March 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

March 2023 TDM

Introduction

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full Navigation ]
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon. You can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Each TDM will provide a scenario for how characters arrive in-game that particular month.

Playing TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are allowed to have in-game characters react to TDMs via the Network or make a log with the prompts. Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

we can't have nice things

Content Warnings: mild body horror

One minute you were a falling star but as your body reforms you become aware of several things: the breeze that caresses your skin is not quite chill, and smells of fresh rain and flowers, while whatever you are laying on is both soft but also a little pointy. Once you've come fully to your senses you will discover that you are laying inside of a giant nest. Around you are eggs at least as tall as you if not larger, and another Star Child like yourself. The nest is, surprisingly, not in a tree but rather on the ground. Looking around will reveal there are a few such nests, some of which have giant white fluffy bunnies sitting on the eggs like hens. Some of them cluck in low, ominous tones.

Okay then.

There are broken eggshells on the floor of the nest of course, but these are rather unusual in that the insides are coated with gold. Look closer at the giant eggs and you will see that they have a faint light glowing inside. You can just barely make out something that sure doesn't look organic.

Well, well. Something valuable might just be in there!


make an omelette

You can use one of the bigger branches making up the nest, any powers you might have, or one of the funky new traits you might have been gifted. Maybe you can just use ol' Fisty and Punchy there on the ends of your arms. However you choose to do it, you can bust that egg wide open to claim your prize!

But what spills from the egg is a beautiful, shining version of yourself. Radiant. Angelic. Perfect.

And then your lookalike belches and mutates before your very eyes into a gooey, gelatinous horror. (You ever see Akira?) At its center is another egg, this one small and golden.

This creature wastes no time at all in attacking you and whoever else has the misfortune to be in the nest with you whether they helped you break the egg or not. Good luck fighting it off! Lucky for you if you look outside of the next you will find regular weapons scattered about - non-enchanted guns, knives, shields and the like.

Due to its gooshy and malleable form, the creature is extremely hard to damage, but the little gold egg is of course the key: smash that, and the creature will melt away. It leaves a sticky, foul smelling residue but also a golden chest. Inside, each of you will find some canon clothes and/or an item from your homeworlds. (This may include a canonical weapon.)


hope springs eternal

Perhaps you're not the destructive type. (Or maybe you've consumed enough media to know that bashing into things for treasure rarely ends well.) In that case, you are free to crawl out of the nest and try to find your way somewhere a little less weird.

Luckily there's a path that winds its way through tangled underbrush that sparkles with the condensation of spring mornings. The path leads you over shallow hills and into a field of wildflowers, all nodding in the breeze. You can see that the path leads on towards civilization but right in the center of the field and the path is a huge tree. It has many straight, evenly placed branches, which makes it perfect for climbing. In fact, it seems to beg to be climbed. There's definitely enough room for two to be able to do so.

The tree is crowned with another nest. This one is not so large as the ones you escaped - it could belong to a heron, or an osprey. Inside are several blue speckled eggs, about the size of a baseball.

Once you're at the top of the tree, you can see so much of the great realm of Folkmore. The air is clean and clear, and as you look out at this place you are filled with a bubbling sense of all that is possible with a fresh start.

You're so overcome with this feeling, as a matter of fact, that you feel compelled to share something you hope for with your companion. They just feel like someone you can trust with this right now.

A sharing of hopes and dreams has an unusual effect: it causes the eggs in the nest to hatch. They split open quite undramatically, and inside are flower bulbs, and some small sentimental object from home. Once planted and grown, these flowers will emit an aura of optimism; being near them will inspire you with hope. (The object from your homeworld may not be a weapon in this case.)

here's to my real friends

You've found yourself in any one of the neighbourhoods of Folkmore at dusk. The weather is pleasant and perfect for walking, so naturally that makes this a great time to explore wherever you've wound up.

While taking your little stroll, you suddenly hear a noise: a soft waow. Or maybe instead you see two wide eyes staring at you from the shadows. Stopping and waiting a moment will reward you with the appearance of a cat.

Well, sort of.

It's at least partly a cat. The other part seems to be something else. A slug, or an owl, or a moth perhaps. Any other critter that is approximately cat-sized or smaller. This hybrid cat is extremely friendly, twining around your ankles and making cute noises.

Then it runs away. But not too far. And makes its little noises at you again.

Look, genius, it wants you to follow it.

Your cat hybrid will lead you unerringly to another hybrid cat, who is also being followed by a Star Child. Yes, these little creatures are forcing you into a meet-cute. Heavy emphasis on the cute.

Chatting with this stranger will result in happy cats. Try to ditch the person you've just met and the cats will yowl and hiss at you. You can of course ignore them and storm off like the antisocial gremlin you are, but is it really worth the racket? Maybe it's better to just hang out for a little while.

This is also a good time to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Depending on where you are, there may be businesses that are still open, places to find food and drinks, or just natural landmarks worth looking at. You and your new companion may not be from worlds remotely similar to Folkmore after all, and it all may be a little overwhelming.

You will at least make a friend regardless if you go the sociable route - you can adopt your cat hybrid. But you have to feed it and clean up after it!

Comments

Questions?

[folkie]

Ask them here!

Ryu Kamara. | Handead Anthem. | Legend.

[homesurf]

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL.

[ Luckily, Ryu is the type to get open and vulnerable; comparatively, anyway. He's not really one to shy away from sharing such things. Hopes and dreams well up in him for himself, for his organization, his comrades, his friends, all of Japan even.

So sharing this isn't too foreign for him. He's all grins at the top of the tree, hands on his hips to look out over the scenery around him and his companion. ]

You know... The forest ain't all bad. I'm used to beaches 'n cities, so I don't see much of this scenery back home... I hope I can create a world where everyone can see this kind of beauty, even in places less picturesque.

[ His grin splits wider, and he looks every part the Legend he now is here. ]

Heh. Kinda sappy, but its true. How 'bout you? This bring anything up for you?

HERE'S TO MY REAL FRIENDS.

[ This little cat-moth sure is something. He's been seeing weird things here ever since he arrived, sure, but something so cute that wants him to follow...

Rikyo would be having a field day.

He's been out at a few shops on Luan Street, carrying with him a fancy iced bubble tea that reminds him of Okinawa. With another in hand (one he hasn't touched) he follows after the little creature curiously.

And bumps right into someone a few paces off.

Meet-cute indeed. ]

Oh! My bad, should've been watching where I was going. You okay?

here's to my real friends.

[sharehappy]

R ... Ryu?!

( Zumi straight up drops his own drink; some fancy blue thing with popping pearls from another shop. )

Aah, no! Shit! I mean, I'm glad you're here, I just—

( Fuck it.

He launches himself at Ryu, wrap his arms around his neck in a giant hug. Feels his throat sting with pressure from the mere sight of him, the familiar weight of him against him. Steady. )

Y ... You're real, right? Please tell me you're real ...

here's to my real friends.

[shimashima]

[ As far as collisions go, this one isn't anything bad, especially after relenting and following that strange yet cute cat hybrid creature. It seems there's a second one of those, and both begin purring as the man on the other end of the collision speaks up.

