once in a while.

"Once in a while," of course, means "whenever a crab snipes something valuable. The trinket always lifts out of the crabs' suddenly stiff claws that only relax again when their ill-gotten gains are up in the air, floating toward her, and the bored crabs sulk and skitter away.

Lucy holds the latest valuable out to it's owner, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. ]

You should keep a better hold on this kind of thing. If a crab could steal it that easy, you're a perfect mark for someone with thumbs.


Meteor Mayhem - Nyuu

[ Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket. Save it for a rainy day. She feels like she's heard that song before, but where? Nyuu isn't sure, but she's all too excited to trot along while watching the meteor shower, jar in hand. ]

I got! I got it!!

[ Except she most certainly don't got it. Nyuu gets the fragment in her cute little bottle, but in the process, she crashes back-first into the closest person and sends them both tumbling to the ground. To her credit, she does jump up and gasp in abject horror. ]

I'm sorry! Are you alright?!


Trot-Along - ???

[ For one younger horse, this particular day in the stables is hell. See, the handlers have seen fit to give him desensitization training. Making things easier for him is an oddly pink-haired girl standing beside him and giving him gentle pats as the handlers throw small flashing orbs and toys near the horse's feet every so often.

So far, it seems to be working! The horse jolts a couple times and whines, but then the girl's patting the side of his neck and speaking to him gently. It seems to work every time. ]

Hush. Don't worry about what's around your feet. You'll be okay.


Wildcard

[ Feel free to tag in with a custom starter or pm me for ideas! ]

Lucy

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

[Lucy's latest "find" is a light blue, well-loved and well-maintained camera. Its owner most be sorely-

KLONK

March bumps into Lucy as she lunges for it.]

Ehehe... sorry, I should watch where I'm going, huh? Thanks for finding my camera, Evernight! I can always count on-

[...]

Waitaminit.

Joel Maravalle | Original/Spookzones

[frontierpsychiatrist]

Make & Mend Festival

Joel grinned to himself as he set up at one of the long tables, laying out his tools one by one. It wasn’t as complex as his workshops back home, but sometimes it was nice just to work on the simpler kinds of stuff for a while.

Happpily, he took his place in a free space among the tradesmen, earning a handful of confused looks from the locals.

...hopefully this wouldn't cause any trouble, but he just couldn't resist the urge to tinker and be helpful.

Ooh, his first customer!

“Ah, welcome! Got anything mechanical that needs fixing?”

He indicates the toolkit spread out before him.

“I can do other stuff, but that's my specialty.”

A Steamy Situation

Joel frowned, even as he moved to loosen the robe he wore. Nothing to worry about, huh? Magic that messed with your head, nothing to worry about?

Odds were, they were right. This place wasn't like some of the worse bits of back home where some twit would inevitably try to cover up the side effects to make money. Or try to use it to mind control the world to do their bidding. The princess alone would seal this up in no time.

...perhaps it might be a nice idea to save some water to study back home later on, though. He slowly ambled up to the water of the open air bath, breathing in deeply as he loosened the belt-

Only to receive a face full of vivid steam as the wind shifted, bright red coursing around him for a few seconds.

“...aheh. Aheheh.”

Slowly, a wide grin spread across his face as his cheeks flushed, shoulders beginning to shake with wild laughter.

“ahehehehehehe. AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!~”

Free Samples (At What Cost)

Joel grumbled, sinking into her chair outside the inn as she took another long drink out of her mug. It had been such a promising way to avoid the cold, but-

She hiccuped, a faint golden radiance shining from her skin with a noise almost, but not quite like a microwave oven humming. Not that the locals would know it as such...

She frowned deeper, expression grumpy as passers-by glanced in confusion and amusement at her plight. Of course, she was fully aware of the fact that these things sometimes happened when you tested new inventions.

...If she'd done this back home, Murray would have had her head for it. It was a shame too; a great deal of the students would have been eager to risk things like this for pay. Grumbling, she shook her head. She needed to be careful with that kind of thinking, she knew. Bad moods like this let the mad scientist side of her start driving.

