April 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

April 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]

worms. ★

Content Warnings: hallucinations, poison, giant worm

One minute you were a falling star, but as your body reforms you become aware of one important detail: it's friggin hot.

That's because you've landed in a desert! Yes, you have had the misfortune of landing in Cruel Summer, the hottest and arguably most dangerous part of Folkmore. Lucky you!

The first bit of good news is that you're pretty sure you can see a train station off in the distance, although it's extremely difficult to judge exactly how far off due to the flatness of the terrain. The second bit of good news is that you have awoken with either a canteen of water, or an umbrella to keep the sun off. The third bit of news - good or bad, depending - is that you've awoken near another Star Child. Whoever this is will have the opposite gift than what you received; if you have water, they have an umbrella, and if you have an umbrella they have water. Well, you know what they say: sharing is caring! Undeniably the water is a touch more important, so hopefully whoever has it isn't a colossal dick.

As you trek through the desert towards the distant structure, you will notice periodically the air off to either side of you will shimmer. You may dismiss it as merely the heat playing tricks, but if you choose to investigate you will find mundane weapons like swords, guns, shields, etc.

At some point as you walk, you will feel a tremor beneath your feet. It grows in intensity until suddenly the sand sprays everywhere as something bursts forth from the earth below!

Wavering above you is a blood red worm. It is large - end to end it runs about thirteen feet - and its segmented hide is tough enough that rocks bounce right off of it. You might have more luck with bullets or bladed edges, but it's still going to be a tough fight. It also boasts some impressive offensive tricks; its mouth is ringed with many rows of fangs, and itspits a thick yellow acid that will corrode your skin and your weapons if you're not careful. If that wasn't enough, during your fight you might here a sudden brrrrrrrrrapppp! as the creature farts lightning at you. Hilarious... until it knocks you to the ground.

You would do well to work as a team to take this monster down. You and your partner might have powers or skills that could come in handy, or maybe you're quick on the uptake when it comes to any new abilities afforded you by your new role!

If you defeat the worm in battle, a golden chest will appear. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds - these rewards are especially likely to be any weapons you owned back home.

But hey, maybe you're a lover, not a fighter. There's no judgement here in Folkmore. You can outrun the worm instead if you're both fast and clever - finding any terrain that is more rock than sand will give you a decided advantage.

Once you have either defeated or escaped the worm, you will find that you come upon a small group of tents. Under their shade are first aid supplies, and kiosks manned by fennec foxes offering water, food, and shaved ice. Nice!

so scarlet it was. ★

Content Warnings: emotional trauma, impalement

Giant death worms aren't the only danger in the desert, they're just the most obvious.

Even if you avoided the worms entirely, you still have to make it to one of the train stations in Cruel Summer. As you trek across the dunes you will gradually become aware that over the sound of wind and shifting sand you can hear someone singing. You feel an urge to follow the sound to its source.

This song could be anything - one that exists in your world or others, or just a melody spun in the air for the first time. Whatever it is, it is heart rending; tears may spring your eyes as you follow the sound, precious moisture falling to the thirsty desert ground.

The singing is coming from a cactus. It is taller than most humanoid creatures, tinted purple and pink at the tips, with abnormally long spines. Its song reminds you sharply of some deep loss from your past, and at the same time inspires a terrible compulsion to go to the cactus and sink against it.

And what a relief it is, to embrace that melody and feel the spines slide easily through your flesh to pierce your heart. You do not bleed. By some strange alchemy, your heartache drains from your body as liquid, filling the cactus and causing its flowers to bloom and its song to cease.

You could very well stay pinned there, dying a slow death of desiccation, but lucky for you Star Children are all over the place this time of the month and someone is bound to see that you need help.

Trying to pry someone off of the cactus is impossible. The key lies in the flowers - they must be removed. When they are, sweet liquid will spray from the place where it had grown, dousing the rescuing Star Child. With this impromptu shower comes psychic flashes of the painful memory that has trapped the victim.

Once all of the blooming flowers have been removed, the cactus will retract its spines and release its prisoner. There will be no physical wounds left from this encounter.

You will also discover nearby that there is now a golden chest. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds, although none of these items are weapons.


Thankfully, you should be able to reach either Oozlum or Obambo Station without further incident. At either of these you will be able to get some water and supplies, as well as get the hell out of Cruel Summer.

Comments

Inquisitor Lavellan | Dragon Age: Inquisition | legend

[heraldsdawn]

Arrival

[ When he dreamed, there was always the Fade. More vivid and shimmering now that the Mark was upon his hand. Though in his dreams, Sen had never had a fox appear before him. It's a curious thing but he doesn't even have that much time to think when it feels like it grabs and pulls at him. A moment of fear because was this a demon trying to take hold of him? He has no time to really process it when he finds himself falling, falling...and then crashing into the ground.

He blinks a few times into wakefulness as he pushes himself of the ground looking at the elf sized crater he just made; ]

Well...I've had worse landings. Remind me never to speak to spirit foxes in my dreams.

[ The heat finally registers with him as he looks around. The terrain was unfamiliar but definitely very reminiscent of how it felt to be in the Western Approach. The sight of what he could only guess was ruins were off in the distance. With a long sigh he just says; ]

Better get a move on, it's better than baking to death in this heat.

So Scarlet it was

[ The song was like something a demon would conjure, to slowly bring one's defenses down an lull them into becoming an unwitting victim. Sen had Trained his whole life with his Clan to resist the temptations of demons but whatever this was, felt more potent and powerful. He'd been drawn to it and now he was lying there in the shade of the cactus as it just pulled whatever life essence he might have.

The horrible memories come back to the surface of what happened at the Conclave and beyond. The people he failed to save at Haven, Corypheus proclaiming himself a god, having to lead an organization that called his own beliefs heretical. ]

Enough....Enough...I never wanted any of this...

[ Someone please help him and give him some of that purple stuff the flowers keep making. ]

Wildcard

[ ooc; have something else you want to do or want to discuss? Private message me or add me on plurk christhehost ]

So Scarlet

[thornspawn]

[Marus lives near enough to know that people are coming in and odd cacti are growing, so he's been patrolling to ensure that no one's caught on them. Lavellan's the first one he spots; his hooves sink into the sand as he hustles over.

Lavellan, enjoy what to all accounts looks like a Lust fade demon in Templar armor appearing out of a mirage, an abnormally serious expression for such a creature marking his face.]

That looks painful. You're going to be alright.

leo | fire candy | myth

[liononfire]

Arrival

[ Leo is in the middle of the desert.

Look, he may be a lion, but the savannah is not a whole ass desert! After he looks around - where the fuck is he? - he realizes he has a canteen of water with him, which is perfect to survive. After the half-lion stands up, he takes off his black shirt and wraps it around his head as if he has a bandana - it keeps the hair off his face, it keeps the sweat away, and it will somewhat help him to cool off a bit since he is no longer being cooked alive by the dark clothing.

he will absolutely get sunburnt

That's when he spots someone else not too far from him. It's time to ask questions, so he comes closer, canteen in his hand, and waves ]

Yo. Do you know where we are?

[ sadly, Leo is a bit of an asshole, so he might take some convincing when it comes to sharing that water. Sorry you got stuck with him! ]

Worms: Being saved

[ He never asked for any of this.

When leo found a sword and a shield, he thought that was the coolest shit he had ever seen in his whole life. he felt like some knight from old movies, and immediately starts swinging the sword carelessly. Whoever is nearby, please make sure you aren't too close or someone might get hurt...

But when the massive worm comes out of nowhere and spits acid at him. With a loud scream, Leo quickly starts... well, running. As fast as possible. Which is faster than a human, at least.

but he might need some help here! ]

Worms: Myth transformation

[ Leo is still running from the giant gross worm, but at some stage, he has to face it. In his hands, he has a shield and a sword, but they are of absolutely no use because he never really used things like that before. He has no idea what to do with them.

Eventually, Leo stops and turns around. He is strong, maybe he can punch the worm?

He can't do anything against acid vomit, though!

The more he thinks, the closer the worm gets and eventually it's too close for him to avoid. he gives a quick and high jump to the side but suddenly he begins to transform: his body grows bigger and a mane grows around his neck and chest, fingernails become big claws and a massive scorpion tail grows behind him.

When he lands, suddenly Leo roars loudly - which is something he never did before! In fact, that causes him to pause before he looks at himself ]

Dude, what the fuck.

So scarlet it was

[ He has... so little to say about whatever is going on here. By chance (is it, really?), Leo finds the cactus and someone just

impaled on it.

Standing there.

While being pierced by cactus spikes. ]

What the fuck is even happening. Am I high? [ IS HE HIGH? This whole place is weird as hell and he has no idea what he is looking at ]

a quick little worm time

[greenthing]

[ There is someone else with a sword; she is tall, a bit over six feet, and wields it competently. She is also wearing a loose-fitting white dress, beige boots, and her blonde hair in an absurdly long braid that ends at the crest of her hip.

She looks human, but everything else about her just somehow--isn't.

And, more importantly, she has a very twisted sense of danger, because she is talking to the worm. They are having words. ]

That is very rude of you, to spit at someone running away like that. They are not a threat. [ It's matter of fact. It also seems to be ... working? The worm has stopped to consider her, at least. People usually do not yell at it like this.

... and then it seems to decide better of listening to the reason of this strange creature, and lunges at her. She does not behead it with the sword, because they're moving at the same speed, and so the worm misses Alecto, and Alecto misses the worm, but it almost looks like a choreographed dance. Of complete, murderous absurdity. ]

TAKAKAGE KUROSAKI | HANDEAD ANTHEM | FAMILIAR

[banshiii]

i. ) FUKUOKA BULL WORM

[ Takakage isn't exactly a fighter. Nor is he a lover of anyone else other than his precious Ko-sama.

So he's struggled here against the giant worm, managing little more than kicking it a bunch and not much else.

He manages to escape it, seated with his umbrella among the fennec foxes. He's been patched up along his temple and his left knee. He wears red bottoms, for fuck's sake, he's not really the fighting type.