Nothing has been dropped, there are no spills anywhere. Alice adjusts the grocery bag he has in his hold, waving his free hand for the concern. ]

We're both uninjured, and our belongings are intact, yes? Besides, aren't these distracting animals the true culprits?

[ The weird cats definitely appear to approve of the exchange, somehow... ]

Hope Springs Eternal

[possessionconfession]

[Up here, Akiha figures things maybe aren't as bad as he first felt. Maybe Yukuri will show up, maybe he'll learn how to control the fox on his own.

And he nods as Ryu admires the scenery.]

I was visiting a shrine back home, and it was pretty too. So I can understand wanting pretty places like this. [But, as far as his own feelings, well... he hesitates.

His own feelings are weird and not things you share with other people, right? That's how he's lost friends before.

But the feeling up here tells him that maybe, just maybe, this time will be different. It was different with Yukuri, after all.]

Well, I... I kind of want my body to myself. In my bloodline, we've been possessed by a fox for generations. But mine... mine really manifested. I grow ears and a tail, and the fox is just the worst. He causes so much trouble. But, I want to take my body back, and have a good college life, and make friends, and even...

[And even...? Just what was he going to say next? His cheeks turn red, and he doesn't know what he planned to say. But he'll just ignore it.]

Rachel | Animorphs | Myth.

[grizzliest]

01. ) WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

//////////////////////////////// NEST ////

( First she was with the Ellimist, and now she's here.

It's jarring, to say the least; mind going a million miles a minute, she wonders what kind of fucked up prank that damned God wannabe is pulling with the fox. What's his angle?

Her brain spins, and she's frozen in place for a few excruciating moments. She watches the egg before her, glowing and bright and unsettling.

Turning to her companion, tense and on guard, she speaks. )

... There can't be anything good here in that egg. Stand back, okay?

02. ) HERE'S TO MY REAL FRIENDS

//////////////////////////////// LUAN STREET ////

( Getting used to what Folkmore has to offer, and coming to terms with her place in all of this, is going a little better than she would have thought she'd do on the other side of things.

Potential, huh ... It's something she can get behind. She just has a lot of learning to do no matter where she is.

The creature before her is a cross between a grizzly bear cub and a cat, because of course.

Following carefully, keeping her head on a swivel, Rachel goes through the busy Luan street with cautious curiosity. )

Come back here, I wanna acquire you! You can hear me, right?!

we can’t have nice things!

[daemoncore]

[ Aemond isn’t used to people trying to protect him. That’s his job. He’s so surprised he doesn’t react right away, struggling to process that. Part of him yearns for it, in truth—to be able to rely on someone, anyone, to be able to let his guard down for a moment or two and know he’s in safe hands. He’d spent his entire life groomed to be his brother’s protector, and his whole family, really, that sometimes he just doesn’t want to keep fighting.

But he can’t. Too much pride, this one. Aemond is scrambling to his feet and puffing up, indignant. ] Shouldn’t you stand back? You’re not armed. [ Neither are you, Aemond. ]

dream of the endless — the sandman (netflix)

[meowpheus]

we can’t have nice things.

[ Dream doesn’t move for a long moment. He just ... sits there, motionless, stray bits of twigs and a leaf here and there clinging to his dark coat, somehow brooding in the middle of a giant nest. Yes, he looks ridiculous. No, he doesn’t realize. It’s a while before he finally raises his head to peer up at his surroundings, blinking owlishly as if coming out of deep meditation. He doesn’t seem to notice his fellow nest companion, too distracted by the eggs and what they might contain. Dream isn’t entirely sure what lies inside, but he’s convinced it shouldn’t be disturbed.

Finally, he stands, slowly and deliberately like a cat unfurling itself, and he looks to the other person next to him. ] Don’t. [ ... such a helpful warning, Dream. He stands there awkwardly for another minute, staring at the other person with a curious look. But he doesn’t elaborate on that, either.

Instead, he continues with: ] We should leave. [ It doesn’t sound like a suggestion. ]

here’s to my real friends.

[ Your encounter with the hybrid cat will lead you to a large Maine Coon. He seems like the kind of animal that doesn’t offer his trust easily, and true to form, he doesn’t approach you, though he won’t run away if you come closer. Dream isn’t skittish, thank you. (Usually.) If you don’t realize he’s a shape-shifter right away and call him out on it, you’re free to interact with his cat form—though he doesn’t seem interested in being touched. Dream will peer at you with unusually dark eyes, as if assessing, and flick his tail. That must mean you passed, right?

... Right? ]

[bloodburdened]

[Mariane is Fereldan. not so affectionally known as dog lords throughout the rest of Thedas. she herself had her own Mabari from home with her.

however. it's a truth commonly acknowledged that Mariane has far more personality traits in common with cats than she does with people. they're both highly finicky and fastidious, they both were slow to warm up to new people, and they both liked to play with their prey.

only by prey, insert "darkspawn"

like Mariane, the kitten has proportionately sized blue butterfly wings and the kitten is riding on the Mabari's back with no signs of distress.

she seats herself in front of the cat, legs neatly folded beneath her and she gives the large cat a calm, carefully curious expression]

Greetings. [most of the other animals talked, why not this one?]

Akiha Konno | Fox-Coloured Jealousy | Undecided Role

[possessionconfession]

((OOC: Akiha comes from a lineage of possessions by fox. The fox is a brat, and will come out whenever he pleases. Sometimes Akiha will have fox ears and a tail from the fox, too. The fox's thoughts and words will be marked by BLUE for ease of understanding who's who to the player. Thank you.))

..::|| No Nice Things ||::..

Laying there, he doesn't move. He doesn't want to. There's a version of him that's stayed home, and he's fully envious. There, he knew he was safe. He knew there was some form of control, even if it wasn't his own.

But here?

Here, he's alone again. Alone with that cursed fox that resides within him. And he just... doesn't want to move. As if maybe he can stay frozen in time, until Thirteen sends him back, until Yukuri can follow him here. Even as uncomfortable as whatever this bed he's laying on is.

"This isn't fair..." he lets out in a bit of a whine. What is potential even supposed to mean? He wants to be angry. Okay, he actually is angry. But he's hoping, praying if he just doesn't move and pretends not to do anything, he can hold on to what little control he has left.

Yukuri isn't here, so I don't have to keep that promise, y'know? His fox ears and tail comes out, and he's no longer himself as the fox takes over his body. Sitting up and brushing his back to dust any of the sharp things off of him. I've been so bored holding back.

Of course, he's angry, too. Just as much as Akiha, if not more. He liked being around Yukuri. Yukuri felt nice. Much better than this nest of eggs somehow lined with gold. It does look strange, doesn't it? And there sure are a lot of broken ones around here. But he sees one that isn't broken.

You know, he thinks he'll take his temper out on that. It should be a nice release. Thank you for the gift, Thirteen. He grabs one of the biggest branches he can find and swings at it as hard as he can, breaking it open. But the contents aren't at all what he expected. It looks like Akiha? Sort of? In a way he's never quite seen him or himself. Before it.... did it just... burp? And then it squelches and becomes something else entirely. And FoxAkiha just frowns in disgust, jumping quickly out of the way as it attacks him.