She hiccuped, and once more the light shone and the hum... hummed.

...god, she hoped she didn't get sick here if this is what they had instead of a decent pharmacy.

Re: Free Samples

[farandsunlesslad]

[The door to the inn opens and a lithe, petite young man with long, frizzy, tangled white hair and a black scholar's robe. He holds up his clipboard and clears his throat, trying his best to smile warmly.]

So, um, [he checks his notes] Joel. 30 minutes in, could you describe any side effects you've experienced thus far?

Hayden Sorrows | Chuubo's Marvellous Wish-Granting Engine

[farandsunlesslad]

A Steamy Situation Inhale...2, 3, 4, hold...2, 3, 4, exhale...2, 3, 4.

[ Breathing exercises only ever make the tightness around Hayden's chest tighter, but it still helps when focusing his art, holding ambiguities in tension and allowing them to be without analysis, to carefully martial the force of attention and perception. The small, thin boy wraps his thick black cape tighter around himself, his long hair framing his face as it scrunches in concentration. His eyes closed, he is aware, without perception, of the thick, warm steam filling his nostrils, the cool glass of the sampling vial in his hands. He opens his light brown eyes and stretches out an arm towards the soft pink mist, and...nothing.] Well, damn. [It's still physical mist, however charged with emotions they may be, so it's not a shock he can't shape it with dream magic. Still disappointing.]

Meteor Mayhem [Hayden clutches the cup of coconut cream cocoa in his hands. The warmth is leaching out slowly, as while he may have come for a quick drink before finding a good observation point, but he's spent the last ten minutes stuck going in circles. He'll tell them, this time he will, he ordered no coconut. No, no, he can't, he's already a stranger, he can't be an impolite guest. But he doesn't like coconut (not for the taste, for the consistency). But what if they hate him?! He saw the way that vendor looked at him, they probably do already! Oh fuck, they hate him, they all hate-!]

Augh!! [ Hayden screams as he collides with some passerby, spilling lukewarm cocoa on them both. ]

Crownkeeper Trot-Along Easy, girl. Eeeeasy. Eaaasy does it, theeere we go, good girl, goooood girl... [ Hayden strokes the black horse's nose softly and gingerly offers it a sugar cube, inwardly cursing that pedestrian's funny hat for spooking the girl. All the while, he keeps a careful eye on his feet; this horse is still a teen, not quite accustomed to its new, gangly legs or sure of how to walk or stand without crushing some unfortunate human's toes. ]

Trot-Along

[gal_paladin]

Seem to have a way with that one, if it’s not just keeping sugar in your pockets.

[This from the dark-skinned picture of fully armored elegance with lance and shield with a solar emblem, on her own heavily barded white steed.]

You wouldn’t happen to be with the Princess’ delegation of nobles, would you?

haruhi suzumiya | disappearance of nagato yuki-chan

[uncommonsense]

i. crabs in da bucket

[ It's an understatement to say that Haruhi has completely missed the whole point of the search. She's become a part of the late-night party, humming with a lantern and net in her grasp. She's let the other person handle the snacks, waiting to come across any of the crabs to nab one.

With a bit of teamwork, she's planning to catch what she can! And so, her and her hunting partner can be found in one of two ways:

Haruhi putting up a hand, pointing towards a gathering of the frost crabs. She's careful not to drop her lantern, and still mimic plucking out a treat, motioning to throw to the crabs, and nodding. You get that, right?

Alternatively, she's got one already! Which results in her handing off the lantern and examining the crab, plucking away the item in its grasp-- in this case, looks to be a button plucked off of someone's coat. ]

Hmmm... probably worth 3 points. It's not really that heavy, and I bet they could've gotten something bigger than a button.

[ She'll then place the crab back on the ground, pocketing the button. ]

Okay! On to the next one.

ii. free heating in the square

[ On one hand, you never accept weird drinks from street vendors. On the other, how often do you get to meet an actual apothecary? Of course she's willing to help, and gets a free sample of a potion for research. She's gotta wait a little bit for the effect to pass, leading Haruhi to take a walk.

