August & September 2023 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

August & September 2023 TDM

Introduction

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full Navigation ]
This Test Drive meme is open to all.
Welcome to Folkmore's bimonthly 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 and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’

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

Playing and interacting with the 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 always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!


🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.

and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.


🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.

Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Oh How Quiet . ★

Content Warnings: Difficulty seeing, possibility of drowning, forced relocation

Fog & Footsteps

Some Star Children find themselves on land. The air is foggy and damp, blurring and distorting vision making it difficult to tell where they are, what’s real and what isn’t until–finally–Star Children find themselves on wet sand. Continue marching forward and trees begin to form a skeletal border, dark shadows growing and stretching further into their depths. Star Children who have experienced being exiled before can feel a path through the trees should they choose to venture further. Star Children who haven’t been exiled can feel resentment building around them and have greater difficulty navigating the path ahead.

Anyone who glances back may find footsteps in the sand alongside theirs. The more anyone looks back, the more prints appear. They’re inconsistent like their maker hops or flies part of the time or fades in and out of the physical universe… or something else. They may be human, or animal, or something Star Children can’t quite put a name to.

The Will or the Wisp

The longer Star Children dwell on them, the more tempting they are to follow—familiarity, comfort, curiosity, something. The footsteps eventually lead Star Children down a branching path toward a wall of thick, colorless fog. Inside the fog, there are enchanting wisps of light dancing just out of reach, urging Star Children to keep following. Just a little further, the sweet voices promise.

Continue onward and soon outlines appear in the mist, showing just who (or what) the earlier footsteps belong to–distorted human or animal shapes that exist only where fog is displaced by the will-o’-the-wisps they carry like lanterns. They lure Star Children deeper into Exile, all the while making promises they have no intention of keeping...

Salvation comes in the form of a fellow Star Child guided toward someone in distress by shifting sands. They radiate starlight that pierces through the thick fog around them, allowing people to find the sandy forest path toward The Beach. Once Star Children reach it, they will both find an old, sea-battered treasure chest which offers characters a personal item from home and either a nonfunctional compass or lantern. A will-o-the-wisp will fly directly into the item, which doesn’t seem to make it work. The compass needle points toward somewhere in Exile, not north. The lantern doesn’t light up. However, when the Star Child is truly lost, the compass will point where they need to go and the lantern will light up any darkness. Each Star Child can only receive either the compass or the lantern.

A Magical Day

Whether passing directly through the forest path or guided back to it, Star Children find a shoreline extending in either direction. Some water laps against the beach, but farther out is the long expanse of tenuous reality. Come September, it fades into the distance until it can no longer be seen. The beach itself is in Exile, heavy with the weight of magic. It feels reassuring and encouraging. Star Children can indulge in a sunless day at the beach, playing in the sand, and soaking in the magic. Those wishing for a bit more warmth can explore the shoreline north to the Boat Bonanza at the port where the Encantado reaches the ocean.

Key Points:

🦊 Star Children may pass through a thick fog to reach a wet, sandy path that passes through trees and leads to The Beach in Exile.
🦊 If they keep looking behind them on the path they will find footprints following alongside their own. Those footprints will try luring characters deep into fog using will-o’-the-wisp lanterns, leading them into the swamp so they can drown them.
🦊 A fellow Star Child can act as a light to guide lost characters back to the safety of shore.
🦊 Star Children that are rescued from the lure or who rescue another Star Child will be rewarded with a non-weapon memento from home and either a compass or a lantern (not both).
🦊 Star Children that don’t succumb will simply continue forward to The Beach without issue and will have opportunities to find a non-personal item from their home worlds being sold at the market. See below.

Christening Ceremony . ★

Content Warnings: Possibility of drowning, fetch quests

Boat Bonanza

Whether venturing up the coastline from Exile, floating down the Encantado River, or simply being plopped into the water, Star Children new and old find themselves in water. A strong wave rolls up the beach to drag suspecting and unsuspecting alike. Playful pinkish-red dolphins spray people off boats into the river. Or Star Children find themselves treading water deeper than they are tall with no land in sight. No worries, those who need help getting out of the water will get it. Along the shore, spirits in boats will pick up anyone in need of a ride and bring them back through the fog to the sounds of shouts and cheers and music to a large clear spot in the fog.