"For real?" Look, he just wanted to vent his anger and have some fun after being cooped up inside for much too long anyway. Some welcoming party. He looks over and notices you, and well...

He softens his features, and does his best to look at least a little helpless. "Please help me..." Ignore him having broken the egg. That doesn't concern you.


..::|| To the Real Friends ||::..

Akiha isn't moping. He totally is moping. Why is he here again? At least the fox is quiet for the moment, but he has no idea how long that will last either.

He gives a long, heavy sigh. He had it good back at home. At least he thought so. Yukuri managed to keep that fox from acting up during the day. He started to have a decent college life, with people, with... would he dare to call them friends? He wanted to make friends, anyway.

And now, all of that feels ruined again. Maybe all foxes are just terrible creatures. Maybe Thirteen pulled him here as some kind of prank. Maybe Thirteen and his fox conspired to get him away from Yukuri so the fox could be free again.

...Okay, that last one seems to not quite add up. He knows the fox liked Yukuri a lot, too. A lot a lot. Enough to be a jerk about it and use his body for anything he wanted.

Another sigh. He just wants to go home.

But a sound of a cat has other ideas. For a flash of a second, maybe it's one of Yukuri's cats. Maybe he's here after all? and he turns on his heal to find...

A cat. With... is that thing part pangolin? Uhh....


At least it's friendly, he supposes. It's all brushing up against him and purring and stuff. Okay, cute wins. Even if it is weird. But as he leans down to try and pet it, it runs off a little bit, before looking back at him, meowing again. He walks a little towards it, before it walks a few paces and repeats those meows.

Okay. Following it works.

Please don't be something scary.

And please don't let the fox come out again.

He walks after the cat for a length of time, until he sees your cat-thing, and you by extension. He holds his breath, praying extra hard for the fox to mind its own business. Please don't embarass him. Just this once.

"Uh-uhm... Hi." He's... trying. He'd rather be hiding. But this thing brought him here for some reason, he thinks. So... "You... come here often?"

Yea, he's not good at this. As he tries to back up a bit, his cat companion hisses at him. And he stops. Oh, boy, what has he gotten into?

I meant to tag this AGES ago! To The Real Friends

[shinra_dog]

Reno was staring down at his own strange cat-thing... with tentacles. That was weird. When the kid approached him and threw out a corny pick-up line, his dumbfounded gaze just shifted targets.

... What?

A moment later, Reno burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. The small tentacled cat meowed loudly and waved its appendages in the air. "Uh, no," he replied. "This is definitely new."

Scott Summers | X-Men: Apocalypse | Undecided Role

[laserguy]

make an omelette;
[While a part of Scott wants to just go ahead and break the egg out of some morbid teenage curiosity, it also seems like a pretty bad idea. Like. This egg is huge, man. What if it's some dinosaur egg and what hatches out is only gonna eat him? Yeah, that's... sort of a cool way to die, but also, he doesn't want to die, so just going to side step those eggs.

Especially since it's not dinosaurs, but giant rabbits?? Whatever.

When he sees another Star Child, Scott lets out a small, if relieved sigh, because at least someone here is normal sized like him. Although, he might also get a little pissy if he sees them poking at the egg--]

Hey. Let's probably leave these eggs alone.

hope springs eternal;
[Climbing to the top? Well, one slightly immature teenager is already sitting at its highest peak, swinging his legs from the branch and looking like he's enjoying himself. If you need help climbing to the last branch, he'll actually offer his assistance with a hand reaching out, but a slightly sarcastic remark will also emit from him, commenting 'geez, you're a handful.'

If you don't need help, he'll just look at anyone that decides to join him on the branch. There are ruby shades covering his eyes, but he doesn't seem too annoyed that someone decided to sit with him.]

...Do you know about mutants? [It feels weird talking about this so suddenly, especially to someone that he doesn't even know. Not to mention the fact that he's only been a mutant for a couple of days now.] Hope we get to live in peace with everyone else.

[The hell, man?? That was so fucking cheesy. For some reason, however, Scott doesn't take back his words.]

here's to my real friends;
[Why is he following around a weird hybrid cat? Well, it's sort of a freak, and he's a freak, so why not?

Scott's hands are buried in the pockets of his jacket, looking around at everything-- this new world that he's in. Figures that as soon as he becomes a mutant, he's thrust into a whole new place, because getting used to firing lasers optic beams from his eyes wasn't enough. The Professor mentioned about helping him control his powers, but he doesn't know where to start.

The grumpy teenager is only pulled from his thoughts when he notices that his cat has stopped with another strange looking cat, and so Scott turns his eyes to the owner of the other weird animal.]

...Hey.

[What else is he supposed to say here??]

[ooc: Free feel to wildcard me anything! Scott here is from early on in the movie, just leaving the mall with Jean and the othres.]

make an omelette

[crowneddragon]

["Normal sized" is maybe a bit of a stretch here. Sure Esteban is 'normal sized' if compared to, say, the rabbits, but he's hardly tiny. Stretches almost a full head taller than most other star children on a bad day, like right now.]

[They are absolute, complete strangers. It doesn't stop Esteban. It never stops Esteban. He peers at his companion with bright eyes and a brighter grin, mischief scrunching his nose as he lays his palm gently onto the egg.]

"Maybe they'll hatch!" [He cheerfully states-- or maybe protests(?)-- cheeky grin still in place.]

"What d'you think would hatch outta these?" [It's all for fun and games really, and despite his words, he's stepping along with the stranger, avoiding the blissfully unaware bunny-hens watching over the eggs.]

Thorfinn | Vinland Saga | undecided role (probably familiar)

[thorsson]

WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

A; make an omelette?

Thorfinn jolts into consciousness, sitting bolt upright immediately. He's suspicious because he has to be, always sure there will be some attack, but…well, where and what the hell is this?

He looks up at the biggest rabbit he's ever seen. Rabbits have never been a threat, obviously, but this one looks menacing. He quickly considers whether or not to try to kill it, but then it turns and fusses over an egg nearby and he decides not to push that. (You can notice this decision making process if you want.)

He glances down, noticing a broken shell that crunches under his foot. It's gold? Well, whatever, he's never cared about shit like that.

He's turning away to leave without worrying about what's inside those other eggs. Stop him, or get him accidentally involved because you opened an egg!

B; hope springs eternal

Whether or not Thorfinn got caught up in fighting some goo monster, eventually he gets free of the next, climbing out and finding the forest. This still isn't familiar and he's still innately suspicious. Climbing trees is pretty old hat for him, but this one is extra easy? Well, fine.

"What is with these nests," he mutters, hauling himself up onto a branch next to it.

He looks out at the expanse of Folkmore, staring transfixed for a moment.

"Whoa…" he says, not realising he spoke aloud. Talk to him and get a hope somewhere in the conversation!

HERE'S TO MY REAL FRIENDS

Thorfinn sticks to the trees or shadows at first, not entirely sure he wants to be seen. Too bad for him, since Folkmore itself has other plans.