One of the foxes seems to want to foist frozen treats off on him. ]

No. I don't need sweets. If anything, I need mentaiko to offer, and to pray for forgiveness from Ko-sama.

[ ... Right. ]

ii. ) SO SCARLET IT WAS

[ Ah.

This again.

This time, instead of the song leading to salvation and purpose and promise and life and half-death and everything he'd ever wanted, it leads to him sinking himself onto the sharp spines of the cactus.

Oh, everything about this screams Ko-sama, even if he's not present, even if this couldn't possibly be his doing. Nothing so cruel would be, but the fact that its a cactus makes him want to laugh. For the split second between the piercing of his flesh and the welling-up of memory, anyway.

He thinks of Ko, thinks of a new cactus he'd bought, thinks of Shino lancing his little finger on it. How Takakage patched up the little bead of blood, and how Atsuhide made some homemade ice cream for everyone that night to take the sting off for their youngest member.

He laughs breathlessly, pinned against the cactus. ]

ii.

[exaltruistic]

Ah—! Takakage!

( Unmistakable.

Ko rushes over once he recognizes the body pinned up on the cactus. )

You'll be okay — I've got you.

( What to do? He gently touches at his arm, attempting to pull the limb off; nothing doing. He breathes in deep. )

Talk to me, Takakage. Is anything otherwise happening to you? I'll ... I'll figure this out ...

Iggy Koopa | Mario Brothers | familiar (still deciding between myth and familiar tbh)

[bahahahaha]

1 - arrival.

[ One minute, he's celebrating the successful defeat of Fawful and his army with his siblings and Junior (and laughing his head off about getting shot out of a CANON of all things), the next, he's in a desert. He's still laughing though, oddly enough, because even after he realizes that he's not, in fact, in Kansas anymore, Toto, it's still hilarious to him. There isn't a whole lot that he takes real seriously, anyways.

It's hot, and he blinks after he finally stops laughing, staring down at what appears to be an umbrella in his hand. He glances over at the unfortunate soul whose landed not too far from him, and he shrugs. ]

Sssssooo... this sucks, I guess. Ahahaha!

[ It's... it's not funny, and yet, still, he laughs. ]

2 - worms.

[ After walking for a little while, even a ridiculous lizard creature like Iggy has to admit that yeah, it's actually getting a little warm, even for him. As someone who hails from a land of lava and ash, he's pretty used to hot terrain, but at least there's always access to water via the castle. Here? Not so much. He doesn't complain as he walks, though, opting instead to twirl his umbrella in his hand as if it's some sort of a toy.

That is, until the ground underneath him rumbles hard enough that he actually loses his footing and makes him fall flat on his backside. He laughs as he hits the ground, and that's when it happens -- the worm emerges not far from him. He's not scared, not really, how CAN he be when it's farting lighting? He only laughs harder, at least, until it turns to menacingly look at him. ]

...Oh, come on, man. I just got here-- HEY!

[ He barely manages to roll out of the way of some dangerous looking liquid that the stupid thing spews, and he quickly stands up. He's got two options here: fight or flight, and Iggy Koopa doesn't just run. It's just NOW that he realizes he's not alone, and so, he glances over at whomever might be closest. He doesn't particularly want to ask for help, but also, this thing is huge and even his magic alone isn't gonna be enough to take this thing down, so: ]

Hey! You! [ Yes, you! ] A little hand here? I dunno if we're like, actually hallucinating or whatever, but y'know. I think we need to do something about this thing! Unless you want it to worm its way into your heart... ahahahahaha!

3 - Tents!

[ After defeating the worm, he expected some sort of victory fanfare. Except there wasn't, at least there was a few gifts, but he's left feeling very underwhelmed. So he continues on until finally, FINALLY, an oasis in the desert. He approaches the tents and blinks at the foxes and others that have also arrived -- just when he thought this day couldn't get any weirder, here it is. Which is just fine by him; he, too, is an absolute weirdo.

He's got no beef with anyone here, so if engaged in conversation, he'll happily oblige. Information is still information, after all, formalities aside. He can be found browsing with some shaved ice, or lounging out in the sun despite the heat because, well. Look at him. He's pretty reptile like. ]

4 - wildcard.

[ Got anything else? Hit me! I'm down for anything! Or you can hit me up here ukannotwin. ]

2

[mushroom_heiress]

You've got to be kidding me.

[A feminine voice lamented to herself as she continued to trudge around the desolate landscape. This was just like the deadly desert only this time she didn't even have a camel to lighten the load. There was one thing she did have though, a canteen. So at least she wasn't in danger of dehydration yet, but she knew if she didn't find an oasis or something soon- that water wasn't going to last.

The seal on the cap had better be tight too or she could lose some of those precious droplets to evaporation.]

Of all the luck...

[Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, the ground began to shake. Emitting a sharp gasp, she leaned into a crouch to steady herself, getting tangled in the folds of her skirts. When the voice called out to her, she looked towards it's source her mood falling as if in the dip of a roller coaster when she saw who it was.]

Forget it, creep! You can handle this on your own. [Maybe it was a little unfair, and she might change her mind in a minute when it became obvious that this worm wasn't only going to focus on that koopa kid...] Besides, how do I know that this isn't some kind of underhanded scheme? [The kid could be in cahoots with the offending worm....]

[ooc:Look... I haven't finished canon review so.. um.. she doesn't recognize Iggy as Iggy, but he's clearly a koopa, ok.]

Jean Kirstein | Attack on Titan | Familiar

[rustedpride]

Arrival

[The fox had come to Jean when he walked away from the group he had been with. His feelings were in turmoil and he took the chance to leave it all behind. Deep down he knew the version of him that was left behind would continue to fight. So what was the harm in him getting out of it.

Being thrown into the middle of a desert was not what he expected. Then again, he hadn't had very many expectations of what would happen if he followed a fox so he couldn't complain one way or another.

He looks at the umbrella he arrived with (along with a spoon and some weird device) and then the scorching sun above, while shielding his eyes.]

I guess this is better than nothing...

[It could be worse, he could also have nothing at all to help with the heat. He looks around to see if there was anyone else nearby who just arrived.]


Worms

[While making his way towards what looked like important (the station), he came across one thing hidden in a golden box. A gun. And it looks like he would be needing it straight away thanks to the appearance of a big damn worm.

Still better than titans. Probably.

Jean dodges any acid thrown at him and fired some shots at it whenever he has a moment, looking and feeling rather angry at this turn of events.]

If the fox had mentioned I'd be tossed into another fucking fight I'd have taken longer to consider things.

[He's had enough of fighting for one lifetime.]


Tents

[Jean will most definitely be taking his time to rest under the shades of the tents. Now that he was away from the worm(s) and the sun he didn't feel like he was in a hurry to get to the train station just yet.

It's only then he realizes just how freaking exhausted he feels. And probably looks, too.]



[OOC: Feel free to PM me for plotting! He comes from around chapter 127 and if you'd rather not get spoilers or would want to make sure to avoid any nasty AoT topics, feel free to comment here.]

tents

[liononfire]

[ leo is having A Day for sure. And he does look terrible as well, but Leo being Leo tries to look cool.

Ever since he arrived, he almost died of thirst, dehydration and sunburn (you can't die quickly from sunburn, leo), then he was attacked by some worm that farted vomited acid, and there was this emo cactus impaling people.

Overall a 0/10 experience, will not repeat.

But the worst thing to him is the fact that... other Star Children are mostly human. In a world where a fox rules, apparently humans are the norm for some reason. And someone like Leo, who distrusts (and dislikes) humans, that's something really hard to deal with. But he also doesn't want to just pout at a corner and talk to no one.

When he sees someone else not too far, Leo glances at Jean before he smirks ]

You look like shit. [ so do you, Leo. ]

emet-selch | final fantasy xiv | myth

[apokroteo]

WORMS.

[ Emet-Selch doesn't enjoy hotter weather on the best of days, and appearing in the middle of the desert has him immediately annoyed, a twist of a scowl on his face and the appearance of a man who would much prefer to storm off in a rage than deal with anything with a sense of maturity.

The umbrella is ignored, considering how utterly ridiculous he would look using it, and he takes advantage of his limited need for food and water to ignore the demands of his body. He walks forward instead of thinking too hard, abandoning the umbrella and practically ignoring anyone who might wander around and spot him in his march.

The rumbling is what disquiets him, leaving Emet-Selch looking more annoyed than afraid, glaring down at the ground and taking a step back with an awkward shift of his body, lifting his hand as if preparing to... Snap his fingers? A terrible, fearsome foe indeed. ]

What an altogether waste of my time -

[ He doesn't seem like he intends to fight the worm, necessarily, but more than anything else... He is mad.

Eventually, once the worm fights are done with and he has managed to escape almost entirely unscathed, he marches his way over to the group of tents, ignoring the kiosks and sitting down, lifting a hand to rest over his eyes, clearly still in the midst of an endless frustration. ]

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to find Emet-Selch somewhere else, PM/DM me for something and I can write it for you or just throw something at me! We can figure it out, and I can only apologise for my lack of creativity today <3 ]

worms.

[likeyouknow]

( Pahja has, for the most part, nearly given up thinking anyone else from home would show up. Hythlodaeus and G'raha are enough for her -- especially since G'raha seems intent on being the Crystal Exarch -- and so, in the middle of fighting the worm, the fact that she catches a glimpse of a man in finery with a white stripe in his dark hair is enough to make her stop dead in her tracks. It can't be.

The fight offers no chance to catch his attention, but she does notice he leaves without his loot, so Pahja sorts through it for something that could belong to him -- only coming across a large greatsword that looks familiar. That should do, she thinks, tucking the weapon she found for herself away.

So she arrives at the tents late, but not late enough to miss him. The wings and halo of Hydaelyn still present, she leans over his form to gently poke at a shoulder. It doesn't occur to her that he might not recognize her, that he might still see her as a stranger. That falls away over the fact that it's Emet-Selch. )

Surely it wasn't that bad of a fight for a sorcerer of eld.

Stede Bonnet | Our Flag Means Death | Legend, probably

[frillyshirts]

Arrival;

[ Well. This is a lot of sand. Like, a lot of sand, and no ocean in sight! No pirate ships, nothing! Just - sand!