She feels incredibly warm, and catching the fog around her's only got her thinking one thing. Which is finding a cool place to pose for a second, folding her arms like a boss character. Others may have come closer just to get away from the cold, but she hasn't moved yet.

It's been nice, but anyone getting a good glimpse at her face might be seeing something different. ]

Too warm...

[ She's starting to overheat. Hopefully this effect passes soon? ]

iii. catchin an airplane, maybe.

Hey there!

[ Haruhi's calling out, a cup of cocoa in one hand and an empty jar in one of her pockets. Naturally she's been listening to the locals talk about catching a shooting star, and there's only one thing to do when you hear something like that. ]

Think you can help me figure out how to catch one of the fragments? We can share the good luck together if it works.

It's probably nothing, but if it isn't, then I wanna make sure we've given it a try!

[ She's not particularly into the idea of "good luck" being given, but being able to say that she's caught a piece of a shooting star? That's too good to pass up! ]

iv. and the rest

[ yeah why not! reach out @ jusenkyo on plurk if you wanna plot something else! ]

Free Heating In The Square | Akane Tendo | Ranma 1/2

[mahjongheart]

[Akane walks into the mist, and, seeing someone posing like a boss monster out of toku, takes the opportunity to pose like a sukeban as she walks towards the silhouette.]

[When it resolves into an actual shape, she straightens up and grins.]

[Well now! This is someone new.]

Scintilla Caminus | FFXIV (WoL OC)

[sunforging]

[i; make+mend]

[A newcomer in perhaps ill-suited winter clothes had wandered her way into the festival; while nothing she carried on her was in need of repair, she'd gravitated instantly to the nearest metalworker. Which was where she'd be for...a while, happily hard at work as an extra pair of hands. If someone happened to come up with something worn down, she'd perk right up and turn to them (probably stained with ash and still with a hammer in her hand).]

Got somethin' in need of fixin', mate? What's th' problem?

[ii; meteor mayhem]

[Likely in marginally warmer clothes by then, Scintilla didn't seem particularly enthused by the stars flying past overhead. She watched them in wary silence from beneath an awning, tail lashing around anxiously as clawed hands curled around a mug of cocoa.]

[...Logically, it was nothing. The sky was dark, the meteors tiny little pinpricks that vanished as quickly as they arrived. But logic could sometimes catch on thorns of unfortunate omens, and need to be untangled carefully. As long as the night passed without incident, she could convince herself it was just an ordinary starshower.]

[iii; wildcard]

[hit me]

make and mend, how do you do fellow adventurer let's grind out some crafting proficiencies

[gal_paladin]

Can you get the nicks out of this?

[She presents an honest to Fourteen Twelve longsword, in a cruciform pattern, the pommel a lion's head with it's jaws around a ruby, otherwise beautiful only in the way something that does it's job well can be.]

You'd think it couldn't get damaged in a spar with an unarmed fighter! You'd think.

Grace Yi | Vampire: the Requiem OC

[widenessofthesea]

A Steamy Situation
[ This is what she gets for bothering to breathe like a normal person. She doesn't even need to breathe but she's just going to hyperventilate angrily into her hands over here in the corner. Please pay no attention to her... very red-rimmed eyes. ]

nothing to be worried about my ass I am going to have a word with someone—

Free Samples (At What Cost)
[ Well, of course the apothecary ought to have a seat and calm down a little bit with a warm drink while she helps sort things out. She is trying to keep things orderly... ish, since it seems there's been... a lot of problems. ]

All right, all right, give me a moment—one at a time, please! Thank you!

Now—what would seem to be the nature of your troubles? Oh... oh dear. If you could give me the details of what happened with... all that...?

[ she gestures at whatever you happen to have going on. well? spit it out. ]

Crownkeeper Trot-Along
[ Now, normally she'd love to help out. Helping is one of her favorite activities. For this, though, she's backing away slowly from the stablehands kindly offering a handful of sugar cubes to passers-by, demurring with a sheepish wave of her hand. ]

Ah, unfortunately I believe I'm a bit busy...