It starts with a weird, slinky cat creature, almost like a slug but much cuter. Thorfinn tries to scare it off, but it doesn't seem at all bothered by him or afraid of him.

It takes him a stupid amount of time to finally catch on that he's meant to follow the cat-slug; he's obtuse maybe on purpose, not wanting to be roped into anything. But eventually he goes.

This meet-cute is a little hardmode; Thorfinn isn't much for conversation. He's distant and sullen. He might try to walk away, but he doesn't want to hear that wailing cat noise either.

He does feel overwhelmed by all of this!

"What do these things want, anyway?" he asks.

WILDCARD

[ toss something else at me! ]

[cutestrength]

The first indication Thorfinn gets that someone else is coming the other way is an airy giggle, almost like the tinkling of bells. Following the fuzzy wuzziest catmoth you ever did see is a spritely human with hair in cotton candy colors, happily lavishing praise on it.

"Oh, you're just so CUTE! Where are we going? To a kittybug party?" he asks with another giggle. Then, he looks up and sees Thorfinn and his catslug, and raises his hand in an energetic wave. It doesn't matter that he's never seen the other person before, or how open he looks to socializing, he's made for this kind of scenario.

As the two cat-like critters meet and exchange greetings unique to their species, Rosado regards Thorfinn with a bright smile, "Hi! Are you going to the party too?"

There is of course zero evidence to support a party is happening, but Rosado has become so enamored of the idea he's going to run with it and hope it's true!

Doraemon | Stand By Me Doraemon

[fourthdimensonpocket]

Hope Springs Eternal

[Having escaped from the strange egg lair, Doraemon found himself in a brand new world. It was a beautiful place far removed from the small town he and Nobita had lived in, and even further from the future he hailed from. But the mood was one of optimism and idyllic serenity. The small robot cat would at some point look up at those around him and speak.]

This place is interesting, but I hope my friend Nobita will be ok without me.

Friends

[The blue, earless, cat robot had found a strange cat/moth hybrid and was currently attempting to play with it. At some point, Doraemon takes a propeller-like device out of the pocket on his stomach and attaches it to the cat's head. After a confusing moment, the cat begins to hover in the air, the propeller on his head whirling like a helicopter blade. Doraemon laughed, it was a funny sight.]

Friends

[crowneddragon]

[It's not long before the moth cat gets swiped at; from a small red critter that stands on its hindlegs and tries to bat at the pearlescent little cat. It trills loudly as a tall young man crouches near the robot cat, peering at it curiously.]

"Are y' all lost?" [He asks the critters, clearly thinking that they are all... well, in the same situation. Three almost-but-not-quite-cats. He's quick to toss his small woolen cape over his head and offer it to them.]

"C'mere," [The tall man soothes gently.] "I don't bite!" [He promises with a toothy grin.]

Jean Gunnhildr | Genshin Impact | Legend

[actinggrandmaster]

Hope Springs Eternal

[Well then. That was an interesting feeling. Leaving her other self back in Mondstadt, then falling through the sky to land in a giant nest. Not something she'd expected to be doing that morning when she woke up.

Plans change, though. And she could be flexible.

Getting out of the nest, she brushes off some twig bits and starts to follow the path away from the nest. The scenery reminded her a bit of home, and she enjoyed it... pausing when she finds a tree that seemed to call her to climb it.

Climbing to the top of the tree, she pauses in the new nest... Mostly checking for the owner, before looking out over Folkmore.

Wow. It's gorgeous...

Real Friends

Is that... an owlcat?

[Jean couldn't believe what she was seeing, but the creature seemed to want her to follow it. Sure, she worried about danger, so she followed it slowly, making sure to watch where she was going while trailing it.

The creature stops next to another cat like thing... also followed by someone. Jean stops where she is, raising her hand in greeting.]

Hello.

Wild Card

[Hit me up with something else~?]

Real friends

[shadowsincryo]

[The man standing by the cat laughs. He hasn’t stopped wearing his uniform from Mondstadt. It goes well with his dark blue furred wolf ears and tail.

Kaeya twitches his ears. His cat is half sparrow. He kneels down and scoops it up. He turns it over to give belly rubs as he says,] As odd as this place can be, I’m quite happy to see you.

Diluc will be too. When did you get here? [His long fluffy tail is wagging behind him. He balances the cat with one arm and tries to stop the wagging with the other.]

Joseph Joestar | Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency | Familiar.

[sleightpunk]

01. ) WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

//////////////////////////////// NEST ////

E-eh?! Who's this handsome devil ... ?!

( Joseph pointing at the shining and angelic version of himself, stuck up in the nest with another Star Child ... He has his priorities straight. )

He's like me, but so ... not like me! And that pisses me off!

( Then a sober kind of statement, suddenly made a little serious with the situation: )

... Is he better looking than me? Be honest! I can take it.

02. ) HERE'S TO MY REAL FRIENDS

//////////////////////////////// WILLOW ////

( This little moth puppy is terribly adorable, and as Joseph follows intently, he's acutely reminded of Kars. At least in part. Melding together animals and animal traits was that guy's whole thing, so of course he's thinking about that.

Going through Willow. Arms outstretched, slightly hunched over. Chasing after a moth puppy. Talking to it.

You know, as you do. )

Where's the fire, friend? Or ... where's the Pillar Men, I should ask!

/yeets self at

[suzi_q]

[It's not often that Suzi tends to go out towards Willow unless she has a specific reason to and this time it was simply to pick up local produce, a basket hanging off her wrist as she's humming a song softly to herself. One of the owl-cats is what catches her attention, slowly blinking at the small creature. It's interesting, she'll give it that.

And luckily she's not too difficult to convince to follow and she's quick to do so, turtle dove wings folded neatly against her back and luckily she's figured out how to turn off the halo.

Once the creature stops she's looking up from her companion, eyes widening. Oh. Oh.]

Joseph?

Nita Callahan | Young Wizards (CRAU) | Familiar

[unfavorableinstigation]

We Can't Have Nice Things

Star Light, Star Bright? (To Fellow Newcomers)
All Nita could feel at first was that she was not inside a piece of luggage. (That was a positive.)
But as the wind and smells roused her, she came to realize she wasn't on her bed, either. Not in her room, and not in her... home?

Stretching, the wizard reached up, pulling herself into a sitting position, her gaze first catching on:

"... Okay, have we shrunk or something? I haven't seen a rabbit that big before!"

Hope Springs Eternal (Open to All Dealing with the nests)

It had made no sense to Nita to speak to an egg that clearly didn't have anyone in it... but perhaps the rest of the people here could shed some light on her (their) situation.

/All I'll say, boss,/ the peridexis said to her, a quiet reassuring presence in the back of her mind, lurking with a wonder that was clear to her. /Is that our ride probably didn't drop us off here./

Nita nodded, a visible reaction to an otherwise inaudible voice, wondering if the reason she felt hope was because she couldn't see what had become of the Voidtrecker Express, or her friends. And where's my sister?

The peridexis had no answer to that, either.

Here's To My Real Friends

Introduce Yourself! (Narrative)

Nita could feel her whiskers twitch - and the distraction caused by that sensation almost made her miss a new arrival.