Stede looks a little put out, as he attempts to dust himself off, the lush silk of his coat and the lace of his cravat don't make for very good desert gear. He does, at least, have a nice parasol to keep out of the sun, but - oh god, is that sand in his hair? Horror! ]

This wasn't what I expected when I started following that fox! I thought at least that there would be more trees.

[ He looks around himself, and spots another person. The scowl leaves his face, to be replaced by a grin. ]

Hello! Did you follow the fox too? Stede Bonnet, Gentleman Pirate, at your service!

Worms;

[ That - is one very big worm. Stede looks properly terrified at the sight, and is clearly out of his depth here, when it comes to fighting. ]

But why does it have so many teeth?

[ He screams as it spits some acid at him - but then some wings(??!!?!!!?) pop out of his back and he's able to flap out of the way, somehow. It's not graceful, and what he's doing could hardly be called flying, but it gets him out of immediate danger. ]

Fucking hell.

Tents;

[ Looking exhausted, sun- and wind-burnt, Stede finally makes it to the little grouping of tents. ]

Oh, we're saved! I thought we'd be wandering in that horrible place forever, or get eaten!

[ It's been like two hours; he's very dramatic. And still covered in too much sand. Someone please get this man some shaved ice. ]

Wildcard;

[ Hit me with anything, or PM this journal or hit me up at frodabaggins! ]

Worms

[captains_hands]

Fuck. FUck fuck fuck FUck FUCK! [he's tearing across the sand from a worm. It's too fucking hot. There's too much fucking sand. Too many fucking teeth and he thought he'd heard Stede Fucking Bonnet's Fucking Squeal and it better not have happened because this is hell enough as it is.]

Ronan Lynch | The Raven Cycle | Myth | OTA

[devilofaboy]

i. Falling Stars

[Ronan wasn't cut out for the heat. He wasn't built for the desert. Pale and prone to burning rather than tanning, he found himself standing in the sand with a canteen of water. As ticked off as he was to find himself someplace strange, he didn't hurl the canteen away from himself as hard as he could, like he wanted to. Instead, he clutched it close, gave it a little shake to ensure there was water in it.

With a low swear, he started walking, trying to shield his eyes from the sun with one hand as he went. Dressed all in black from his boots and jeans to his t-shirt, he paused after a bit to take his shirt off, dampen it a bit, and drape it over his shaved head. It offered at least some protection from the intense sun. Shirtlessness also revealed the sprawling expanse of black ink on his back, the large tattoo with hooks and claws, beaks and feathers, vines and thorns.

He walked for what felt like ages before he caught sight of another figure, eyes burning from the glare of the sun reflecting off the sand.]

Hey! Hey!

[It was barked, shouted, and he changed course to start heading in their direction. Surely, two would have better luck than one, right? And together, they had to be able to reach the train station he thought he saw in the distance.]

ii. Worms

[He put his canteen down in favor of kneeling in the sand to pull free a gun. He'd almost gone for a sword, at first, because it felt very knightly, very hero-in-shining-armor, but that wasn't who he was. He wasn't a knight or a hero and besides, he knew how to use a gun. His family'd had a bunch of them at some point or another, after all. And, selfishly, it reminded him of Kavinsky. Kavinsky, who he'd left standing in the dream field like he meant nothing when-

Ronan's heart lurched and he pushed the thoughts away. It was easier to ignore them than to think about the full meaning. Brushing sand off the gun, he checked it over, made sure the safety was on, and then stood again, snagging the canteen as he did. He was just about to tuck the weapon in the waistband of his jeans when the ground started rumbling.]

What the f-

[Before he had a chance to finish the sentence, something burst out of the ground, sand spraying and temporarily blinding him as he stumbled back. Luckily for him, the worm was more interested in whoever was there with him at the moment than it was in him, giving him the moment he needed to get the grit out of his eyes. Unfortunately, it was spitting acid at the other person.]

Get out of the way!

[Both because of the acid and because he'd dropped the canteen to use both hands, bringing the gun up and flicking the safety off.]

iii. So Scarlet It Was | cw: mentions of death, impalement

[It seemed easier than he'd ever like to admit to give in to the singing cactus. Part of him knew something was wrong but it was a small part in comparison to the renewed grief of remembering finding his father's body in the driveway. Sometimes, it felt like no amount of time would ever heal that wound. And yet-

It all went quiet when he embraced the cactus and allowed a spine to pierce his heart. It was a relief, a quiet sort of victory against the pain that'd followed him every day for many months.

Someone should probably help him, though.]

iv. Post Cactus Stabbing

[He was more than a little grumpy about the whole cactus ordeal and the fact he'd needed rescuing. He wasn't a damsel but he had been in distress. There was nothing around to kick except the sand and the chest, so, of course, he kicked the chest. And then again for good measure.

Blue eyes fierce, he crouched down to open the chest. Frowning at the contents, he pulled out a tangle of leather bracelets, identical to the ones he was already wearing. He knew what they were and where they'd come from (originally, at least, not how they'd ended up in this chest) but he didn't know why.

Holding the bracelets between two fingers, he looked over and gestured to what was left in the chest-]

Is that shit yours?

v. Wildcard

[ooc: got another idea? come at me with it! <3]

Post Cactus Stabbing

[woenesday]

[ One could say that Wednesday was in a perpetual state of grumpy and they might not be entirely wrong. Though she had been mildly perked up by having been able to help someone which would, thankfully, result in more Lore for her. Lore was currency and currency was important when you had the kind of plans that she had. The Lore interested her much more than the contents of the chest and yet some degree of curiosity spurred her to crouch down and watch as he opened.

No expression appeared on her face as she looked at the bracelets and then at him. ]

No. I assume they're yours.

james buchanan barnes | mcu | familiar

[counterstep]

01 ⬡ WORMS — PRELUDE.

( the heat is dreadful enough, but the sand whipping up from the wind is finding its way between the plates of his left arm, and moving it is now becoming rather grating, literally. even if the vibranium itself doesn't seem to be damaged by the sand directly, resilient as it is, the crunch of each movement is visceral as the vibration permeates through the attached joint.

he had to take off the leather jacket. it was too much, with the heat, so it's now hanging over his right shoulder, acting as mild cover. with the help of his partner, they're able to reach the weapons, at least, not that his umbrella is particularly helpful when the heat radiates just as much upward from the sand as it does down from the sky. )

Ominous. ( he knocks a shield lightly with his boot. it falls over, stirring up the sand nearby. ) Not normal to just see abandoned weapons anywhere.

( a slight, distant rumble can be heard, though nothing makes an appearance quite yet. )

02 ⬡ TENTS.

( after guzzling some water, he all but fall over with relief in the cool sand underneath the shade of one of the tents. he nearly hits one of the fennecs as he does, but it leaps out of the way swiftly and resumes its duties. )

Fuuuuck— that was awful.

( he seems quite content to lay there for the foreseeable future. )

03 ⬡ SO SCARLET. cw: death, suicidal ideation.

( he doesn't anticipate the sudden wave of sorrow, stepping in closer out of curiosity to better hear the singing, but the second it registers, it's already too late. alongside the overwhelming melancholy, the awful ache of abandonment, a gnawing urge drives him forward toward the cactus. he steps decisively into the plant, without pause. the pain barely registers as the spines pierce through.

why fight it? give in. they'd left him for dead anyway. no one had come looking. this is easier, and steve is dead anyway. steve is gone. what's the point? hydra's already won.

well, that sure escalated quickly. )

04 ⬡ OOZLUM / OBAMBO STATION.

( with how strange his arrival has been, exploring what's available seems to be the wisest choice. he can be found at either station, looking about curiously as he tries to orient himself in this new place and learn more of who and what is nearby.

it's much more vast than he anticipated, and he's quite taken by the wilderness, eyes curious as he drinks it all in with wonder. )

∞ ⬡ WILDCARD.

( bring your own scenario! pm if you'd like to plot. c: )

tents

[pursuitofcappiness]

[ Steve walks in, one of the weapons in his hands, shield strapped across his back, and with his full beard. ]

Language.

[ And then, more softly: ]

Hi Buck. It's been a minute.

Usagi Tsukino | Sailor Moon | Legend

[hershiningheart]

Arrival

[And then Usagi is falling down a dune in a flurry of sand, landing right at the bottom face down. She still clutches the umbrella as she rolls over with a groan and tries to dust as much sand from her face as she can with a huff.

That stupid Fox couldn't have warned her that she was going to be dropped in a hot desert, couldn't she have left her somewhere nice and cool with snacks? Usagi tries to shake as much sand from her hair as she can while she looks around trying to figure out what she was going to do.

There was what looked like a train station in the distance and she groans again at the prospect of having to walk so far in the heat but her thoughts are interrupted when the ground around her begins to rumble. This was bad, very bad, and when she turns around to see the large worm erupt from the sand Usagi lets out a scream, swinging blindly with her umbrella when it lunges at her.

She's about ready to sprint for it when she sees someone else as the worm turns its attention to the other Star Child.]

Watch out!

[This time Usagi is ready to fight, swinging with her umbrella to try to distract the worm from the other person at the very least so they have a chance to get away.]


So Scarlet it was

[The melody on the harsh, hot wind is a welcome relief. She's already tired from walking in the heat and even though she wants nothing more than to find the station and find shade her steps instead take her in search of the source.

She hums as she walks and it doesn't take her long to find the cactus. There are tears at the corner of her eyes but no matter as brave as she tries to be one slips down. She should be stronger, she shouldn't cry, but she sees her friends vanishing into thin air as they reach out to her in vain.

She couldn't save them, she couldn't save Mamoru. She should be strong by herself but another tear falls as she falls to her knees on the sand by the cactus. She reaches out as if she tries harder, if she is stronger, she can save them but her hand only contacts the spikes of the cactus, sinking into her hand and then across her arm.]

Everyone...I'm sorry...I can't do this by myself. I'm not strong enough.

[liononfire]

[ Leo didn't get an umbrella - he got the water. And honestly, he is fine with it, in his opinion. After he got too hot, he took off his shirt and wrapped it around his head, hoping to help with the heat like that, and after he starts heading towards the station.