[ Some unlucky soul passing by them leading a horse suddenly has said horse startle and break into a trot, dragging them along. Maybe it's you? Maybe you're just witnessing. Whatever this is. ]

...yes, I'd best not, I think. There's always plenty that needs doing.

steamy

[wingstosee]

[ the good news: grace, being a sensible woman who would never be naked around other people, isn't even in the hot spring baths. the bad news: venus certainly was. the news that isn't really morally scaled but kind of questionable: venus appears to have given up on looking like a human, and so a ball of wings and eyes and light has just. drifted up and over the hot springs enclosure.

she hangs awkwardly over grace. a bit of water drips off a spare wing. after a moment, she speaks in the most distant, disaffected of voices: ]

Oh. Are you having a bad time?

"Rhiannon" | Vampire: the Requiem OC

[witchandverypowerful]

Silent Garden
Oh, wow, this is, like, so fancy... and it's supposed to get even prettier. So aesthetic. Do you mind if I post this—

[ she pauses for a beat. ]

...right, I guess I can't post from here. Um. Right! We were doing... something. The thing. With the emotions. Did he say which one?

Meteor Mayhem
[ This girl has her game face on. She's got her mittens, she's got a jar, she has her eyes on the prize because she really could use some good luck right now. So maybe she's caught you passing by. ]

Hey! Hi! I could really use your help right now, pretty please? I mean, I guess we're all out here for the same thing, so might as well work together.

Oh, right, it's supposed to be with friends. Well, I'm Rhiannon and I like herbalism, meditation, and constitutional law, and my hobbies are making youtube videos and video games. Your turn!

[ she says all of this very fast in perfect video essayist register. ]

Make & Mend Festival
Mmm... hmm...

[ she's craning her head over at what you're doing like it's possible to cheat off notes when your crafts are completely different. She's repairing a dog-eared book that seems to be falling apart at the spine. ]

Okay this is way harder than the guy made it look to get the pages to sit even! What are you working on...? I mean, like, it probably counts if we trade favors, so if you, uh, happen to need anything...

Meteor Mayhem

[she_wears_short_skirts]

[Well then. That was sure a lot, especially considering Cheria had just been minding her own business wishing at least one of her friends from home were here to share the sights with her. But she did catch "I could really use your help" and then "with friends", so...]

Nice to meet you. I'm Cheria. I...like to cook and help others?

[Oops, #basic.

(She does, in fact, have more interests, but she doesn't think of them that way.)]

Amiya | Arknights

[lordoffriends]

Frost Crab Caper
[ This bunnygirl has a basket of lost belongings retrieved from crabs (various) and calls to you when she sees you, and holds something up. ]

Oh! If you have a second—someone said this was yours, I think?

I'm trying to find all the owners, you see, but it's a bit slow-going even with who's said they were missing something...

Silent Garden
[ Well, this seemed like a helpful place for her to be... so here she is! She's crouched down peering at some of the flowers, over-large jacket brushing the ground. ]

Let's see, oh... I've seen people try singing and reciting poetry, so maybe we should try telling them stories?

I don't know if you have any good ones, but I've always felt that... there were a lot of strong emotions wrapped up in the stories people tell.

Crownkeeper Trot-Along
[ She wanted to be helpful! And also these funny burdenbeasts are very cute, although she is still just barely over five feet tall minus the ears and it seems like she's the one getting led around, if in good humor about it. ]

Ehehe... Miss Horse, please slow down! Wouldn't you like to enjoy the scenery a little? I've got...

[ She turns out her pockets. Lint only. ]

...ah, I'm out of bribery sugar cubes...

[ Perhaps she could use some help. ]

crabs

[nightwild]

[Yayoi has to take a minute to look this girl over. Big jacket, bunny ears... This girl definitely is the popular, cute type. Yayoi takes a minute to pull her own big fuzzy jacket closer around herself.

Still, Yayoi shakes her head.]

Not mine. They might have just meant I can help find the owner?