Miow.

/... Dai Stiho? I'm on errantry and I greet you,/ Nita replied, finding herself face to face with a rather cute animal whose species name was escaping her. It looked sort of aquatic in nature, yet here it walked on land with no trouble at all.

Were these a new species altogether, or was it fair to assume they were also of the People? Only one way to find out, it seemed.

Not that the creature seemed anything other than faintly amused by Nita's words, or their nature.

Mrrr-meow! It gestured with a paw, and Nita shrugged to herself, tilting her head in a way that she felt indicated sure, why not?

It was better than just playing charades.

Introducing Everyone! (Open To All, down in the neighborhoods)

Nita could see for herself that the cat-types had descended on this place in droves - but they weren't the only people present to talk to, after all.

She'd wave, both to anyone the creature led her to and even just to general townspeople, half-hoping to spot someone familiar...

Come say hello?

introducing everyone

[blue_ice]

Nita might recognize one of the people milling about town, grumpily being herded by a cat. He's tall, still wearing ridiculous coats, and sour as ever...but oddly, his hair has turned a deep red and now stretches to his knees. It's tied back in a messy ponytail, and he's had to throw it over his shoulder to keep it away from a curious cat-creature.

His eyes widen when he's herded in her direction. "...Nita?"

Steven Grant | Moon Knight (MCU) | Legend

[spktr]

we can’t have nice things - hope springs eternal

[While this is hardly the first time Steven has woken up somewhere strange and unfamiliar, he has to admit this is, by far, the strangest predicament he could have found himself in. Never mind the whole falling star situation, but once he’s come to his own body again he wakes up in what can only be described as an Easter Nightmare. He's definitely had a dream like this before. Rather than stick around to see what all the glowing eggs are about though he opts for the next best option of escape.

He doesn’t make it far but at least he’s capable of running away until he reaches a far more tempting sight of a very climbable tree. Going up can at least give him a good look at this place, right? As he climbs, every anxious signal in his body is prickling to the surface though, realizing quite quickly how alone he is, his mind far too quiet, and this world far too picturesque despite its strangeness. Thankfully, the sight he finds at the very top is more comforting than it is terrifying, the sight of civilization up ahead a relief, the beauty he finds in his surroundings a balm to his racing heart, even though something still feels… wrong. So very wrong.

He’s so lost in his own head he doesn’t yet realize there’s someone joining him in this very tree, eyes scanning the horizon with a conflicting sense of peace that oddly troubles him at once. This feels like a fresh start but at what cost?]

This must be a bad dream. A hallucination? I’ve gone mad again. [He murmurs more to himself than anything, but despite his skepticism, he knows all too well deep down that this is indeed very real.]

here’s to my real friends

[It’s difficult to be too upset when the world around him is so pleasant, even at dusk, the weather a perfect temperature, and despite the disconcerting silence in his mind, he finds himself getting lost in his thoughts anyway. This all feels like some mystical, impossible dream no matter how much he tries to rationalize it, and despite trying desperately to understand all that bloody fox explained to him along the way, all Steven can worry about is why he’s alone.

The only thing that stops him from wandering too far into the wrong part of town (if that even exists) is the sudden sense that he is being followed, and even before hearing the little creature yell out to him, he knows there’s something nearby needing help, or at least asking for attention. The most surprising part is the adorable little slug… cat… thing (hybrid?) he finds at his feet rather than a typical stray, though Steven is immediately charmed by its friendliness, even crouching down with a happy gasp to give it some pets, undeterred by the strange appearance.]

Oh - hello there, poppet. Aren’t you fascinating… Are you hungry? Lost?

[The irony there is loud and clear even to Steven, who quickly realizes the creature wants him to follow with its happy little chirps, and considering where he’s ended up today his instincts simply tell him to follow and not question it anymore. Things can’t get any weirder, right?

It’s in an awful hurry and Steven does his best to keep up with the pace, still in his bloody house slippers from home, shuffling along as fast as he can. He has no idea where he’s going or who he’ll run into, but he’d certainly be happy for some companionship in a situation like this, even as he remains wary of the world around him. It's obvious Steven is uncomfortable. Eyes flicker to different colors with his confusing emotions in the meantime, even if Steven himself doesn’t realize it, his posture hunched and uncertain, the sleeves of his too-big shirt tucked into his palms as he follows the creature and sighs out loud:]

This feels like a trap.

(ooc: feel free to wildcard me too!)

here's to my real friends

[morethanatrickster]

[It might have been one of the most curious creatures he's ever laid eyes on, but he decided he'd follow it. What is likely this was another of Thirteen's little tests? Absolutely. Could it be a threat in disguise? Most definitely.

Was he incapable of ignoring the fascination of capturing a creature with the head of a cat and the claws of a lobster? Undoubtedly.

He took the creature wandering off in stride, not even using any of his magic to stop or slow the...lobcat? Catster? Yes. Catster. He wasn't expecting the stumble upon another on this little journey of discover, though as soon as his eyes fell upon the familiar man, he wasn't sure why he wouldn't assume it. Thirteen's tests often focused on their coming together.

No, not familiar, or maybe slightly. Could he really be expected to remember the intricacies of every human he met?

He smirked sardonically at his comment, though, rolling his shoulders in a shrug.]

The fox is involved. It's undoubtedly a trap.

Phil Coulson | MCU | Familiar

[tasernanny]

Make an Omelette

Waking up in a giant nest is one of the stranger places Phil’s woken up in his long career with SHIELD. It’s less disorienting than the back of an ice cream truck and more worrisome than waking up in Medical. The last thing he remembers is being on the Bus which is also worrisome because if he was kidnapped then what happened to his team?

To answer that question he has to get out of the nest. There are large eggs in his way that are polished bright gold. Bright enough that Phil can see himself in their shells. He’s slightly concerned when he sees because for a second he could’ve sworn his eyes were not his own but an orange-red and the pupils were the wrong shape. He studies himself closely but his eyes stay the same.

A lingering effect of the dream?

The crack of a stick lets him know he’s not alone. He leans around the egg and considers the person also in the nest with him.

“Hi,” he says with a small wave. “Any idea how we got here?”

---

Hope Springs Eternal

There is a pigeon sitting on the highest branch of the tree.

It’s a rather plain pigeon. Grey feathers with a few black markings on the wings, iridescent green/purple feathers around the neck, and red-orange eyes. The sort of pigeon anyone who’s lived in a big city wouldn’t look twice at. It seems perfectly content where it is even when someone climbs up to the highest branch to join the pigeon.

It looks over, head cocked slightly to the side in the way pigeons do and studies them for a second. Then it ignores the person. Like any city pigeon would do. It does not seem to care at all.

Until the other person speaks their hope. It could be soft under their breath or a shout but only after they’ve spoken does the pigeon change into a man. A simple, plain man in a simple suit.

Phil’s still comfortable even so high up without wings. The branch is very stable. He nods a greeting, watching to make sure his sudden appearance didn’t startle the person into falling. He’s not sure this new ability to transform himself comes with anything large enough to catch a person.