Boats come into view. Boats of all shapes and sizes, from single person kayaks to large houseboats, fishing craft and sailboats. They rise and fall with the waves but aren't otherwise moving. Ropes, planks, and bridges tie the boats together. Whether approaching by river or by sea, new boats explore the outskirts of the great conglomeration of boats and attach themselves—increasing the size of the gathered ships. So many boats are gathered that the shore isn't visible from new boats tying up.

Everyone's welcome aboard and to wander from boat to boat. Starfish spirits offer games of chance at low tables on broad open decks under awnings. There are even holes in the bottom of the deck, so players can dip their feet in cool water. A cephalopod band plays upbeat music other spirits and Star Children can dance to in competition with a scavenging of seagull spirits singing sea shanties as loudly as they can two boats over. Far from them, jellyfish spirits offer places to rest in quiet, with curtains drawn and sound dampened. Many spirits offer food and drink—seafood or seafood shaped candy or in the case of mystery flavored taffy, sometimes seafood flavored candy. Those who don't want freshly rolled sushi or take a chance with the candies can always see the Wandering Dog cart on the shore, where the dogs try very hard to be included.

Flotilla Afterparty

Come September, nymphs pop up in the waters and start shooing the boats away until only the houseboats and some submarines remain. Some go off on their lonesome, but more of them form flotillas that float along the coastline continuing their activities and coming to shore to pick up any who wish to join them. A restaurant flotilla, a meditative flotilla, music performance flotillas, and even gambling flotillas. Should people want off and the boats aren't ready to go to shore, sometimes Catbus shows up, able to leap whatever the distance.

Fetchquest

At any time, during the boat festival or smaller flotillas, Star Children may find non-personal items from their home world for sale. It may be a weapon or magical item. These spirits can sense who is from the same world as an item and will only offer them to those Star Children. These aren’t free! After all, these spirits pulled up these items from chests in the water. Star Children will need to do a few favors or barter something else to obtain the item from home. Star Children who help in Vasilisa’s, now mostly staffed by spirits, will find they have an easier time bartering… unless it’s in the Cuttlefish Curiosities shop. If the cuttlefish spirit smells a whiff of the grumpy old octopus spirit who has taken over as chef, that Star Child will have to do twice the work.

Key Points:

🦊 Explore your way to Nereid where the Encantado reaches the shore or get dropped into the water.
🦊 Enjoy an enormous boat festival! All kinds of boats! All kinds of activities!
🦊 In September, the boat festival will split into multiple flotillas floating around the shoreline.
🦊 Do favors or barter goods to receive a non-personal item from home. It may be a weapon or magical item. A magical gun from your world? Yes. Your personal magical gun with your dog’s name engraved in it? No.

Comments

Questions

[folkie]

[ashwantstobattle]

I was wondering if, considering the near co-dependent nature of Ash and Pikachu, he can find Pikachu as his personal thing from home or if it'd have to be something more like his Pokedex.

Luke Skywalker ✸ Star Wars: Legends

[blackclad]

✸ Sand. It's always sand, isn't it?

Unlike some others, Luke isn't morally or fundamentally opposed to sand, but he does tend to be wary of it and the way it always manages to get under his synthskin and into his prosthetic. Is it dangerous or ill-advised to head away from the beach and towards the swamp? Probably, but there do seem to be other people there and swamps aren't so bad. He's had plenty of good times in a swamp.

Plenty of leeches, too.

"Hey, pal?"

✸ Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.

Luke is always happy to help out where and when he can - tying knots, offering some tinkering, promising never ever to cook but being willing to fix the stove. (Seriously, do not let him near your food. He'll either eat it, overspice it, or both.)

He's far from home, but this is novel and no one recognizes him - both things conspire to put him in a great mood. Maybe he tries to drag your character into helping out or offers a bit of food that he'd earned as payment:

- "Here, hold this for a moment, I just need to..." as he wriggles under something to adjust a knob or rivet.

- "Try this! I dunno what it is, but it's good." Or maybe, "Try this, it smells awful but tastes like...uh, something? Something good, but not good?"