By chance, he spots usagi. And he would be very ready to ignore the girl because he doesn't;t care, of course not, but he eventually stops and groans. Ah, fine, fine. He can't just leave some chick in the middle of the desert, right?

So Leo turns towards her, ready to ask her if she needs some help, but suddenly there is a worm coming out of the ground. Leo gasps - almost screams, actually - and that's a mistake because the worm turn to him now ]

Fuck!!! [ but Usagi's flailing is just going to make it worse. She is a girl, a human apparently! What can she do against a monster? Leo is faster, he can probably outrun it -

ugh, Leo is no fucking hero, why is he even doing this? She got into this mess herself ---]

Just get going!! I will distract it!! [ yeah he is helping, after all ]

Boba Fett | Star Wars Legends | Familiar

[myownprice]

i. arrival

Ugh. Another desert?

[ Said by the boy who had, just recently, been on the planet of Tatooine, already sick of sand and dust and heat. At least there, he'd been on Mos Eisley. The twisting maze of buildings, however dangerous, had provided some sort of shade. Here, the sand stretches out around him like a great still sea, its flatness only broken by the distant shape of some far-off transport station.

He gets up and takes stock of his surroundings. Next to him, there's what appears to be a patterned umbrella. He picks it up, making a small sound of dismay at not having something more useful at his side—and then he notices someone else.

His grip on the umbrella tightens as if he's gauging its potential as a weapon. Maybe he is. ]

Who are you? [ he demands. His voice is youthful, though his face is hidden behind the black visor of his father's helmet. ]

ii. WORMS

[ Honestly, he probably should have expected trouble after he'd found the spear. His father had always told him to look out for things that go too well, hadn't he? Pristine weapons lying in the middle of the desert, apparently, count as one of those things.

Spear or not, once the monstrous worm makes itself known, Boba's first instinct isn't to fight, but to run. Fortunately, tales of krayt dragons swimming through sand have already given him the right idea. The second he finds himself being chased by the beast, he makes a beeline for the craggy rocks that carve a jagged line through the desert.

The problem? There's still a lot more sand than there is rock. Boba has the luxury of running now, but soon enough, he'll be forced to make a choice: stand his ground or try to outrun the creature on its preferred terrain. ]

iii. so scarlet

[ Boba Fett is no stranger to loss. It had slipped into his life like a thief one day, taking little things at first—like the sea-mice. Then, bigger, more painful things: Zam, his home. And then, finally, his father.

Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that the boy had been lured so easily by the cactus's spines. He'd even removed his father's helmet, the better to let the spikes pierce through him. It sits peacefully on the sand nearby, its visor turned away as Boba calmly walks forward—and lets the plant's hungry thorns to stab into his chest. ]

arrival

[kiseijuu]

( There's a startled jolt from the nearby person — a bespectacled, unassuming young man clad in a simple white teeshirt and pair of pajama pants. Certainly, he doesn't look well-suited to the environment they're in; he doesn't even have shoes on.... and that umbrella sure does look pretty appealing for creating some shade to cool down the sand until he could find a pair to buy (...or steal, if it comes to that. Hopefully it won't.)

Shinichi swallows, visibly nervous at the sight of the other person. A kid? The voice and stature sure seems like a kid under that helmet, but the whole sight of him is kind of terrifying. Who... is that?? Shinichi's staring at the other like he's an alien — an ironic fact, considering Shinichi happens to be hosting an alien parasite that has taken over his entire right arm and hand.

...And said alien is extremely cagey about all of this. Migi's holding onto the water canteen they woke up beside, fingers wrapped around it tightly. Defensively. Until they find shelter somewhere, it's of utmost importance that he keeps his host hydrated. Shinichi glances down to his hand as he feels his fingers tense like that, surprised for a moment before he's looking back up to the kid to finally answer him, stuttering through the words. )

Um— I'm Shinichi! I'm— I just woke up here. ( His right hand continues to clench the canteen to his chest like it's some precious treasure, unmoving, so Shinichi lifts his left arm outwards, in some odd halfway-done gesture of peace. )

Did-did you, too? Are you okay?

Venat | FFXIV (WARNING: MAJOR EW SPOILERS AHEAD) | Myth

[sundertale]

((OOC: May at least make interest official!))

Arrival + Worms

[Venat has been many things, but stardust is... Well, pretty new, and this experience, of hurtling into a place and landing unhurt, is fascinating. Though to all appearances, she's landed in an old desert battlefield, her only supplies a bottle of water. She spends some time studying the weapons; some of them are pretty standard, and she'll have to remember the others.

It's not long before the ground begins to shake. She keeps her footing ably, but then the worm pops up, acid churning in its maw.] Oh. Apologies, but you'll have to go. [Drawing a sword and shield from the sand, she charges!]

Wildcard

[Need help getting off a cactus? Want to wander the desert? Got another idea? HMU!]

[modestpurpose]

[Venat will no doubt manage to get a few good hits in before an arrow flies in from the side of the battleground.]

Venat!

[Hythlodaeus darts onto the scene, bow in hand, aiming to draw the worm's attention so that his friend can ready a more deadly blow. Another arrow, then another, launch into the sky and hit the worm's tough hide, and the lilac-haired man swiftly dodges a lightning bolt that shoots in his direction before letting out a breathless little 'phew!']

That's it, over here, you nasty little beastie.

Tsubasa Yuunagi/Cure Wing | Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure | Legend

[tweetycure]

[A - Arrival]

[ Instead of a person nearby, there's an orange bird, roughly the size and shape of a basketball. If that weren't odd enough, the bird lets out a long sigh before it starts talking. ]

It's so hooooot. Do people really live in places like this?

[ Well, no use sitting here feeling sorry for himself, time to get his bearings and move--OH THERE'S A PERSON HERE, HELLO.

The bird lets out a squawk of surprise and disappears in a puff of smoke. The smoke disperses quickly, and when it does, there's a preteen boy sitting there, staring in shock. ]


[B - Worm]

[ Tsubasa reacts quickly when he sees the worm: he grabs his companion's wrist and pulls. ]

Run!

A

[liononfire]

[ Leo has been wandering around the desert, a canteen of water in his hand, and he is headed to the station he sees far far away... and then there is a bird.

The bird talks.

he already met a talking Fox, but honestly, this all feels like a fever dream. And maybe he is hallucinating, he had a fever before he arrived, after all. ]

[ and the bird suddenly transforms into a person ]

What the fuck...?

Zechs Merquise | Gundam Wing | Myth

[zechs_isonfire]

Say Hello

Zechs wasn't entirely certain this wasn't a dream. Having a fox, as in a children's tale, speak of him of epic heroes and villains was a surreal experience. It made him, far from his first time, question his sanity - but his breaks from reason rarely involved something so ... whimsical.

To him, there's no question what role he'd take if anything the fox said was true. And, indeed, a crest of small red horns began to poke through the blond hair framing his face. That was the role he'd given himself - no fantastic magic required. He'd made the choice to be the devil everyone would hate.

And, he's certain the self that went on in the future would do the same. Eventually, Zechs would take one last fall to ensure the peace of his world.

What was he doing here?


Oh, Worm?

Goddamn it was hot. Zechs immediately stripped out of the jumpsuit he'd been wearing at the Martian colony, to the drab worker's uniform beneath. It's still inadequate, but with someone next to him and all the blasted sand, he wasn't about to go around nude. Sweat made the hair at the back of his neck stick unpleasantly. What was that fox playing at? If it wasn't for the canteen of water he carried for the sake of the stranger beside him - it'd be tempting to simply lay down and see if death was possible.

He wasn't really here, after all. Maybe his companion would try to start a conversation even with Zechs' scowl.

Yet when the massive worm arose from the sand, great maw filled with dagger-like teeth - Zechs didn't hesitate. His sharp eyes spotted a sword in the sand, which he rolled to collect. The canteen would be forgotten in the dunes for now - Zechs would fight to protect the individual he'd barely spoken to.

However, after, he would finally address them in a quiet, calm voice. "Are you all right?"


Scarlet
Our towns were shaken of tall kings with scarlet beards like blood

Zechs curled against the cactus, oblivious to anyone who might want to help, pierced throughout by the long, terrible spines. It'd be a lie, however, to say he felt no pain. He didn't deserve what he saw, he felt; it must surely be an illusion. Far too good to be true.

And yet, he couldn't let it go.

Surely they didn't even look like this, when they were alive. His father couldn't have been taller than him as an adult, his beard likely less vibrant and full. His mother, certainly was a smaller woman in life. Both of them would be touched by the many years since, their hair in this illusion without gray. But most of all - if they were alive - they wouldn't accept him as he is now. They would not embrace him thus.

And yet, he couldn't let go.

His heart had never been rid successfully of this gentleness, that would yearn for his parents' embrace. Whoever tried to wake him, yanking off each memory blossom by blossom, would discover just why he knew this would never be even as he held on tightly.


(( ooc: Zechs one year after the events of Endless Waltz, two years after the regular TV show. He was on Mars but I am assuming Frozen Teardrop is a thing that will never happen to him. Poke at me on plurk if you prefer a wildcard prompt or if you have any questions! ))

[necrosavior]

"Nope," Gideon declares at the person impaled on sharp spines of a plant construct in Cruel Summer. "Nope nope noppity nope. Not again. Not fucking again."

She closes her eyes and sees Jeanne-Mary in the room that should have been safe but wasn't. Her breathing goes unsteady, but Gideon opens her eyes and shoves that aside to get a grip under the guy's shoulders. Her tail, armored, reaches around his waist without getting impaled. Gideon digs her feet into the sand, and she pulls. She pulls and pulls and pulls, and finally in a move of desperation, she gets her feet up on her tail, on either side of him, and leans all of her body weight backward.

Other than looking like a cartoon character, nothing.

Slowly, Gideon disentangles herself and circles the cactus. She takes out her two handed sword and tries hacking it down. It does nothing. Next up, the rapier. She tries poking holes in the cactus, just... because. Nothing. The young woman stares up at the sky and sighs. "Really?"