“That’s a nice hope,” he says with a small smile. “I really hope my job becomes useless some day.”

One day, the world might not need people like himself. Phil’s hopeful but he knows realistically that’s not going to happen. That doesn’t matter when it’s a hope. Hope doesn’t have to be logical or possible. It just is.

“Sorry for startling you,” he adds, idly kicking his feet back and forth.

---

Here’s To My Real Friends

Considering everything else going on Phil is only mildly surprised by the owl-cat that’s staring at him. He’s already figured out this is not Earth. It could potentially be Asgard given the magical elements to the world but so far no one’s come to greet him. If this was Asgard then Hiemdall would’ve seen him and sent Thor to greet the Son of Coul.

The owl-cat is cute and fluffy and trying to use that to their advantage and make him follow them but Phil has stubbornly refused to move from his spot.

“I understand you want me to follow you,” he says calmly, arms crossed over his chest. “But I’m familiar with fairy tales and legends. Following an unknown creature into the woods is a great way to find trouble or end up cursed.”

The rules of engagement were different in this seemingly fairy tale land. Phil is not going to make the mistake of traveling deep into the dark woods because some potentially fae spirit wanted him to.

“If I follow you I might end up dancing to death and I’d rather not do that again.”

Not dancing. Phil actually enjoys dancing. He doesn’t want to die again. Once was enough.

The owl-cat fluffs up in annoyance and hisses at him, eyes narrowed. Phil’s expression doesn’t change calm stoicism. Most importantly he doesn't move an inch.

---

Wildcard

Feel free to throw anything else at me. I've set Phil at the end of Season 1 of Agents of SHIELD. You can PM if you've got questions!

here's to my real friends

[culver]

Nill should know better than to follow the moth-cat. She does know better. Thirteen has a way of making the most innocent or innocuous situations go south on a dime. Because of this, Nill has a healthy sense of suspicion for just about every new person or thing she encounters in Folkmore. But this time, that wily fox has found one of her weak spots.

The moth-cat is cute. Really cute.

Nill is not immune to the adorable, fluffy, big-eyed creature purring and twining around her legs, though she ought to be. But as soon as she starts to reach for its head for a pat, it slinks away, continuing to purr, looking over its shoulder at her in what, for a cat, amounts to a beckoning way. And even though her intuition has developed a solid danger meter, she doesn't get any bad feeling from the creature, and since they're still well within the bounds of Willow, she decides to follow it. But she tells herself that the moment it leaves the city limits, she's out.

It does not lead her outside the village, though it gets close. She hears a man's voice before she sees him, and it sounds like he's vocalizing everything she thought to herself just a few minutes ago (and promptly ignored). Nill rolls her eyes; of course this was a way to get her to meet someone new. Thirteen is nothing if not consistent.

As she rounds a tree and sees the man, standing there with a spitting owl-cat at his feet, Nill's brows raise in surprise. He is... wearing a suit. In Willow. And arguing with a cat. It's almost too ridiculous a scene for her to laugh at, but she can't help it, and her shoulders shake a little as a little smile finds her face. The moth-cat that led her here coos and purrs again, little moth wings fluttering at its success in leading its Star Child to her destination. Nill's wings flick behind her as well, though she stops a few yards away from the man and raises a hand in greeting from a safe distance.

Minato Arisato | Persona 3 | Familiar

[afoolshope]

Hope Springs Eternal

[Look. Every video game he has ever played has taught him that smashing what looks like treasure can result in one of two things. An actual prize or, most often, a monster. Minato was in a new, unknown land. All he had was a Spoon and some sort of device that looked strangely like that one portable gaming console. Yes, let's leave the nest and figure this out without potentially fighting some kinda treasure chest mimic or whatever. He found a random path and followed along it, taking in the rather gorgeous scenery of morning dew and wildflowers.

It reminded him of Graduation Day. It was cherry blossoms in the breeze at that point, when he fell asleep on the rooftop to his friends calling out to him. That was when the Fox came, wasn't it? When he fell asleep, never to wake? He sort of wondered what that meant, now that he was here. But he decided not to dwell on that and instead, focus on the super climbable tree before him.]

Race to the top?

[There was a small smile on his face, amusement in his eyes. Why not make it fun? It had been awhile since he got to climb on a jungle gym, and this was the closest thing. So, he started climbing.]

The Cat Returns

[Minato knew you just have to follow a cat, even if it was an owlcat, when it yells at you like that. It's just what you do. Besides, the owlcat was cute. He followed along through the unknown neighborhood (look, he was still new here) until he stumbled upon another Star. The owlcat yowled at him again and he tilted his head in confusion.]

Er, hello.

[Was this who the cat wanted him to meet? But-

Minato let out a startled yelp when the owlcat bumped right into his ankles (on purpose, no doubt), causing him to trip right into the other individual. Hopefully, he doesn't take you down with him, fellow Star!]

The Cat Returns

[nonbinarystar]

"Oh, hey—"

They start to tumble to the ground, Inanna grabs the guy and turns to land first, on his back. He thumps hard on the ground. It's quickly followed by a second thump. A bit of a sandwich here and not any of the kinds he usually prefers. Regardless, Inanna is a-okay.

"I'm good. Are you okay?" He asks from the ground.

Toboe / Wolf's Rain / Familiar

[onewiththewild]

NETWORK ¦ video ¦ human

[ it took Toboe SO long to figure out how the Relic works; he is a wolf, not magic-savvy! The pup watched others working with it and after he bit the telic, threw it against a tree and poked every part of it, he finally figured out how to post to the Foxi Network. When the video comes up, you see a human boy around 14, with brown hair and four silver bracelets on his right wrist. And wow, he is excited. Because he managed to turn the feed on; you go Toboe! ] Ah! It's working! Finally!!

[ Okay, you can do this, Toboe. Act cool. ]

I was told I can talk to other people through this thing. My name is Toboe and I just arrived so I thought I should say hi and get to know you. [ because people, he loves people. And yes, he wants to talk to you all ]

Oh, and there is a big dog around [ it's totally a wolf ] a red one with four silver bracelets on his wrist. [ like the ones Toboe has, why yes, indeed. That is not suspicious at all ] He is very nice and you don't need to be scared of him, so you don't need to hurt him. He just walks around, looking for food, and he will like it if you pet him. [ really, please don't hurt him and pet him forever. Toboe will claim to be the "dog"'s owner, so hopefully, there won't be any issues. He is not the best at lying but this is the best thing he could come up with so nobody would try to hunt Toboe down if they saw him. ]

And- [ he pauses because he realized what he was just about to ask. How can he ask? "Did you all die, that's why you are here?" or "Is it normal to bring dead people here?". Toboe doesn't want to think about his death, but he doesn't understand how they brought him to this world. He also wants to ask about his pack, if they reached Paradise or if they were here, but he is afraid to hear "no" just like he is afraid to hear "yes".

He can't ask any of that.

For a moment he looks worried, but he puts up a smile (tries to, though it's a sad one. Toboe doesn't hide his emotions) and finally he asks something completely different: ] Can you tell me about the roles thing? It was really confusing...