✸ OOC

You got questions, I got answers. HMU at bootknife or on Disco as Bootknife.

Boats!

[ezra_of_lothal]

Sorry to break your streak, Luke. Here's someone who recognizes you. But he's in a possibly familiar style of robes, and has a lightsaber on his belt, and isn't looking awestruck?

"Is that...durian flavored candy?" is the first thing he says, mildly baffled. Such a thing seems a little out of place amongst the seafood theme, but ok.

He's just going to carry on with the conversation, and watch Luke's reactions, to figure out how to proceed from here.

bertolt hoover | attack on titan | legend | current character

[thiscruel]

The Will or the Wisp

If asked, Bertolt wouldn't be able to explain precisely why he searches the fog, or what draws him ever deeper into the mists. He can simply sense that someone needs help. Someone he may or may not know; someone whose need for aid draws him forward as surely as a rope looped around his middle.

He appears as starlight at first, piercing the fog. Then his form follows: six-foot-four with an athletic build, green eyes unnaturally bright, dark hair illuminated as though a halo hangs behind his head.

"Are you hurt?" Bertolt asks, his voice gentle, naturally soft-spoken.

A Magical Day

It has been years since Bertolt last saw the ocean.

He stands in the surf with his trousers rolled up to his knees, watching the sand move around his bare feet, each wave causing him to sink a little deeper. He doesn't appear to be playing so much as drinking in the sensation: quietly, almost meditatively.

"It took too long," he says—words intended only for himself, but they may be overheard.

If he notices someone nearby, he looks up and gives a nod, his gaze distant, heels dug deep in the wet sand.

Boat Bonanza

Bertolt nimbly navigates the boats, his balance impeccable as he makes his way from one to the next. His eyes are wide, an expression of pure, simple wonder on his face. He has been in this new world for over a month; however, he is far from numb to its marvels.

He pauses to watch many things: games, singing, dancing, even the creation of strange and interesting food. If he spots a fellow Star Child, he gives them a small, genuine smile before speaking.

"This is amazing, isn't it?"

Although, judging by the look in his eyes, "amazing" is an understatement.

Wildcard

( ooc: come at me with something else! happy to write in prose or brackets. feel free to pm this journal for plotting ♥ )

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra's familiar with busy marketplaces with the occasional street performer. Smaller festivals. Still, he has never seen anything quite like this. He mirrors the other young man's smile.

"I know big festivals is...a thing people do." When they're free to. Under the Empire back home, this many people congregating, unregulated, for a purpose that wasn't Imperially approved? Less and less likely, the older he got. And when they have the resources, which was more the issue in Trench. "Never seen it, at uh, quite this scale."

Glitch | Star Wars Legends | Familiar

[forceflows]

i - fog & footsteps

Glitch has always been a bit of an oddball. He was one of thousands of clones who served in the grand army of the Republic. He was also frankly a terrible soldier who barely passed muster, screwed up almost everything he did, and was referred to as a 'faulty weapon' by his brothers. He also believed himself to be Force Sensitive! It didn't improve his brothers' opinions of him much. He was a weirdo, defective, a glitch. That's why he was Glitch. Gotta try and own the insult.

Anyways he'd always been odd but spending a... well he wasn't sure HOW long it was but spending few years at least on an uninhabited planet with no comms or chrono in the ruins of ancient Jedi temple certainly hadn't made him any less odd.

His once pristine white armor was scuffed and dirty, only a few scraps of the original purple paint he's accented it with still hung on for dear life. He wasn't wearing shoes, he'd worn the soles out of the standard boots AGES ago. He had some kind of patchy threadbare almost a robe draped over his shoulders that had been scavenged from somewhere. He'd lost his helmet at some point too and his hair was a mess, long and pulled back into a sloppy braid, it looked like it hadn't seen a comb in a thousand years. His face was probably familiar to anyone who knew of the clones, though his eyes were particularly bright and wide, and had almost a childlike excitement in them.

Currently he's examining the footprints in the sand. They're very weird, aren't they? All this shifting and changing.