Not strength then. It's some Thirteen special. The main thing that stands out are the flowers. Gideon plucks one off, and something spurts out. It mostly hits the dude, but some of it lands on her. That'd be fine. Cool her off. Except with it come an image of two adults, parents she can feel it, his parents, not... loving him as they should.

Now she really wants to take it out on the cactus, as the stand in for them. Gideon plucks the flowers off as fast as she can, getting angrier and angrier with the memory and emotion as it washes over her all too familiar. When the last one's gone, and he finally starts coming off the cactus, Gideon catches him and brings him down. The desert isn't exactly a good place to linger, but he probably needs a moment.

"Hey, you're not fucking dead," Gideon greets him.

Vash the Stampede | Trigun Stampede | Legend

[huntedtyphoon]

I. Arrival

[ Being a fallen star was a new one. Standing in a desert, however, was not.

Vash sat upright, shaking sand out of his hair as he looked around, blinking slightly. That was weird. He remembered a fox and...huh.

He leaned forward to pick up the gift he’d been left with, a canteen of water, and held it in his prosthetic hand. That was nice of the fox, wasn’t it?

Getting to his feet, Vash shook out his coat a bit and took a step to find eyes on him. He offered a quirky little smile, a light chuckle and a small wave.

It’s too hot to run right now, isn’t it? Vash is hoping they’re friendly. ]

II. So Scarlet It Was

[ Vash hadn’t heard that song in...forever. More than forever and the melody had him perking up, just catching the song on the wind. ]

Nai? [ He asked the air, before heading in that direction.

In this strange place he’d been spirited away to, could his brother be waiting? That could be a good thing, a new start for him, maybe Vash could just get him to listen to...

All he could see was a cactus. ]

Nai? [ He called again. ]

[ The music was louder, coming from the cactus? Or maybe he was behind it?

Vash couldn’t help but begin to approach, drawn in by the music. ]

III. Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure, I'm up for anything. Feel free to hit me up at Ammeschan if you want to!]

I

[devilofaboy]

[Friendly wasn't quite the right word to describe Ronan, but he wasn't a complete asshole, at least. He wasn't going to start throwing punches for no reason, if only because it felt like an especially bad idea in the middle of a desert.]

Ugh. Fuck.

[He brushed sand off himself, grimaced when he felt it going down the back of his t-shirt, and glanced over at the other person. Ronan's shoulders were tense and his body language spoke of a certain prickliness, but that was more because he was in a strange place.

Noticing the canteen, he looked down at his own item; an umbrella.]

Can't imagine shit getting much worse than this.

[He wasn't trying to jinx them, just- stuck in the desert, with a stranger and only one thing of water? Seemed like a bad time.

Opening the umbrella, he rested it on his shoulder, shielding his face from the sun.]

Hope you feel like a team player.

Sucrose | Genshin Impact | Legend

[swirldottir]

[I. Lifeblood and Rubies Red]

[This was what she gets for letting her curiosity get the best of her. Again. Oh, if anyone found out she'd done this, she'd never hear the end of it...

But her pounding heart was nothing compared to how flushed her face had become, something that didn't help the sun feeling like an immense weight upon her. Her hands shakily opened the umbrella she found herself with and raised it upright. With humidity as low was it was in this sort of ecosystem, the relief was immediate in the shade, and she was glad to have something like this... somehow. Right now, she wasn't about to question it, and removed her hat to fan herself as she felt the sweat starting to bead. Her body hadn't appreciated the change of climate, and was adjusting itself accordingly.

Yet as she fanned herself, she turned her head to spy another. Sucrose stiffened, her stomach twisting into a knot. H-how did she miss someone standing right there!? But the compulsion to move away didn't quite fire off into fruition. Instead, oddly enough, there was a pull to share her umbrella.

Because... because it was the right thing to do, and they needed help.

Sucrose side-stepped closer once. Twice. The awkward movement would eventually bring her close enough to raise the umbrella to shield them both, her eyes focused on the sand at her shoes.]


[II. Conquering the Worm]

[Her vials were missing. Her catalyst was nowhere to be found. Still, she needed to try... until she realized that a swift breeze was only overstimulating this creature rather than posing some sort of threat.

Fortunately, she could be quick on her feet as she turned and fled, clutching that umbrella she'd received like her life depended upon it... and it just might! But the worm was hot on her trail, slamming into the sand with a shower of dust before rising again, not letting anything like the fine particles soak its momentum.

Sucrose's potential downfall, unfortunately; the desert was swallowing her footsteps as she scrambled for something, anything for refuge.

Was realizing one's inner potential anywhere near becoming worm food!?]


[III. The Worst Flowers]

[Well. She definitely happened across someone strewn across a cactus in a macabre embrace. She may or may not have startled to the point of falling back on the butt with a horrified gasp. It was enough that her eyes, usually a soft gold, flickered in the shock as a product of her new status.

No. Oh, no no no- she scrambled back to her feet and moved in her panic. There were so many people so much stronger than her, people who could be cooler-headed in this situation, but it was only her and she had to do something!

Sucrose helplessly hovered her hands over the figure- does she remove them from this, or... or was it not okay to remove someone from a penetrative object, or...!?]

I-I'll get you out of this! I-

[Her ears twitched, and her eyes sharpened. Wait, was this were the music was coming from? A plant that made music? It would be fantastic to study the thing further, but that wasn't the priority right now! Not when...!

Ooh, she can't concentrate right now! She reached for and plucked off one of the flowers. The song sounded like it was being projected from these somehow. If she could just get it to quiet down, then---]


[IV. Wildcard!]

[Maybe something else works better for you. Also, hi! Curious new player with a new muse. hmu at MechaPony or RainbowDonut5538 if you feel like it. I'll match whatever tagging format you prefer.]

II!

[bahahahaha]

[ Sucrose's situation seems pretty dire. She's small, and that worm is real big and real mean. Who knows what would happen if it actually caught up to her? Fortunately -- or maybe, unfortunately?? -- that option isn't going to come to fruition, because her savior arrives with no sword or shield, but a spiked shell and what appears to be an umbrella in his left hand and a basic looking wand with a yellow jewel in his right.

Of course, she probably can't see him yet, considering he's actually behind the worm, but she can probably hear the maniacal laughter and feel the heat of fire of all things as Iggy breathes the element out and uses his magic to enlarge the flames. The worm lets out a screech as its backside gets scorched, which only causes the teen to laugh even harder. He's laughing so hard, in fact, he might actually tip himself over.

He flashes both the girl and the worm a fang filled grin and pushes his glasses up with the end of the umbrella as the offending creature suddenly stops and whips around, head going back and forth between two potential victims. ]

Ahahaha, this is GREAT! And here I thought I'd be really bored~. Just how many of you are there, anyways? You might as well give up, because I'm gonna catch you, and when I do...

[ Probably best not to finish that sentence... ]

Toge Inumaki | Jujutsu Kaisen | Familiar

[cursedwords]

I. Arrival

[It was so hot. Toge couldn’t help but notice that as he stood in the desert, sweltering under the hot sun. Fortunately, he’d been gifted with an umbrella, but not the water. Perhaps that was lucky...perhaps not.

He would reach down and open up the umbrella, putting it up properly, resting it against his shoulder. He looked like he would be hot in what he was wearing, especially with the high collar that covered most of his face.

The ground beneath him tremored and he stumbled, frowning and catching sight of someone else, he calls out-] Tuna! Tuna! [He pointed towards the ground.]

II. So Scarlet It Was

[Toge is not lured in by music, but rather comes across the cactus of his own accord and sees...some poor soul impaled on the cactus.]

Salmon roe. [He murmured low and moved close to see if he could do anything to save them from the monstrous thing. The first thing he’d try would be to shake the victim.]

Spicy cod roe?

III. Wildcard

[His words seem nonsensical, but there’s a method to his madness, some words mean things. Choose your own prompt here. Understanding Toge takes a bit of a learning curve.]

I. Arrival

[liononfire]

[ leo was gifted with water, and if anyone asks him he prefers that to the umbrella. But that means he will get hot fast and so he has taken off his t-shirt and wrapped it around his head as if he has a bandana - it keeps the hair off his face, it keeps the sweat away, and it will somewhat help him to cool off a bit since he is no longer being cooked alive by the dark clothing.

He is also very much ready to start walking when he feels the termor underneath his feet. he looks down, but it's gone the second after so... maybe it's nothing?

Until he hears someone calling "Tuna". Leo turns around and spots Toge ]

Woo the fuck are you calling tuna?! [ leo, no ]

Shinichi Izumi 👁️ Parasyte: the Maxim (familiar)

[kiseijuu]

ARRIVAL
CW: CHARACTER COMES WITH A PARASITIC ALIEN ENTITY LIVING IN HIS HAND / ARM

( Is this a dream...? It doesn't feel quite like that — something deeper, more true. The Fox leads him and Shinichi follows, wide-eyed, stunned. Glancing back over his shoulder every so often as though in attempt to see what it is he's leaving behind, but it's always with a staggering jolt of his heart. Looking back is... painful. Something bad happened there, just before the Fox came for him. Something horrible. His mother was....

There's an explosion of light, and for the second time in his life, Shinichi Izumi will never be the same. He's become something different.

When he opens his eyes again, they're coated in the wet gloss of tears. The young man blinks, fingertips nudging up his glasses for a moment so that he can gently press against his eyelids, brushing moisture aside. He sits there for a few strange, surreal long moments, until he begins to become uncomfortably aware of heat against his face and the sand beneath him. He stands — winces; oh, the sand's hot, and his feet are bare........ Glancing down himself reveals that he's in the same clothing he was just moments ago (or was it days, months, years?) A plain white teeshirt, a pair of comfortable pajama pants, and no socks or shoes. That's right, he was getting ready for bed, having a late-night snack. Then the phone rang. Then his mother— )

Shinichi. ( Comes a soft, tinny voice from his right hand. Emotionless as always, even-toned and feminine, gentle but robotic. The boy blinks, lifting his hand to stare down at his palm, from which a pair of lips and a single golden eye both open up from his flesh. )

Migi.... You're awake. ( Shinichi looks around the desert-like landscape before glancing back down to the alien entity that resides in his right hand. No... more than that, Migi is his right hand now. That's right. The alien took over his hand the way he was supposed to take over his brain. The way all the parasites do to humans. And his mother was.... ) My mom.... Migi—

Shinichi, look. There is someone else in our predicament.