ARRIVAL ¦ wolf

[ Toboe came from the sky on his own and transformed into a human on his own. He doesn't fully understand it, but he is aware the human part is not just an illusion like it used to be; instead, he actually does really turn into a human and that's apparently his Familiar form. Whatever that means.

The whole process is, of course, incredibly confusing because as a wolf, he is not going to understand the roles and he is not the kind of person who can form theories and understand technology, magic, or much of the non-animal world. At least right now he is a wolf, and maybe that's enough. Maybe he won't turn into a human again, maybe that part is over with. As he wanders through Folkmore, the Spirits are surprisingly nice but at the same time too strange.

he never saw any creature like that, and some of them look like humans with animal features. Again, it's all too strange but no one seems mean and that means it's not all bad, right?

But also: he is hungry. He ends up realizing that when his nose smells something delicious! And after he follows it, Toboe ends up in front of your character who would have food with them. He approaches slowly, tail wagging and wet nose trying to poke against their hand while he begs for food with his big puppy eyes. If that is not enough to get someone's attention, the pup gently paws at the person's leg while whining softly, before he sits down and tilts his head.

Food for puppy, please.

Although this is certainly a dog (a wolf, in fact!), he does have the Relic in his mouth, thus this animal either stole it or someone gave it to him when he woke up, giving away Toboe is most likely a Star Child. ]

ARRIVAL ¦ wolf

[woenesday]

[ At some point during the day Wednesday had realized she'd forgotten to get any food. Luckily for her there were still a few food carts open that she could grab a bite to eat at. All she'd ended up with were a few skewers of grilled meat that she hadn't yet gotten to actually biting into. She was just about to put the first taste into her mouth when the dog walked up, putting a wet nose against her free hand and looking up at her with sad giant eyes. Pleading eyes.

Eyes that she almost couldn't resist. She narrowed her eyes and tried to pull her hand away. ]

No. If you want something get your own food. If you're a familiar just change back and order some. [ He had a relic, which implied he might be a fellow Star Child and he was an animal which made her assume familiar. Maybe she was right, maybe not. Though the longer she looked at him the more tempted she was to give him some of hers... ]

Eddie Brock/Venom | Venom | Familiar

[endosymbionts]

Hope Springs Eternal

Not a fuckin' chance. [ Says some guy in a hoodie standing in front of that begging-to-be-climbed tree.

But Eddie-! ] I said absolutely not.

[ Okay, and he's arguing with seemingly himself, cool. Eddie knows what it looks like to other people, so he turns around to make sure no one's there, waves to the stranger who is, puts on a nervous smile and tries out a: ] Hey. How you doin'? [ His attempt to act normal lasts about five seconds.

We are climbing the tree. He turns away from his companion to hiss into his shoulder. ] We are not climbing the tree! Don't you dare!

Here's to My Real Friends

[ Can I eat it? ] I uh- I dunno about that one. [ They're standing next to a cute, fluffy moth-cat. ] I think it might be someone's pet. [ Then he should keep a better watch on such a tasty snack. ] Eh- I bet it's mostly fur anyway.

[ Eventually, with some effort, the cat hybrid manages to get the Symbiote Boys to give it a follow.

It is taking us somewhere. ] Here's hoping there's a candy store along the way? [ Yes, I am starving. ] We're stopping at the first sign of chocolate, promise.

[ The cat stops, eventually. Eddie nearly steps on its tail, and just about trips over his own feet to avoid it before slick, black tendrils shoot out from his chest and arms to keep him from falling. ]

Hope Springs Eternal

[fistofvengeance]

[Marc was drawn in by the lure of the enormous, perfect climbing tree. He's stopped by the foot of it, though, watching some guy argue with... himself? Someone invisible? Either way, it's familiar in a way that unsettles him. His arms cross over his chest and his eyes narrow.]

You got a little friend stashed away inside your hoodie, or...?

Eda Clawthorne | The Owl House | Myth

[traaaaaash]

WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

[ At first, Eda isn't very perturbed; she's part owl and always sleeps in a nest. However, as she is slowly waking up, she already notices that something about her bedstead is off, a feeling that only strengthens when she feels a breeze on her skin and sunlight trying to pierce her eyelids.

She opens her eyes and immediately squeezes them shut again. That was a mistake. Her head is pounding lightly. ]

What the... !

[ In time, her eyes get used to the light and she can look at her surroundings. ]

Hey! This isn't my nest!

MAKE AN OMELETTE

[ Listen. The eggs are shiny. The eggs are golden. Eda simply must investigate this. It's the Owl Beast's fault, for real.

When she busts the egg and the idealized version of herself comes out, Eda lets out a wolf whistle. ]

That's me? Ohh, dayum! I look ~ RADIANT ~!

HERE'S TO MY REAL FRIENDS

[ Well. She's certainly not in Bonesborough anymore. Everything is so green and twee. Eda is kind of frowning dubiously at everything until she hears that tiny waow... and soon has a little owl-cat rubbing against her legs. ]

Uhhh... okay.

[ The little creature runs away and looks back at Eda, meowing again. Eda has the distinct feeling it wants her to follow. She awkwardly points a finger at herself. ]

Who, me?

[ An affirmative meow. Eda sighs and rolls her eyes. ]

Well, guess I got nothing better to do.

[ And she follows behind. ]

MAKE AN OMELETTE

[tip_the_scales]

[You know what, sure. Robin woke up in a nest today and had just noticed she was not alone before the other woman broke one of the eggs... and instead of angry mother (bird? wyvern? pegasus? wait, are those taugel or just giant rabbits?), they get a clone.]

If this is some kind of dream, this is the strangest one I've had in a while.

[Robin is at least half-certain she's dead or dying, but she'd rather not talk about that.]

Deki Hakushima | Handead Anthem | [Familiar] Here’s to my real friends

[okeydeki]

From all his time with Rikyo he can recognize the pattern on the wings as that of a death head moth. Typically death head moths did not have little sharp teeth that buried themselves in your finger when you dared to step away from the path it so clearly had planned for you.

First day here and he’s already being bullied, great.

“Okay, owowow okay! Lead the way!” This earns him a purr and he’s released to follow it once more, he’s lead out of the dark path he’d been following to a brightly lit street, well at least it wasn’t a trap.

The scent of food makes his stomach rumble but clearly the cat was not offering to take him out to dinner, seeming to zip to a new target and turn to stare at him intently, little wings working double time as it hovers there and calls to him.

[shurajodo]

Well ain't this a sight.

There's no mistaking that hunched over form and the easily bullied nature. Sorry, spud.

Gara's being led himself, right to Deki, but this time by another kitty-moth. This one looks more like a luna moth, something sweet and spacy.

"Where's that backbone you thought you grew, huh? Can't let this shit bully you. Not here."

Vash the Stampede | Trigun Stampede | Undecided (familiar for the moment)

[wildgeranium]

We can't have nice things.

A
[One moment he was-

It doesn't matter anymore. The scent of rain and flowers fills his nose. Vash lays inside the giant nest and stares at everything in wonder. This is something he never thought he would see for a very long time, if ever. He sits up and winces as his side twinges. He curls in on himself for a second.

