royalooc | Test Drive Meme #2: Fallow

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Test Drive Meme #2: Fallow

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

not

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)

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Ah. Sure.

[She's trying not to think too hard about what she's feeling when Simran smiles at her, while she sits her down in the boat. Even her answering soft smile giving it away is merely half of the problem...]

That's fine. So am I. First year, as I said.

[She unmoors the boat, and takes up both oars.]

That said, I wouldn't mind a bath and a place to dry off after. Even I'm not so strong as to make this entirely effortless.

Haha, um, I guess they gave us rooms so. You can use. Mine???

[What's happening??? Is anything happening? Simran knows they're getting along, can intuit that Mei seems to like her, but this is way, way more than she expected to see happen inside a night.]

Y'sure ya won't be put too off by that? I know that's askin' a lot.

[She strokes and it's like her arms and back are made of iron, and she stops hunching over.]

[... ah. there is no mistaking that as 'boyish', is there.]

I've had ta crash on a lotta sofas, I know how it is.

[no mei you DEFINITELY do not]

Sof—

[There's no way. There's no way on earth.]

Sofa.

[Okay, no, fuck it.]

[Most of this is new to her. But she's not stupid, and Mei looks as red as she feels. She can do a little bit of math.]

Mei, I...I like women. And—

[She sighs. This next piece still feels like a coin toss, even if it shouldn't.]

I'm. I'm transgender.

[She exhales.]

But if you're okay with that...I liked tonight a lot. I still like tonight a lot. So, um. You can have more than the sofa, is what I'm saying.

Ne? Izzat all?

Back home we got all kindsa people wakin' up as other people. 'bout five or six per year every term.

[she pauses. Pulls in her lips. Huffs. Sighs.]

An' I'm one of 'em. 6th year. Primary school. Took my dumb ass a week, the first six times I cycled through a buncha weird bug people, a deerboy, and one day I pretty much couldn't get up.

Settled on this. At least I didn't end up a slime 'r somethin'.

Point is, I made beds with weirder.

...how is your version of Japan being more woke than any country on my Earth the LEAST surprising thing you just said. You—when you say you took six cycles to settle on "this"—[she gestures at Mei]—you mean. You used to look like a boy? You're like me?

In Kansai and on Kyushu, anyway. Some ways west, too, out to Yokohama, I think. Effect doesn't quite reach Tokyo, but when everyone knows someone, even if they didn't really change once they got back-- well, even those yukata-boasting guys in Kyoto have somethin' resemblin' a heart.

[She pauses, finally arrives at the heart of the question.]

And. Yeah. ... The other half of that summer vacation was her teachin' me all the family recipes. As if she'd just been waiting fer me to be ready.

...that's really sweet. I don't know a ton about the Japan of my world specifically, but—like I said, yours is ahead of every country on the planet where I'm from.

...oh Jesus, you're prolly autistic too. That's why this went completely over your—okay. Okay, it's fine. It's fine? It's fine.

[Actually, you know what? There's no way this chick is straight, and they've got a whole boat ride. Simran can have some fun.]

...Mei, sweetheart, it's good to know I'm not the weirdest thing you've "made beds with." But do you really think that's all I was saying?

...and more importantly, is that really all that you want?

Edited 2025-12-26 01:25 (UTC)

Nah. 'r at least, I hoped you didn't.

[The shadows begin to foregather on Mei's side of the boat.]

But I gotta be careful about that stuff.

[She pulls in her lips. She's already received one warning tug.]

It's something I cannot currently speak to. That all right?

[Mei's eyes look at the shadows and her rowing slows, then suddenly stops as she drops oars and hunts in her pockets... And produces an ofuda, and sets it on her lap. Then resumes rowing.]

...oh. Like—your situation being complicated before, huh. [She offers an apologetic smile.] Sorry for saying it went over your head.

[Simran hadn't been planning to tap the psychosphere here, but thankfully if there's one thing she's practiced at, it's this. She has no idea if whatever's happening with Mei will even interact with her psychic awareness, but she casts her senses out anyway. It can't hurt to look.]

...would it help if it couldn't see you? I mean—yeah, of course it's alright. Whatever you want is alright. And I can't guarantee my thing will work, but if I can help...well. We could call it my actual return on you giving me a ride. [She flicks her eyes over Mei's shoulders as the other girl rows.]

Edited 2025-12-26 01:49 (UTC)

[What she 'sees' is... Restrictions. Restrictions on restrictions on restrictions, thick enough that it's almost hard to get an idea of what each one, individually, does. But there, right over Mei's throat, is the most vicious speak-me-not curse, with... The oddest release condition: "Until you must speak of your curse, or risk losing love forever."]