( It's partly to distract his upset host's attention before it can go to places that Shinichi is not equipped to deal with right now, but also because Migi is genuinely concerned with their new companion. Shinichi quickly looks over to spot a person several feet away. Beside them, there's an umbrella....? )

There is water near your feet. Take it, and drink some now. Your body needs to rehydrate.

( Dumbly, still stunned, the teenager does as told, stooping to take the canteen filled with water that rests at his feet. He takes a long swallow, but there's still plenty left. That's when the person begins to stir into consciousness, and both Shinichi and the alien tense — the boy looking over in concern, eyebrows lifting, and the alien.... quietly taking hold of the canteen, fingers tightly gripping around it. Defensively. Whomever this stranger is, Migi's noticed that they don't have a canteen near them.... which means they're probably going to be getting pretty thirsty soon.

.......You might have a hard time getting some water from this one. )

WORMS
CW: BODY HORROR / TENTACLES

( Maybe you've made contact with Shinichi somewhere along the trek across the desert and the both of you have been sticking together for a bit, or maybe you're just nearby when the tremour comes. But suddenly the thing bursts from the ground, and Migi's springing into action immediately — Shinichi's right arm splitting off into thin red tentacles, bladed ends glinting in the bright desert sun.

Shinichi cries out and takes a stumbling step backwards, trying to ground himself as the alien uncoils and stretches itself outwards, tentacles whipping through the air. For now, Migi just hovers there in front of Shinichi, but he's primed to attack any moment — and the boy's turning his head to look at whomever's close by, looking panicked. Not just because of the monster lunging out of the sand, but also because of the one attached to his body. This probably isn't a great time to explain, though....! And so he's fighting through his horror, quickly calling out to you. )

Shit! S-stay behind me!

( Maybe you have some kind of ability, a means of defending yourself or fighting too, but Shinichi's first instinct is to try and keep the other person safe. )

SO SCARLET IT WAS
CW: FAMILIAL / MATERNAL LOSS

( When Shinichi hears the singing, the tears come almost immediately. Something that's needed to, bubbling upwards so fast it hurts, making his throat raw and tight. Making each breath feel like a strain. The loss is so fresh, so... impossibly fresh. Nightmarish in that freshness; he hasn't had time to understand it, grasp it, process it. His mother was there, she'd come home, but she was wrong.

(Dead, she was dead, she had to be dead, because it wasn't his mother anymore but something else inside of her. Something that killed her and took her place. She's dead and he can't accept that. It can't be real. This is just a nightmare—)

There's a strange forceful push, and then everything else comes easy. It comes fast, and it's so completely unexpected that even Migi doesn't stop it in time, the alien completely shocked. There Shinichi stands, pressed into the cactus, its spines piercing straight through his skin, his heart. The boy's head tips forwards, resting against one arm of the thing, eyelids fluttering closed as tears drip down his cheeks. There's a faint ghost of a smile on his face as he gives a quiet exhale. If he keeps his eyes closed like this, he could imagine that he's hugging his mother.

Migi, with his split-second reflexes, was at least able to stop himself from being impaled — Shinichi's right arm having quickly dodged out of the way, and now it's the only thing moving, though carefully. Slowly lifting and moving around a little, confused as the alien absorbs the situation from an eye widening up within Shinichi's palm. No logic could have led to this compulsion and the subsequent way it is affecting Shinichi's body, as though he's being... bled of moisture. Something... else is at play. Some sort of force beyond logic, the same essence that brought them to this place. Something mystical, magical, concepts that would ordinarily be both parts highly confusing and intriguing to the curious alien. But right now... the most pressing matter is his host, impaled and dying.

Carefully, he tries to pull Shinichi back, but it won't work. The boy remains stuck there, and when the alien senses life not far away, he's doing the only thing he knows to do. Signaling for help, lifting Shinichi's arm up into the air and giving a slow wave. Somebody please come help him, his human is in trouble.... )

---

WILDCARD / ETC

^{Feel free to hit me up at horreur or pm if you have any questions or want to do something else!}

SO SCARLET IT WAS (I LOVE Parasyte!)

[woenesday]

( In most cases Wednesday would simply pass by someone, whether they were waving for help or not. It took time away from things she could be doing that mattered to her. However, Folkmore inspired something slightly different in her than her usual outlook. It wasn't that she was inspired suddenly to be a helpful person, but she did recognize that helping others here got Lore and Lore was currency. Currency she needed a considerable amount of for the several large purchases she wished to attempt to make.

There was also the little vision she'd had earlier, that was the reason she was out in Cruel Summer in the first place. She'd seen someone unfamiliar falling into a cactus and becoming emmeshed with it. The person in her vision wasn't facing her which meant identifying them was nearly impossible. Which, of course, meant the only thing left for her to do was to investigate Cruel Summer. Eventually she spotted the figure in the distance waving at her slowly and she walked over, no expression on her face save for the slightest of side eyes. )

That's a prickly situation. ( Despite it being a sort of pun there's nothing in her tone that suggests she's joking or even attempting a joke. In fact she seems deadly serious. ) How did this happen? ( It seemed to early for a trial but it definitely didn't seem like something someone naturally stumbles into. )

kaveh | genshin impact | legend

[indigently]

1. ARRIVAL

[ Deserts are the worst.

Sure, being from Sumeru, Kaveh should be used to them— but somehow he's still not. He hates the heat, hates it with a passion actually; there's something just not right about a place so hot that you can feel your skin actually burning under the bright of the sky. The only thing even resembling shade is an indiscernible distance away, and Mehrak is nowhere to be found for him to map out the space.

He's also not sure that he's actually dreaming anymore. The strange, shifting sensations he felt in his back earlier seem to have stopped, and as far as he can tell everything is back to normal—

And okay he might not exactly recognize this particular area of desert, but it's not like he's gone through every single part of it before.

Honestly, there's a lot about this that isn't good. In fact, the only positive he can really spot in the whole thing is the canteen of water that has been grasped in his hand from the moment he first opened his eyes to the brilliant sun.

Puzzled as he is over the whole thing, it takes Kaveh a moment to recognize that someone else is nearby— another positive, he hopes— and his feet carry him quickly over the sands to greet them (and, if need be, to help them to their feet). ]

I don't suppose you happen to have any idea of where we are?

2. WORMS

[ The first few times that Kaveh notices the shimmering air, it's quickly dismissed as a mirage— after all, he has enough experience with deserts to have dealt with them before. But as an architect, part of his education involved the study of physical sciences, and if he remembers correctly, mirages have something to do with the distortion of light, which should mean they aren't as readily observed from the corners of his vision, much less at random intervals as these ones are. That's why, by the time the tremor begins under his feet, he's holding the hilt of a claymore tightly in both hands.

Such a thing is not to be for long, however; he recognizes the movement of the sands as they begin, and without any hesitation at all drops the weapon to tackle his companion— whether they are the person he first met or someone else at this stage— to a safer place, his voice hoarse as he yells a single word: ]

Wenut!

[ Of course, the emergence of the thing from under the sands proves it not to be such a creature, but undoubtedly something remarkably similar. Ruby eyes dart to the claymore left abandoned in the sand, and Kaveh curses under his breath.

If only Mehrak were here... ]

3. SO SCARLET IT WAS
INCLUDES KAVEH CHARACTER STORY SPOILERS
HIGHLIGHT FOR CW (CONTAINS SPOILERS): PARENTAL DEATH, DEPRESSION, SELF-LOATHING, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

[ The singing might be the most beautiful thing Kaveh has ever heard. It's an easy choice for him to follow it, tears welling up in his crimson eyes as he separates from any companions without a thought, white shoes carrying him over the sands in a jog. Every step closer brings a new wave of familiarity to him, despite the song being one he's never heard, and by the time he stands face-to-face with the cactus, the saltwater is leaving trails of wet down his sand-dried skin.

The guilt is something that's always been his, keeping the dull ache of sadness in its tight grip, but never once has he actually thought to end it all— after all, there's a comfort in the pain with which he lives, the guilt something deserved in the face of what he did to his parents.

Yet right now, it all finally seems like too much. The song of the cactus is calling to him, and Kaveh finds himself yearning for the release that comes with giving himself over to it, lying against it and bidding farewell to everything that plagues him.

He feels the sensation of the needles piercing skin, then flesh, then internal organs, but there's no pain— only relief. Kaveh closes his eyes, the last of the tears spilling from under the lids as the flowers, unseen to him, bloom with the heartache bleeding into the cactus.

If this is how dying feels, he welcomes it. ]

NOTES / WILDCARD

I'm bringing Kaveh in as a legend because I think it will be fun to watch him struggle with the idea! By default his wings are folded away and thus not known to him, but I'd be more than happy to have them spontaneously appear at any time during any of the encounters. I need a better picture, but basically I am looking at bird of paradise wings. (If you know, you know.)

Please feel free to DM me on this account, or hit me up at denouements if there's anything else you'd like to do, or if you just wanna chat!

1

[shadowsincryo]

[His companion studies their surroundings as he lifts an umbrella up to shade them both. His wolf ears twist back and forth to catch the sounds of-

Both ears go flat against his hair. Something is out there. Typical of Folkmore. Kaeya wipes sweat from his brow and lets his icy magic flow. Chips of ice swirl around them.]

Oh, I do. And it would be better we get moving. There is a reason the locals call it Cruel Summer.

[What a sobering thought to realize none of the forms he loves to flit back and forth between are all that suitable for a desert. He scratches at his jaw with a clawed hand.]

We need to head east. There’s a forest at that edge. This feels like a Fox trial, so I’m likely cut off from things to make this easier.

luke skywalker | star wars | legend

[sensetive]

arrival

[ It takes some nerve to arrive in black tunic to the desert, but Luke doesn't seem to be too bothered by it. While growing up on a planet abundant with sand obviously didn't give him immunity to the scorching heat considering that a trickle of sweat runs down on the side of his face when he reaches his arm to the person that landed close by to help them up. ]

Are you alright? I've got some water to spare if you need it.