"I sense something very ominous here," he mutters aloud to no one in particular. He'd been completely along for a very long time, he'd kind of gotten used to just talking his thoughts out loud.

ii - fetchquest

It's been a very very long time since Glitch has been in society polite or otherwise. And just as long since he's had access to any of the amenities of civilization. He's been content with his life but there have certainly been a few things he's missed. Such as...

"Hey guy you looking for this?" one of the weird vendors waved him over. And there in his stall was a jar with a familiar label. Caf! It was caf! The best drink of all the drinks. Glitch has missed that rich aroma and distant taste.

However the vendor wasn't about ready to just give it up apparently. He needed some things done first. He also only intended to give it to someone who paired up for the chore. Wouldn't even say what he wanted done.

So... Glitch had to find someone willing to work with him. Which was difficult seeing as how much berth a lot of folk were giving him. Certainly couldn't be how crazy he looked. So he ends up waving down the next person who doesn't immediately pretend they don't see him.

"Hey! Hey! Stranger! Wanna help me earn my favorite drink ever from a shady vendor?"

fog & footsteps

[establishingfulcrum]

Clone trooper armor always stuck to Ahsoka despite the terrain and weather. Whether they were friend or foe was the biggest question in her mind. She stays a good distance away from the clone - uncertain if she'll have to fight off yet another chip-controlled soldier.

"Stop right there." Ahsoka scans the remains of his armor, ready to move if necessary, but looking for a color to identify where he might have come from. Purple, that was Mace Windu's battalion, right?

"Which battalion do you belong to? The Jedi you follow?"

This trooper looks like he's seen a lot of battles, but she has to figure out if he's going to be a threat to the Jedi - and if she'll need to find a way to remove his chip.

"What's your name, trooper?" It's clear that Ahsoka has experience as a leader of the clone army, from the tone of her voice. That she doesn't see him as just another clone and only by his number.

anakin solo ; star wars ; legend ; deer country crau

[hopesparks]

arrival
[ Anakin can spot a trap like this a mile away. His time in the Trench taught him caution. Following a voice or an unusually strong feeling can sometimes lead to, well, being possessed by a vengeful ghost. So he ignores the feeling and keeps walking along the shore.

But he spots someone else in the distance walking into the fog and immediately feels a sense of dread. ]

Don't go in there!

[ And of course Anakin runs after the stranger, ignoring his own advice because of course he does. ]

whatever floats your boat
[ Anakin's uncanny talent for finding and fixing mechanical issues is coming in handy. He walks from boat to boat, offering to tweak the equipment to make it more efficient or quieter. Anyone who happens upon him while he's fixing something is most likely to see just the back of his head or his legs sticking out from under a particularly bulky piece of equipment. Every so often, he'll grope blindly for a screwdriver or a wrench. He could use the Force to pull it over, but he doesn't know how the people here feel about powers like that, so he decides not to use it unless he has to. Someone pushing the tool over to him would be greatly appreciated. Someone who decides 'screw this guy' and kicks it away will be met with great irritation. ]

[ After awhile, he takes a break and wanders from boat to boat. Anakin doesn't particularly stick out, so others would be forgiven for not noticing him. But anyone with Force sensitivity can spot him without any trouble. His power is understated but impossible to ignore, as is the unique characteristics of a Skywalker's power.

But he doesn't seem particularly powerful or intimidating as he stares at a kebab with obvious suspicion. ]

I'm not going to grow moss for hair again, am I?

[ezra_of_lothal]

"I haven't heard of any magically altering food," comes a voice from Anakin's left, threaded with hilarity and relief. "But who knows?"

Ezra can't help it, he's just grinning stupidly at Anakin.

Hiei | YuYu Hakusho

[flameandblade]

» a magical day

[Hiei is in full coverage dark clothing, save for the white bundle of fabric around his neck. His hands are in his pockets, his shoes are uncomfortably sunken slightly into the damp sand in the wake of waves coming to shore, but he hasn't moved from where he stands on the beach since he arrived. The mild discomfort he feels is second to the weight of the relaxing magic the beach is giving off.]

[And so he stands, perfectly still, internally trying to fight against the magic's influence on how he's feeling.]