And catches sight of fluffy white bunnies in other nests. His jaw drops.] I hit my head. I have to have hit my head.

B
[There is a small fluffy blonde bunny hopping away from the nest at what could be a limping sprint. You don't know. It's making tracks as fast as it can. Sometimes it trips and has to press down on its robotic foot. But it is moving fast. It might end up on your foot and settle there for a second.

It is definitely settling on your foot. A tiny paw presses against your foot.] Um, hey. So, can you lift me up for a moment?

[The bunny looks up. There are darker patches of dirty blonde on its face like a pair of shades.] I need a better view.

Hope Springs Eternal

a
[Down the winding path is a tree. The largest tree he has ever seen outside of books and screens. Naturally he had to climb it. The forest is alive with the music of life and he is lost for a while in the simplicity of climbing. Until he reaches the top.

He sits down and turns to look. It's beautiful. Tears prick the edges of his eyes. He wipes them away and watches until he hears someone coming. He shifts out of the way and offers a hand.] Grab my hand. The view is great up here!

Here's to my real friends

[A cat that's half cat, half dragonfly flutters along and is followed by a tall blonde haired man in a red coat. Each time he starts to drift away the cat starts yowling loudly. He sighs and follows once more. Until he comes face to face with you.]

Oh, that's two of them now. Great. [He nods to his new companion and lifts a hand in a little wave.] Hey there, thought I spotted a good view a bit back. Could be a good spot to talk. If you're up for that.

Wildcard
[Got ideas? Pm me and we'll figure something out.]

here's to my real friends

[thorsson]

[ Thorfinn has had his own struggles with his…cat thing (it's a cat slug). Whenever he wanders off in a direction it doesn't like, it starts screaming at him. He threw a dagger at it once, but it came back. He has no issues killing things, but he felt bad about attacking an animal that he doesn't need to eat and that isn't actually a threat, so he hasn't done that again.

Eventually, it leads him to this guy.

He doesn't wave back. ]

Talk about what?

Raiga Waziki | Handead Anthem | Myth(?) | Here's to my real friends

[thunderbouquet]

[ It's been, what, how long now since he found his way here? Certainly not long enough to justify getting accosted by cat-things. As much as he'd rather go his own way, the little beast is completely insistent.

So, he follows. And continues to follow, even as the sun sets. It's only when there's nothing more than a sliver of daylight left that the cat breaks into a sprint towards another person on the path.

Raiga tries to turn on his heel to leave the moment he sees someone else, assuming it found who it was looking for, but the creature isn't having it, now causing a fuss and refusing to move an inch. Begrudgingly, he turns back towards the person and approaches, squatting down by it to try and get it to quiet down. ]

Sorry, dunno what's wrong with this thing. Little freak with you seems less bratty.

[exaltruistic]

( He doesn't seem to recognize Ko, but he's also not paying attention super closely, or at least that's how it appears.

Maybe it's the wings, the halo. Magenta eyes, even, that settle from that dark hue to a golden shade. Not only has it been months since he's seen Raiga, there's been a lot going on here in Folkmore to have changed him. )

I should have figured you'd show up.

( He's seated himself, scritching the little cat-turtle under the chin with his dead hand, wrist turned up towards the sky. If Raiga is perceptive, a golden and glowing bite mark will be apparent. )

This place has a way with bringing colleagues together, especially lately. Are you alone?

Suika Ibuki | Touhou Project | Myth

[partyfog]

-Nice Things-

[ The audience with the Fox is... well, probably the weirdest thing to happen to Suika this week, but not by a huge margin. It doesn't take much compelling to get her to follow her here. Why turn down an offer for a weird adventure? Besides, she's drunk.

Suika lands ungracefully in a disorganized heap. Untangling herself, she looks around a little blearily, taking a second to adjust to the unfamiliar environs. Big eggs? Something hidden inside? This is probably here for her. It's too weird and specific otherwise, so why not play around a bit? She winds up and takes a swing at an egg, breaking it in half with one punch. She has, of course, absolutely no idea what to make of her doppelganger. Once it starts deforming and attacking her, she brightens up. It's something to fight, and she's happy to oblige.

And that's how Suika got into a wrestling match with an Akira. Both of them can take a lot of punishment, so it's slow going, as she bashes it against the floor and it tries to bite her arms off. When the usual kind of violence doesn't seem to be doing any good, she grabs it by one pseudopod, swings it around, and hurls it straight upwards. ]

Ah, look out over there!

[ Almost straight upwards, at least. The eldritch being is now hurtling back down to earth, either right towards you or at least distressingly close. Brace for impact! ]


-Meet Cute-

[ With the original situation taken care of, Suika's in a good mood. She's got a new adventure in a mysterious land! She's got booze! She's got a half-cat, half-moth to follow around! I mean, really, who would encounter something that cute and weird and not follow it wherever it wants to go? Boring people, that's who.

Whoever else is in the woods of Willow, be it for their own reasons or because they're also following a weird cat, you may cross paths with... a horned, drunken child? Like, eleven, tops, and pretty wobbly on her feet.

She waves vaguely in the direction of whoever she comes across. ]

Hello! I'm on an adventure, from a faraway land! Can you show me to something interesting, or at least the nearest pub?

Reepicheep ⚔ The Chronicles of Narnia ⚔ Familiar

[dawn_seeker]

i. Nice Things Hope Springs
Very few talking beasts would smash an egg out of hand, and while many would argue for that fate when speaking of an egg easily large enough to house a dragon, none of the latter number would be a mouse. To kill an unborn creature, even an enemy, is cowardly— better to let it be born and to make a fair fight of it.

If he only knew what lay within it, Reepicheep might have been wiser.

But wise or not, he spent a moment looking around, paws soft on the egg-hard shell, warm and faintly glowing, and then clambered nimbly up and over the edge. Whatever beast this next belonged to, there was no purpose to stand about here, unarmed and friendless. What further adventures may lie apart from— oh!

"Oh how... convenient," He muttered, in some small disconcertment. It was a ground nest, and nothing at all dragonish about it, even if it was more than passing peculiar, "Well, nevermind."

Of course in no time at all, he's found the way up to the higher nest. Catch him climbing, will you? Or if you're not quick, you won't catch him at all.


ii. Feline Friendship
"You must realize that my people are not, as a general rule, particular friends of cats," Reepicheep was saying, following the creature with a bemused lilt. The odd little feline, pale and lumpy and bright-eyed, simply looks at him and meowls again, leading him on with all the clear intent of any bright-minded Narnian robin, "...Though I have been known to make an exception."

He still hasn't located his sword— or any sword at all, come to mention it, but the rakish tilt of his circlet and the bright crimson feather therin have lent him a kind of comfort nevertheless. Is what he's following a mere animal, a dumb beast of the forest no less personable for not being a person? He isn't so sure. And in the grand tradition of his people, he was following his curiosity, his nose, and most importantly his sense of adventure.

No proper cat, particularly a queer sort of a one such as this, ever led anywhere different, to his mind.

"Very well then— Oh hello. Who's this, then?"