Glinda "the Good" Upland | Wicked

[glimmerie]

((ooc note: Glinda is from post-Wicked: For Good so I'll be marking spoilers but please lemme know if you need me to avoid them altogether!))

FROST CRAB CAPER

[Glinda’s accessories tend to favor the lumicandescent, so she’s a bit of a sitting duck for the frost crabs. She can be found on the dock pursuing a crab holding a butterfly-shaped brooch in its claw, scolding it like she’s talking to a misbehaving child.]

It is not polite to steal from people!

[She flounders with maintaining her balance over the dock due to her current shoes being ill-suited for the docks: a shimmery pair of heels that another crab is starting to take interest in, which she notices with a squeak and an attempt to shimmy away without stepping on it. Glinda might as well be a blonde five-foot-one crab magnet at this point.]

SILENT GARDEN

[Musical flowers are honestly right in the realm of possibility for Glinda, and seeing just how distressed the noble is, there’s no way that someone wanting to live up to her “the Good” moniker is going to let this floral crisis go unsolved.]

No need to worry! I’ll find the perfect spell to end your flowers’ slumberation.

[She holds up an ornate-looking wand and starts to wave it like a conductor’s baton, singing as she does.]

Wake uuuuup, wake uuuuup, wake up wake up wake up~ Pleaaaase…

[The last note she hits is high enough to attract attention from passersby for sure, but not quite enough to stir awake the winter blossoms. Glinda looks up in thought, lightly pursing her lips.]

Is singing not passionate enough? I may have try even grander gestures.

[She shakes out her wrist as if warming up for something bigger. If she notices you, hope to Oz you're ready to become her latest co-star.]

CROWNKEEPER TROT-ALONG

[Glinda is actually quite comfortable getting on a horse and taking it for a light trot; she’s ridden her share of horses in her time, and found quite a few of them to be good conversation partners.]

Thank you for the ride. I’ve decided to braid your mane when we get back to the stable. Won’t that be nice?

[She talks to the mare the same way that she would a human being despite the fact that it’s only able to respond with a light snort. Glinda’s face flickers with slight concern at how she can’t tell if the horse understands her or not, but she tries to push it down and remind herself that there's nothing malicious about her hooved new friend's silence. This is simply a different world than what she's used to.]

Re: Silent Garden

[farandsunlesslad]

[A slight young boy with long, messy white hair stands nearby, taking notes with trembling fingers on the behavior of the flowers in response to each interaction. As Glinda prepares for grander gestures, Hayden Sorrows shrinks into his black winter's cape like a turtle and dearly hopes he isn't noticed.]

Firefly | Honkai Star Rail

[afraidtoawaken]

1. METEOR MAYHEM

[It's hard to not think of the Golden Hour, as Firefly watches the meteors come raining down. For just a moment, there's a wistful look in her blue-and-pink eyes, and she's somewhere else.

But physically, she is standing on the roof of a nearby store that opened it up. Which... is a little important, because as she looks up and -- let's not pretend! -- spacing out, something else is happening. One of those gleaming, red and gold magical lights is coming right at her.

She spots it and instinctively steps back, with a yelp.]

Ah...!

2. FREE SAMPLES (BUT AT WHAT COST!?)

This... this has to be a practical joke.

[As Firefly walks down the street in Bellvine Hill, she is emitting colorful light green sparkles. (It isn't unlike the light emitted by her armor.) She frowns as she looks sideways, and then back ahead.

Then, she puts her fingers between her eyes and presses down. She exhales sharply.]

What could possibly be causing this?

3. CROWNKEEPER TROT-ALONG: HARD MODE

You're a good horse.

[Firefly says it gently. Kindly. She is trying to make a good impression on the horse that she is leading.

He is a gigantic, muscular horse with a stunning black coat and a wild mane of crimson hair. His deep black eyes look at her and he grunts, imperiously. He is WARGLAIVE, a horse who isn't quite at home with the Crownkeepers' other steeds.

He eyes the sugar cubes in Firefly's hand with an air of impending doom.]

...Please? Please be a good horse?