» boat bonanza

[After his ordeal in the ocean (it doesn't take a lot of depth for someone 4'10" to need to tread water), Hiei is sopping wet. He's also annoyed by all the music and celebration on the boats, but as long as no one bothers him he's willing to hang around while his cloak dries on the boat he was rescued by.]

[He goes from boat to boat, his intent being only to pass time, not engage with any of the activities surrounding him. Sometimes he slows down to watch something interesting happen, but he doesn't stop walking. His expression remains in neutral the whole time; he's clearly not impressed or appreciating the wonder or excitement around him, probably putting him out of place among the festivities.]

a magical day

[thiscruel]

[ Usually, Bertolt isn't the type to initiate a conversation with someone who appears lost in their thoughts. However, he's been on the beach for some time—mostly watching the waves, lost in contemplation—and during that time, he has yet to see the stranger move. Granted, Bertolt might have missed it when walking from one spot to another. But it's unusual enough that he eventually approaches.

His own feet are bare, trousers rolled up to his knees. At six-foot-four, he stands a full foot and a half taller than the stranger. He hangs back enough that he doesn't feel as though he's looming, then pipes up with a quiet, ]

It's nice, isn't it?

[ A neutral enough question, Bertolt's naturally soft voice hopefully smoothing any rough edges. ]

rebecca welton | ted lasso

[bosscuits]

🍵 will or the wisp

[Rebecca is very confused, and very lost. She had thought it was a dream at first, the strange little fox trotting alongside her, talking about myths and legends and stories, how she'd felt — different as she walked. Then there had been the deep fog and the wet sand (her high heels are incredibly unsuited to the terrain) and the forest and strange footsteps beside her.

For the first time since the fox appeared in her dreams, fear starts to creep in, and Rebecca clutches her coat tighter around herself.]

Hello? Is anyone there?

[girl help.]

🍵 boat bonanza

[None of this day has gotten any more normal, but Rebecca isn't as scared anymore now that she's found other people, and she's approaching the point of just... going with it, since there's little else to do. Having a little breakdown about it won't help anyone, least of all her.

That said, as soon as she steps onto a boat with something resembling a bar, she makes a very quick beeline to the apparent fish-shaped spirit behind the bar.]

Please tell me you serve alcohol.

[Something immediately occurs to her and she pats at her pockets, realizing she does not have a wallet.

Which might not have helped anyway, since this probably isn't London.

She turns to the closest person.]

Terribly sorry, do you happen to know what currency they use here?

🍵 wildcard

[[other options on the boats or the beach!! idk i'm new here but hit me up if you have ideas]]

what's a gal like you doin in a place like this 😏

[believeinbelieve]

[The person she turns to, as luck or fate or sheer coincidence, who can say? – would have it, turns out to be none other than Coach Ted Lasso himself. In the flesh. In a Hawaiian shirt. In-ebriated, but only slightly.

He answers without thinking, without realizing.]

Spoons.

[Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Ted, who looks perfectly like himself, can almost feel the color in his eyes shift when reality hits; they drain from their usual brown to a pale, borderline otherworldly gray-blue.]

– Rebecca?

Tim Drake • DC comics • legend

[ployboy]

i. Will or the Wisp cw injury, mind altering substances, more tba

[Tim still isn't convinced White Ghost didn't mix something interesting into his tea. Trudging through a forest floor, leaves underfoot both crunchy and wet, he thinks that shoes would be welcome. But what's one simple discomfort in the face of brash promises? The boy stumbles here and there-- the injuries make that inevitable but they're all expertly packed and bandaged under fresh and fine clothes made for Iraq's nighttime heat.

Caution is for people who have something to lose.

Tim is steady, all things considered. The shadows and lights talk to him and he's in the fog unable to see far ahead. Every now and then, unassuming sparrow wings will give a heavy and agitated flap when they appear at his back, as (non)permanent as the conviction that he's doing the right thing--

but it's not about doing the right thing, it's about getting what he needs. Favors. Bodies.

Strength.]

ii. Fetchquest

"I don't know how to..."

Well, okay then. Tim is left to tend to the candy shack, his one attempt at a protest falling on deaf ears. Tim doesn't even know if Starfish have ears.