[ The light tremor beneath his feet that Luke senses just a while later is a bit concerning, but he doesn't want to alarm the other person without a reason. ]

Let's have a look around. I'm Luke, by the way.

worms

[ The weapons scattered in the sand could a blessing, a curse, or both at the same time. When the blood red worm emerges from the desert sands, it becomes clear that it's both. Luke manages to grab two guns before the first acid bomb melts the sword he meant to take as well. ]

Hey, you good with the weapons? [ Two guns are better than one, but in case his companion didn't get lucky enough to grab something, splitting the loot might be a smarter idea. ] Damn, I think something big is coming!

[ That might or might not be a lightning fart. ]

so scarlet it was

[ It's not like Luke needs a reminder in form of a song to think about losing his father, but the cactus doesn't give up and continues its tune. ]

Father...

[ He murmurs and lets out a soft yet exasperated sigh. It's tempting to just give in, succumb to the mourning and never think about anything else. When the first spine sinks into his flesh, he doesn't even think about the pain, his mind occupied with the parent that died in front of his eyes. After a few minutes, it's not just the pain of losing his father, but also his mentor, uncle and aunt. Despite everything, his expression is blissful and his eyes are half-lidded as if this was a somewhat relaxing experience rather than an agonizing one. ]

wildcard

[ Feel free to hit me up with anything! If you'd like to plot, PM this journal or PP me at koohii! ]

arrival

[rathertalented]

[It takes as much nerve to arrive in a heavy overcoat, clearly designed for sub-zero climes. The other man is already sweating when he returns the greeting, an umbrella, still shut, resting on his shoulder.]

You are too kind, my new greatest friend. Had I known a barren waste was in my future, I may have been less inclined to see what the fox was on about.

[And he does accept the canteen, and takes a liberal sip from the water. Who knew how long they'd be wandering out here, after all?]

Thancred. If we were more suitably dressed for the weather, I'd say it's a pleasure. Let's see if we're able to find a bit of shelter, shall we?

Padmé Amidala | Star Wars | Legend

[democratically]

[worms]
[Padmé has honestly never been a fan of deserts. She prefers a more temperature location, preferably one with water around. Not that she expects to see Naboo again... She takes a moment, slow but deep breaths in an out to try to orientate herself. How, why, what- She shakes her head, rising slowly.

She doesn't dwell on that, at least not at the moment, as there are other issues that she currently has to deal with. She's not entirely dressed correctly for the landscape and there is still a dull ache that echoes through her body. A glance to her side shows an umbrella that she gingerly takes, and notes the other body a few feet away from her.

Gingerly, she rises, using the umbrella to support herself for a moment, feeling the sand on her does, the dry heat that reminds her so much of another planet. A planet she doesn't want to think about. A step, then two, mindful, but concerned as she comes closer to the other person.]

Hello? Are you alright?

[tents]
[Kriffing worms... Padmé is not been at her best but with a few tricks they had managed to outrun the massive beast. Her breathing is a bit laboured as she takes a seat in the shade, although it's not much cooler. At least the heat isn't searing down on her skin.

She does keep glancing at the manned kiosks. Idle curiosity is all. She comes from a place that has many different species, but these aren't one of them. How do they manage not to overheat, she wonders, feeling the sweat dripping down her spine? She savours the cup of water though, taking small sips as she ponders this place and what has happened.

She can hear voices coming closer, and glancing up, Padmé spots some more people arriving. How many, she thinks, find themselves here? Watching them glance around, she does offer.]

There's some water over here, and enough room in the shade if you're looking for a seat.

[scarlet]
[Armed a little better now, Padmé has set out. To the station, which is hard to tell just how far it is. Yet there is only going forward, she acknowledges, no going back. There isn't... But despite everything, this has given Padmé something else to focus on than the loss that coils around in her stomach.

One foot than the other, all more or less heading in the same direction. Until they aren't. It's faint, a lullaby, one from Naboo that tugs on her heart-strings. A song she will never be able to sing to hers. Little by little she veers, drawn without quite realizing. Most else fades away to that soothing song of her youth, tears springing to the corners of her eyes.]

Did- did you hear that?

[Perhaps more to herself than anyone else. Is it a trick of the wind? A desire for what is lost? She could almost give in, step by step, as if entranced, buried beneath the swelling sensations of sorrow.

Until she comes across a cactus.

She doesn't quite register that fact, the song tugging on her heart strings, speaking of all things she would never have and never experience again. So many firsts now gone. A life ended. Yet she embraces it, stepping forward even as the spines pierce into her pale skin, face nuzzling down, the tears breaking free as she gives a sob. Yet it's from deep within, that private hidden sadness of heartbreak and despair.

Here... Here she can stay. Here she can remain.]

[wildcard]
[choose your own adventure!]

[ooc; will match any format]

scarlet

[sensetive]

[ Lured in with the song, Luke notices that someone got here first—ultimately, it makes snapping out of the trance easier considering the imagery. Upon closer examination, he can't see any visible injuries and it's difficult to tell if it's a good or a bad thing at this point. In the end, reaching out seems to be the most reasonable thing to do in this situation. ]

Can you hear me? Please don't move. I won't leave until you're safe.

[ When the flowers start blooming in front of his eyes and the song becomes quieter, he still isn't sure what to do, yet he's definitely not going anywhere until he figures this one out. ]

Thancred Waters | Final Fantasy XIV | Legend

[rathertalented]

{ a r r i v a l }

[One would think, at this point, Thancred would be accustomed to finding himself, rather suddenly, in quite another shockingly different locale than he'd been previously. Nothing could have prepared him for the stark contrast between the frigid snows of Garlemald and the scorching sands of Cruel Summer, though. Spending a few months in the biting climes of the far north, one develops a thicker skin, but also a tendency toward warm coats. Sweltering was the first word that came to mind as the world returned to him.

He blinked silver eyes into the raging sun overhead, raising a gloved hand to shield them from the harsh rays as he moved to a sitting position in an attempt to get his bearings.]

Quite the frying pan.

[The weight in his lap caught his attention, though, and he looked down, ash-blond brows raising at the sight.]

Ah, a gift! Please tell me you hold water. [A deft turn of his wrist at the cap confirmed his hopeful suspicion.] Thank the gods.

[Movement to the side caught his eye and he turns his head sharply in that direction, deftly getting his feet under him and reaching for a weapon not strapped to his back. Damn.

Well, alternative methods, then. He cracked a warm smile. The heavy overcoat he wore really put into stark relief how little he belonged there.]

Ho, there! Are you friend or mirage?

{ w o r m s }

[Sweating through the slog of walking, water or umbrella be damned, was horrendous. His only hope was that they were heading toward rather than away from civilization. To spite the heat, he hadn't lost his coat just yet as he had no idea where they were going, but also knowing a desert could be Twelvesdamned cold once the night fell and if they were about that long, he was going to be prepared.]

I have been in worse situations.

[But not many, and he usually at least had an idea which way was the correct one. Here, though, he could only keep them going to straight and hope for the best, hoping as well his new companion had a similar idea.

Then they crested a dune and what was an anticipatory stride, one looking forward to a new vantage point to get their bearings, when the sun glinting on the collection there was unable to be ignored. Swords, daggers, shields, firearms and more littered the small rise.]

How odd...no signs of a struggle. It's as though these were placed here... [He stooped, picking up a hefty broadsword and a shield nearby.] Cheeky, really, taking our weapons only to leave us with castoffs. I wonder what's lurking...

[A low rumble nearby might be the answer.]

I trust you know how to use one of these? If not, do us a favor and stay behind me.

{ w i l d c a r d }

[If you'd like to run into Thancred in any other scenario, feel free, including any prompts from "So Scarlet It Was". If you have any questions, feel free to PM this account!]

You can also contact me at vikael#0221 on discord

{ w o r m s }

[wasinnocent]

[ Despite the full body suit that Charis was wearing she didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the heat. If anything one might actually think she was actually enjoying herself as she kept stride with the partner she'd fallen from the sky next to. The climate brought back memories of Khera and despite it all she couldn't help but find herself missing her home planet from time to time.

She flashed him a smirk. ]

Yeah? I just fell from one myself. [ Ironic that she'd just been falling from space before the Fox arrived. Evidently the universe just wanted her to fall. Sounded about accurate for her life. As they came up to the scattering of weapons she raised an eyebrow suspiciously. This was definitely a foreboding sight. Just as the thought came to her mind she picked up on a sound off in the distance even before the rumble was picked up by the other. There was something down below, something that felt distinctly predatory and that smirk from before oddly grew. Though a brief look of mock offense crossed her face at his question. ]

Oh, I may know a thing to two. [ She picked up a dagger from the ground, slid it into one of the empty holsters on her suit, and then grabbed two of the lighter long swords, spinning them in her hand to test their weight. ]

Guess they'll do. [ As if to accentuate the statement the rumbling began and increased exponentially as the creature erupted from the ground. Sand sprayed everywhere and Charis flipped backwards to avoid the eruption, landing elegantly on both feet and taking an immediate offensive stance. The worm continued to come out of the ground, revealing it's full size and immediately opening it's mouth to reveal rows upon rows of fangs. ]

Well that's a big boy

Kaedehara Kazuha | Genshin Impact | Legend

[leafwhistle]

Arrival

[As a wanderer, Kazuha has taken comfort with the stars as his blanket many nights. He isn't one that falls asleep easily, his ears full of all the sounds of everything living and moving around him, and he'd spend his time until his eyes became heavy gazing up at the bright dots in the sky. What was it like to be one of them?

He thought maybe that it would maybe be a bit more magical, maybe a bit more glamorous, and it was. It was, for a time, until he found himself lying against the hot sand, sweat already beading on his brow. Kazuha's journeys have brought him to many nations of Teyvat, including Sumeru, but this is his first desert.

Kazuha grabs at the weight at his side out of habit. Expecting his sword, he instead closes his hand around a more unfamiliar shape. With an elegant flick of his wrist, the umbrella opens with a 'twop', providing shade from the burning sun on his head.]