[Under that... Have you ever seen a mind, a soul, an Aura, made of literal iron? Because that is what Simran is seeing now.]

What, th' shadow? Nah, that's not the complicated thing.

[As she looks down, Simran will realize: the shadows are all a single psychic emanation. An out of control psychic emanation. And it's Mei's.]

Arguably, making me invisible to it would make things worse for you, so let me confront it.

Edited 2025-12-26 02:29 (UTC)

[At first, Simran isn't sure what to make of it. Her psychic senses translate into something closer to spectrography than human-friendly metaphorical imagery. But with some mental work on her part, she can find understanding the long way around: signal spikes evoke logic gates, and the psychic density suggests circuitboards. She gets the picture. More evil computers. The design of Mei's restrictions oozes malice in the same fashion that a bear trap or an iron maiden does.]

Y'know, raglan syndrome is specific to my world? Well, probably. I'm...kind of psychic. [The same wan smile she was wearing when Mei first met her finds its way onto her face again.] I can't read your mind, but I can move my own around a pretty far distance. Except that the psychic frequency in my particular universe interacts a little weirdly with the actin proteins in my sarcomeres so that when they—

—the biochemistry isn't really important. The important part is when I said "I got sick," what I meant was I have a specific gene that means that my own psychic power is the exact thing that makes my muscles rip themselves apart.

And I couldn't do anything about it. I was just...saved one day, almost like magic, by someone else.

I'm not saying that's you. And it doesn't seem like tonight's the night for it. But when you face it...

[She reaches out to put a hand on Mei's arm.]

...you don't have to do it alone.

Edited 2025-12-26 02:46 (UTC)

[There's a moment, when that offer, that tender touch, does more to break through her heart than anything else. Simran can see the way her eyes widen, gently, the fear in them as the shadows, void of form, raise themselves out of the river...]

[And then, slowly, recede, deciding against whatever course of action it had originally thought of.]

... So. I. Apologize about that one. I messed with a monster, and... Something split from me.

I had worried for a while that it had followed me; that confirmed it. I'm sorry you had to find out this way.

...of course it followed you. It's you, isn't it? It didn't—it never left you, Mei; it's being spun out of your own mind. Or soul, if you're a romantic. I'm not just guessing; I can see it. Interference patterns propagating out from like, the electropsychic activity of your nervous system.

[Simran's hand drifts to trace the outline of Mei's major nerves in the air; her hand remains above the skin, never touching, but it's close. Her voice is unbearably tender. She lost her capacity for self-denial when she fell sick, and her death seemed truly inevitable. It's unbelievably difficult to see someone else do it, and more so to know hear Mei insist that it's necessary. Simran can't know if she's right, especially in this intercosmic junction, but it nonetheless inspires heartache.]

I don't know how much it's connected to the chains on you, but I hope you can figure out how to reclaim your shadows. [And here, she winks, before gesturing towards herself with a gentle humor.] I like to think darkness can be a positive influence, y'know?

Edited 2025-12-26 05:12 (UTC)

[There's a moment where she... swallows, and nods, and admits:]

I just... Don't like admitting that it steals my favorite foods, flirts with random women, arranges flowers to give them...

that they're all things I would do if I wasn't... As you saw.

Hate to break it to you, babe, but as far as "flirting with random women" goes, it kinda seems like you're in the lead. [Simran's voice slips into a teasing register.] To your credit, though. You're good at it.

Trust me, that one's...

[She sighs.]

She's got a long record already.

And honestly, I'm not doing anything I wouldn't do for someone else I know.

[... Oh, she must be an unholy terror back home. 'Bird-hunting Plum', was it?]

Girl, you're insane.

[Simran's voice cools some, though out of contemplation more than any sourness.]

If you want her to get less flirty, I'd say you should maybe start doing less for random girls you meet in the park. But also, like, is it such a bad thing if shadow-Mei hits on a chick? I mean it's def not fair that you can't join in, but you don't owe me an apology for her.

Honestly I'm worried she's going to eat someone one of these days, ya know?

.... that. did not come out right.

You sure? 'cause it sounds right to me. Things you'd do if you weren't like I saw, huh?

[She feels her ears burning and starts to pick up the pace upstream.]

... Leaving that aside, I suppose she hasn't done anyone damage yet. No rumors of mysterious collapses, or such.

Maybe this place can be freeing for her too, then.

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birdchasingecho - 2025-12-28 02:17 (UTC) - Expand

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Test Drive Meme #2: Fallow

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supremely sad to have missed the reserve cutoff now

Sadly, I missed my shot on this character in particular in favor of Gender Balance, like a FOOL

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