He just knows that his hair is still damp and the rest of him is still salty (heh) from an impromptu dip in the ocean. (Very uncalled for, very ill advised to the other unfortunate souls with gaping wounds- no? Just him? Well. Okay then.) He looks like a sorry, soggy little cat.

But there's a single leather piece for sale his eyes still wander to, shifting to a brighter blue than his stormy normal.

And so... he has to try. Tim can be found tidying up the stall, organizing and rearranging taffy and lollipops and other sweets. He shifts cutesy, chalky signs that announce the prices. He just... is maybe shy about shouting out the specials, or reluctant to bring attention to himself. Which is contradictory to the whole... tend the candy shack thing. Have pity on him.

[wildcard; fish him out of the water, follow him onto the boat show! hit me if you want anything in particular on plurk fourboars. Tim himself comes from his BruceQuest soooo, r.i.p.]

i. will or the wisp

[ruevealing]

[There is no explaining why Rue felt the pull that they did to step into the dense fog, but without a moment's hesitation, they allow themself to be fully engulfed in the thick, odorless haze, because they know without a shadow of a doubt that someone familiar is so very nearby.

It begins in pin-pricks of light piercing through the wall of fog, tiny rays that struggle to light the way as the darkness overtakes them. But then it is like a burst of starlight through the gloom, bright enough to dissipate the fogginess of the path directly in front of them, a shape so wildly inhuman moving closer to the boy.]

Han Solo || Star Wars || Familiar

[twelve_not_fourteen]

[ Introduction ]

As much as he likes to have faith in what he can take in with his senses, he can't really reconcile what The Fox in his vision is telling him. It seemed far too abstract and impossible to believe, so he began to disregard it almost entirely.

He'd been drinking too much. Yeah, that had to be it. That was why he thought he saw feathers where his hand should be. Why he was getting told about a place called Folkmore. Why he wasn't on his ship right now. He scowled or he thought he was scowling, anyway. His face felt a little bit weird.

Glowing came from all around him. No. Not around him. It was coming from him. It was so bright that it was hurting his eyes and he snapped them closed just in time to not see himself plummeting.



[ Boats Part 1 ]


KA-SPLAAAAAAAAASH!!!


Han hit the water at high speed and created a big column of water when he landed. It was quite a sight to see in the otherwise calm water.

He felt disoriented from the falling and the sudden stop, but he knew how swim. The instinct to surface kicked in and he rose to the surface despite the weight of his clothes. He sputtered and began to tread water, looking for something nearby to help him float on.

He thought he could see the shoreline from here. It just ... wasn't as close as he wished it was.



[ Boats Part 2 ]


You'll find a man looking out at the docks from a wooden bench. He's fairly tall, middle-aged, brown haired with hazel colored eyes and surly dispostion. He has a distinctive scar on his chin. You'll also find him drenched which might explain the mood he seems to be in.

His tall boots and socks are laid in front of him in a sad excuse to try to dry them out. Along with a navy cargo style jacket. It's a nice enough day out, comfortable and sunny weather, but not so nice that it won't take hours for his clothes to dry.

[ Boats Part 2 ] /internally screaming

[forcedbonding]

Rey had heard about the boats and assumed...well, she wouldn't be able to help all that much. She'd grown up on Jakku where water was a rarity and jealously guarded. Even given her time on Ahch-To, she didn't think she'd ever get to how plentiful water was here in most places.

It was a small miracle she managed to make it to shore in the Dark Side cave. Given her inexperience with water, she easily could've drowned.

But the man on the shore seemed to be doing well enough for himself, so she almost passed him by. Until she noticed the scar, the eyes...she'd know those anywhere. And for a brief moment, the terror of watching his own son kill him with a lightsaber resurfaced in her mind and she had to gulp for air.

Though, she had to approach him..."You're...Han Solo. The smuggler. Aren't you?"

((OOC: this Rey comes from an AU where she accepted Kylo Ren's hand in exchange for him sparing the rest of the Resistance shuttles. and because she's determined to bring him back to the light or die trying))

Blues/Proto Man | Archie's Mega Man | Undecided

[prototype_blues]

Fog & Footsteps/Will-o-Wisps
[A fox, traveling, and explanations. If it wasn't for all that, Blues would have written this all off on his system glitching, but now he finds himself in the fog and damp. He wanders, trying to ignore the feeling of resentment or the fact that he is lost.