Ah, a fortunate gift.

[The shade will keep him from overheating too quickly, but it won't keep him alive in this sort of environment. Kazuha gets to his feet, turning his shaded face towards the highest point he can see. He makes his way up to the peak of the sand dune, using it to give him a better line of sight across the sprawling sand.

He realizes he doesn't have to look far to spot someone else, and he tips his umbrella so it casts a shadow over their head.]

Did you fall out of the sky too?

Wriggly worms

[Where there are weapons, there are usually things that necessitate them.

With Kagotsurube Isshin nowhere in sight, Kazuha helps himself to sorting through the pile, testing a few swords until one feels right enough in his hand. It's not like he hasn't made good use of average weapons before— for months he carried around a random sword he used in Liyue, and this would do just fine.

Slotting it into his belt, he moves onward, but not for too long.

Soon the ground beneath his feet begins to tremble. Kazuha's eyes open wider, bracing his feet not to be knocked down as an enormous... worm? erupts from the sand. His hand goes to his sword, and the samurai swiftly leaps out of the way of a burst of acid, currents of wind and maple leaves gathering around his feet.

In the air, he realizes he isn't alone. There's another person nearby— You. First surprise crosses his face, then determination.]

Time to go.

[He floats in the air for a moment, drawing the attention of the worm again. Unable to fully control his position in the air, Kazuha slams himself back into the sand and then starts running. He doesn't even stop as he runs by the other person, just reaching out to grab their hand, wrist, or clothes as he makes to give them a little more distance from their foe.]

Cactus

[Even at some considerable distance, Kazuha's sensitive ears pick up the eerie song over the wind. Music is something he finds naturally soothing, something that speaks to his soul, but this song... tugs at it. The samurai finds his feet carrying him across the dunes towards the sound, his hand shielding his eyes from the relentless sun and sand.

He soon finds himself staring up at the cactus, tears beading at the corners of his eyes. It's a cactus but he isn't thinking about it being a cactus— years of loss and loneliness has sway of his heart, drawing him closer.]

Please, don't...

[His voice breaks a little, his hand outstretched to the cactus.]

Wildcard

[Please feel free to hit me up either as a DM or you can chat with me on plurk at machinisms. For the cactus prompt, feel free to either save Kazuha before he gets his juice sucked out or let it happen. Trauma can come in "i watched my bestie die" flavor or "I buried my family and became homeless as teenager"]

Wriggly worms

[shadowsincryo]

[Everything happens swiftly. Kaeya doesn’t protest as a hand grabs his wrist. He turns with Kazuha, sending ice out behind him like a cold screen.

It will buy them time. The cold air swirls around him as he gathers more magic while moving. Going from a light jog into a full sprint isn’t too bad. He has a lot of practice.

The worm dives under the sand. Not great. He calls out,] It’s trying to come up underneath us! Let go of me and leap up again. I have an idea.

Mewtwo (humanized) | Pokemon anime/movieverse | Myth

[humantwo]

[Cruel Summer]

[The heat is terrible, yes, but what’s more pressing to Mewtwo is how his body has reformed. The issue becomes clear the moment he places his hand on the uneasy surface of the sand; five fingers. Nails, under which sand is already gathering. He blinks and a strand of hair falls in front of his eyes. Reaching up, he finds rounded ears that he can tuck it behind. 

He is human.

And that is incorrect.

Mewtwo attempts to scramble to his feet, but the unfamiliar shape of his body makes it difficult, and he falls back into the sand with a thud. The only clothing he has to protect him from the heat and grit is his cloak - oversized and hardly more than a rectangle of fabric. The canteen of water is unceremoniously tossed to the side as he desperately tries to get his bearings.

He needs to focus on something other than the horrifying wrongness of his body. The person in the sand next to him will do; he reaches out to grab them - in panic or in anger, it’s hard to tell. ]

“Where is the Fox?!”

[Shaved Ice]

[Trekking through the desert on feet you're not familiar with while being attacked by giant sand worms really takes it out of you. Not that the sand worms were much of a problem for him, but he would have preferred to sulk about unmolested. Destroying them didn’t even give him a temporary sense of catharsis - just more anger, more fuel for the fire.

But the heat and stress has smothered most of it in favor of a dull sense of despondency. By the time he reaches the tents, he has little fight left in him. He trudges through them aimlessly, a blank look on his face, not really comprehending any of it until he manages to stumble upon the fox offering shaved ice. The familiarity of it - he’s seen it sold in Kanto during the summer months - stirs something in him, though he’s not quite lucid enough to get any without assistance.

He does notice that there are toppings available, though, another reminder of home that makes him mutter in bemusement; ]

Red bean.

[Scarlet It Was]

[Mewtwo has never heard the song before, but like the shaved ice, it’s somehow reminiscent of home, sung in a style that reminds him of the lullabies he’s heard over the Lavender Town radio. Already disconcerted by the trials of the past few days, he wanders out in the early hours of the morning to search for its source. The sand at his bare feet is, at least, not quite so hot at that time of day.

A cactus that sings isn't all that unusual for someone from the world of Pokemon. It's not a species he recognizes (and it's not a Pokemon, certainly), but he quietly admires it anyway, the wordless melody emanating from it reminding him of...

Of what? That feeling he's known since before he can remember anything else? Of darkness and the faint rustling of bubbles rising slowly around him, of an ache for something he can't name? Of the phrase – always in his mind, somehow, with seemingly no source and no reasoning behind it - life is wonderful?

But why? He responds to it as he always has. And sinks his hands into the spines of the cactus, the pain from them drowned out by heartache for something he cannot remember.]

shaved ice.

[banshiii]

[ A communion of shaved ice among foxes is as good as anything else he'll get in such a place, Takakage thinks. He feels a little silly, like he stepped into a movie or something, but with all the heat and the sand and the worms, such a treat is welcome.

Even if its childish.

He piles on bits of mochi and some colorful, flavored syrups. ]

Mm? Something the matter?

Yves Tourcenet — FFXIV OC (non-WoL) — MYTH

[bloodlash]

ARRIVAL

( For one long, glorious moment Yves feels the burn of true freedom as he wheels between the stars — but just as quickly as it came on, it disappears, and he finds himself suddenly dashed against the earth. When he comes to he's disoriented, achey, and there's an uncomfortable (yet altogether familiar) prickle of sweat beginning to form at the small of his back, and with the way the ground gives when he pushes himself upright? It can only mean one thing.

Sand.

Gods, why does it always have to be sand.

He pulls himself to his feet, but the sudden lurch pitches his centre of gravity sideways. It draws attention to the canteen (presumably full of water?) which he knocks with the side of his foot; it feels heavy when he lifts it, which washes him through with blessed relief. If nothing else he should at least survive for long enough to make it back to—

Ah. No. This isn't Thanalan, is it, and that distant structure on the horizon isn't the glistening city of Ul'dah. Yves pulls in a slow breath as fragments of his arrival begin to trickle back to him — a fox, a new purpose, tales of legend and myth — then exhales it again as he takes a moment to twist his hair up into a knot away from his neck. Let it never be said that he's anything but practical, and let it never be said that he'd allow an opportunity to discover new and strange relics of far-off cultures pass him by.

Myth or no. )

WORM

( There are two problems with the sudden appearance of the huge, blood-coloured sand-worm. The first is that without someone to take the hits for him, Yves is less than useless on the battlefield. Channelling black magics requires careful positioning — if not his own, then that of someone he can manipulate his aether to at the last moment — and while he certainly has the capabilities to burn disgusting monsters into ash, it helps if they're somewhat distracted while he does it.

Which brings him to his second problem: he only has said capabilities when he's able to channel the magicks through a wand or staff, and right now?

Well. He has neither. What he does have is a rather battered-looking sword he managed to pull from the foot of a sand dune; he had a little training as a child, turned out to be so bad at it that his father put a stop to his lessons to spare the family the embarrassment, and he can't help but laugh (albeit somewhat bitterly) at the situation in which he's now found himself.

The blade wobbles in his hand from the effort it takes him to keep it held aloft, his hair sticking to damp temples as he backs away from what might just be his impending death. It's then that he spots another figure not too far off, and you know? If this person can't save him, at the very least they might provide the worm with enough of a distraction for him to escape. Cutthroat, perhaps, but necessary for his survival.

As always. )

For Halone's sake, kill it— ( He calls, waving the sword towards the person. Lifting his canteen of water (admittedly now two-thirds empty) aloft, he indicates a potential trade: ) And this water is yours!

SO SCARLET IT WAS

CW: MEMORIES OF PHYSICAL CHILD ABUSE

( It isn't until the spines of the cactus pierce his body that Yves realises the extent of the heartache — or indeed the depths of the sorrow and fear — that he's been carrying ever since he was a little boy. The leaden weight of it melts away to leave him feeling awash with light — his body is weightless, his soul is glowing, and his mind is freed of the last two decades of his pain.

Baptistaux is suddenly nothing to him — a footnote in his childhood undeserving of any more thought. Memories of the beatings, the bullying, the vicious taunts fade away into that gentle light; the stony face of his sire dissolves with the icy house staff and the cold, empty room in which he was raised.

The song is bliss, and the cactus spines are his salvation. )

WILDCARD + OOC

( Or hit me up for something else! Yves is a non-WoL OC from the world of FFXIV - his game-appropriate info is here for anyone interested in tagging him 8) Feel free to DM me on this journal if there's anything you'd like to work out, or gimme a ping on Plurk at scry ♥ )

(OH,) WORM (?)

[modestpurpose]

Oh, how can I say no to an offer like that...

[Hythlodaeus does not actually need the water, not being one of the poor sods who have suddenly found themselves lost out here in the middle of this blistering, worm-infested wilderness, but he recognises that this person has a need for help at this moment in time and what is Hythlodaeus if not a helper?

So, bow in hand, he moves quickly forwards across the sand and sends a couple of arrows flying the sand worm's way. They hit, and though they don't seem to do too much damage on their own it's definitely enough to cause that distraction that Yves was looking for.]

Ah, here we go--

[The man looks like he might be enjoying this a little too much, honestly.]

Get yourself clear!