[ooc: Hi! I am mid-canon review, so if I get something off, please poke me. c:]

free samples

[nightwild]

[It's not hard to notice the girl sparkling that much. More like, it's harder not to notice her. Yayoi just watches until Firefly speaks, and...]

You tried some kind of crappy magic something, right? It was that.

[what's a rhetorical question. never heard of it.]

Kyrie Vitani | OC

[dragonsvigour]

Meteor Mayhem

[ There's a rather tall horned woman staring pensively at the meteor shower, scaled tail flicking back and forth in a manner reminiscent of a cat about to pounce - and after a moment's consideration, that tail slams into the ground and she turns to the person nearest to her: ]

You! Assist me in capturing the stars, that we may prove our friendship!

A Steamy Situation

[ She'd planned on letting her scales get a nice soak in a place that reminded her of the bathhouses of her homeland, but before she's even managed to undress, much less actually get in the water, she's had a sudden change of heart - her tail flicks in seeming irritation, and she turns to whoever's closest: ]

You. Face me, that you may prove your worth.

Steamy Situation | Ryu 1/8192 | Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

[soldragon]

[Another dragon? Surely... Surely there's more to it than just proving his worth, but...]

If you're sure, but... I don't know if you'll like it.

The Voice of the Planet/Flora Therese | OC

[methanosarcina]

Meteor Mayhem

[ Oh! What a beautiful sight. Voice wonders, maybe, if these stars hold secrets like the ones she's familiar with - and accordingly she's grabbing whoever's in reach by the hand, brandishing a cup and a smile - ]

Hello! Yes, yes, we - that is, I - am called the Voice of the Planet. We are friends now. It is appropriate that we should celebrate, yes? By reaching to take hold of good fortune?

Silent Garden

[ Flora'd actually shown up to enjoy the nature on display, but now she's here helping out because...well, one, if the plants aren't feeling well, how can she feel well? Also it's just really annoying to have all these people around, much less constantly making noise.

The way she's decided to help though, is interesting - she's gathered some birds on the branch of a flowering tree, conducting them like a choir. ]

No, no, you're too flat! Come on, you have to harmonize...

meteor mayhem

[wingstosee]

[ venus sees voice approach. it's kind of hard not to when you're covered with eyes? that's just. sort of life now. so she sees voice, and she hears voice, and she even gets advance warning that voice has reached out to grab her hand.

it's just that even with all that time, venus doesn't exactly know how to parse anything that just happened. ]

...we're friends now?

jax | the amazing digital circus

[idontcaerbannog]

G[a]RDEN OF SINNERS
cw: jax is an asshole

"Strong emotions?" Heyyy, I've got just the thing!

[ the "person" standing before you is... well, what can only be described as a 3d render of a cartoon bunny. his eyes are wide, black-on-yellow eyes large and expressive; his ears, his mouth, his everything have no real shaping past the suggestion of "rabbit."

and he's looking at you, with a wide smile and those enormous black pupils. ]

You trust me, right?

[ you have literally never seen this person before. ]

A REGULAR RO[b]IN HOOD
cw: jax is, once again, an asshole

[ the wharf is chilly. the cruel people of rosavelle, callie's scheming advisors included, are working hand-in-hand to liberate the rightfully-stolen goods from the merry band of roguish carciniform. luckily, a robin hood in overalls and yellow gloves has arrived - with a basket full of liberated treasures to spread to the people.

the people in this case being crabs. if that weren't obvious. ]

Aw, c'mon, little guy, you've gotta try a little harder than that! [ jax dangles a necklace over one of the crabs, jerking it back each time the crab tries to reach up and take it. ] Ooh, so close! You got this next one, big guy!

[ he is lucy, and these poor creatures are a thousand little charlie browns. no points for guessing if the crab gets it on its third try. ]

HORSE[c]APADES
cw: jax remains an asshole

[ the short afternoon trot is going without incident. a dozen horses, clip-clop-clip-clop-ing together in unison; the closest thing to a deviation from schedule being a horse falling behind to sniff the flowers. it's lovely. it's idyllic.

it's being rapidly approached at full gallop by the thirteenth member of the exhibition - the purple rabbit who reaches out, slapping the rump of the first horse he passes as hard as he can. ]

Heigh-hooooo, silver!

[ the horse startles into a jumping gallop; the other horses rear up and panic; and the rabbit just laughs as he chases behind. ]

Oh, man! Did you see that? Finally, some excitement up in here!

JOKERS WIL[d]
ooc info, and also jax is an asshole

[ sighs. the mind virus got me. voicetest time! feel free to reach out to me at bbcakes or beelzebae/nebellung @ discord if you want to plot anything out or get a custom starter! ]

this will be (A) disaster let's fucking go

[okanetendo]

I have not gotten as far in life as I have by trusting anyone who says "You trust me, right?" in that tone of voice, bucko.

[Yeah Nabiki is just gonna. Side-eye. The hyperkinetic rabbity thing.]

Welcome to Rosavelle. What can I do ya for.

simran akhtar | original

[retethered]

silent garden | by your hope, i reject the world

[ At least one of the visiting nobles has decided to try the simple approach. She sits herself down in front of the flowers, pulls out her phone, and starts up an instrumental track. Then, she begins to sing.

Her voice is a pleasant alto, dipping at times into a low contralto. She closes her eyes as she sings, and holds them shut until the song is complete, even should you stumble on to her impromptu performance.

For a moment, as the music from her phone fades, she smiles gently.

Then, she frowns, peers at the flowers, and says:]

So like...do we know how fast they're supposed to start blooming again?

[She does not seem to recall a need to turn her head in your direction.]

meteor mayhem I | improper distortions of spacetime

[There's a girl doing her best to weave through through the crowds in the square to very limited success. Between vendors accosting her with offers of food, children getting underfoot, and her own unfamiliarity, she seems more like she's pinballing across the square than walking.

Indeed, the chaos is so apparent that it's almost impossible to notice that nobody's actually touched her, as much as they've seemed to.

Still, it doesn't seem to matter. Before long she takes a bad step into one of the vendor's paths. As she tries to refuse his sale, someone else crashes into him,, he stumbles forward, and with a yelp the girl seems to fall—

—well, it's strange. She falls into you, and for a split second you feel the impact of colliding with an adult woman, and then...

...nothing. No force to it at all.

Maybe that moment was enough to make you stumble, or maybe not. It's certainly sent the girl tumbling to the ground, and whether you've joined her or not, she'll look up apologetically as she gets to her knees.]

Sorry! Sorry. [An apologetic smile.] Still getting used to this place.

meteor mayhem II | will of the wisp

[It's as the meteor shower winds down that you see it.

As the lights in the sky fade, others flicker to life at the edge of your vision. They don't last long, but for the split second that they do live, they beckon—calling you away from the main square.

They are easy to see as an illusion, if you have the wherewithal to look. The image is anything but resilient.

But whether you possess the aptitude or not, you might indulge them anyway. It might seem a bad idea; there is no culture in the world which will tell you to follow strange lights in the dark. Should you eschew the wisdom of tradition, though, you can follow the lights down one road, and then another, and then a third, to a nearby park, where—

—is that it?

It's just a girl–a girl of maybe nineteen or so—shivering on a bench in a single jacket that's definitely too light for the weather. There's a cane leaning against it next to her. She gives you a wan smile.]

Oh, um, hi. [Another shiver.] Do you think you could help get me back to the castle? I, uh, I'm from a pretty warm climate and I kinda underdressed for the weather.

Meteor Mayhem I

[monsterdaddy]

[Yoojin does, indeed, stumble, because he's not built like some of the other brick houses of dudes (and gals) that have answered Princess Calanthe's royal summons. He's too slow to brace, but the weight he expects. Doesn't. Actually follow through?]

...Huh?

[He blinks, but in the meantime, there's a young woman on the ground. He shakes his head to snap himself out of his confusion.]

Oh, um, no. Sorry, my bad. [The apology's automatic, even though Yoojin literally did nothing wrong.] Here, miss, let me help you up.

[He offers his hand.]

Chiaki Nanami | Super Dangan Ronpa 2

[goodgames]

01. Arrival (Greenhouse)

[When Chiaki appears, she's already kneeling on the ground, which spares her any dramatic falling or crumpling. In fact, she seems to take the sudden transportation in stride. All she does is blink a couple times, then turn her head slowly one way and then the other. She looks intact, uninjured, and free of distress.

One small hand closes on air beside her, then opens again, still empty. She glances down at it, then returns to her quiet, unreadable observations.

Finally, she opens her mouth.]

...Hello, world.

02. Meteor Mayhem

[Chiaki's never seen a falling star before. She's also never been this cold, even as well bundled as she is in fluffy layers of wool. The contrast between the frigid air and her cozy clothes makes her drowsy, but the buzz of spectators around her... well, to tell the truth, she could still easily drop off. It's tempting to get a quick nap in. But she doesn't want to miss the start of the meteor shower. The idea she can "catch" a fragment of luck, a little shard of light in the dark... feels comforting, right now. Like she isn't so far from the friends she loves.

So she sips her steaming cocoa and does her best to keep her eyelids from fluttering closed. Even so, she's nodding off when the energy of the crowd shifts. Chiaki raises her head to see one small light streak across the sky, then another--more and more until it really is like watching a bright rain of stars stream overhead. They reflect in her eyes, now wide open and awake.

Her mouth has fallen wordlessly open. Then she breathes in, remembering something, and clasps her mug of cocoa to her chest.]

T...Tamaya...

[Is she doing it right?]

01

[soldragon]

Hello, world!

[... You know, given he's got a sword and a shield, the fact he knows this joke at all is probably indicative.]

[He's offering a hand up.]

And welcome. You're a programmer, right?

Artoria Caster | Fate/Grand Order

[roundofavalon]

[1] Frost Crab Caper

[ This should have been a normal, low-effort, relaxing effort... just find the crabs! Chase the crabs! Trap the crabs in a harmless magecraft trap and regain the stolen items! Easy! This is literally something where Artoria should be able to shine with her Merlin Magecraft, she was so confident going into this.

Only now, she has never been more stressed in her life.

...Okay, that's a lie, but she's still panicking. ]

Listen. Listen to me. [ Is she talking to a crab? A crab holding a small, shiny... pellet-like object in it's claw? ] I know that looks shiny and valuable. [ She gulps. ] But that is a small bomb.

[ What. ]

Please put it down? Please?? I'm begging you???

[ So, basically, somehow... a crab has managed to steal one of uh. One of Artoria's... improvised explosive devices. Which she keeps on her person. Y'know, just in case.

...It's not dangerous! It's not like she keeps them active all the time! But also she's not entirely sure what will happen if a crab pinches it too hard so uh, uh...

Help. ]

[2] Make & Mend

[ Finally! Something she can do that she's confident in! She knows all about mending things! Can you even imagine how many times Artoria has had to mend her own belongings? Back when she didn't have a penny to her name? Back when she was dressed like a country bumpkin and not decked out like a Child of Prophecy in clothes that Muramasa mysteriously acquired?

...Okay so she hasn't had to do it in a while, but being a little out of practice doesn't mean anything! She's still got this! ]

What the heck is this!? How did wear a hole this big into it?! Huh? Of course it's not unfixable! Watch!

[ ...Lo and behold, she actually does got this. The skills are pretty much ingrained into her, after all. She's had to take care of her own things for pretty much her whole life, so... ]

Wildcard

[ Plot with me either on discord or at OddEyes ]

1 | Ryu 1/8192 | Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

[soldragon]

[Ah. That's. That's a problem.]

[Ryu knew how to handle explosives, of course, but did the crab know that?]

[Well... One way or the other, he came from the opposite direction and heard.]

[He kneels down, and, gently, picks up the crab from behind.]

[That is a dragon that picked that up. The dragon wears a human face, tells herself lies about who she is, but the kindness, and the nerves, at least, are real, as Ryu gently tugs the explosive loose-- gingerly, but with care.]