He'll deny being lost, of course, but as of now he's not exactly looking for people. So when he turns and notices the other footsteps? Maybe they'll lead the way out, as he starts to follow them. Perhaps in doing so he runs into someone helpful, or he can run afoul of the other things dwelling in the fog.]

Boats
[Sure, this is a thing. Being in the water. Normally the robot would stick closer to land, as it's not like he can swim, but the tide just pulls him further in. So anyone who sees him will very obviously notice that well, this guy isn't treading water.

In fact he'll disappear into the deeper parts as he sinks, the only sign of him from above being the yellow scarf he always wears acting as a beacon. Also the lack of air bubbles coming from him may also be a concern! But hey if anyone wants to fish him out he won't complain.

Or maybe you're treading water yourself and he'll just grab at a leg to get attention, who knows?]

Fetchquest
Really...

[Among the more festive areas Blues has found something useful, at least to him it is. An E-Tank, and the spirit selling it seems eager to sell it to him, but alas. It's not like Blues actually carries money on himself or that he came with any. So it's an errand he's been sent on, which he's not exactly equipped to do. Since it involves having to have discussions with others to achieve.

In that he needs directions, since he does not know where anything around here is.]

Excuse me?

[So he will approach the nearest person who looks like they can help.]

Wildcard
[You know what this means, I can roll with pretty much anything fyi.]

fetchquest.

[ruevealing]

[Rue is maybe not quite the first choice of many when seeking out help, but the seven-foot, mossy green owlbear turns to the newcomer's request without hesitation, gentle and composed with a kind warmth in their expression.]

Certainly, how may I help?

[You have their full attention.]

➥ Greed | Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood | Myth

[nestingdevil]

➥ i. Falling In | Boats

It all had ended with a lie. His first and only one, and that was it. Dying, the kind he couldn't come back from, was a lot different than he expected. Sure, he'd experienced death before, but those had been temporary, brief moments of pause before his stone kicked in and he came back piece by piece, inch by inch, in a kind of horrible, unnatural reconstruction. It had also been softer than being purified. No boiling, no bubbling, no cooking down to nothing but his raw core. Instead, there was an overwhelming moment of floating; his self, his everything, drifting and idly breaking away, leaving nothing but ash for his namesake.

To say he was surprised when it all just suddenly stopped. Well, that would be an understatement.

Greed sensed as every piece of him gradually came back together while the Fox led him on, ignoring or simply unaware of some of the additions (the budding of horns, the odd kink in the base of his spine). Because her words; her explanation. They were hard to grasp. He had been too focused on himself - the way his fingers hardened into flesh and bone only to sharpen and grow hard as the 'Shield crawled instinctually up his skin. He was himself again. Not the body he'd shared with Ling, not something in between. His true self. And under every change of scene (from the walls of Amestris, through snow and rain, and across fields and valleys he knew nothing about), the Sin's smile gradually grew. His constant splay of teeth, a slivering cut of white following on and on and on.

Lost in it all, he missed when the ground fell apart.

Greed hears when he hits the water more than he feels it. The crash furiously fills his ears with the roar of bubbles and a rush of pressure both trying to fight up to the surface. It's a disorientating sensation; how his body wildly tumbles over itself, how he can't quite tell which way's up and which is down. Eventually, the Sin's eyes snap open and he briefly catches the vibrant glow in his fingertips before his body reacts. The Shield shivers up his hands in undulating rectangles, sharpening his nails into crooked, cruel-cut talons. An awkward, about-face later, and he scrapes himself up towards the surface in the direction a large, shadow-bellied shape.

Hopefully, he can sink his claws into something to pull himself out.

➥ ii. Fetch Quest | Bartending

Working for anyone else has never been his style. He's always done things his own way; his own wants, his own needs, a constant drum pounding and thudding to the tune of more, more, more. However, he knows well enough how things work: nothing in the world is free. Folkmore is no different. And in a restaurant with little staff and a promise of something from before, it's no surprise that a favor is in order. A little bit of equivalent exchange and ah, isn't that a familiar tune?

Food isn't his specialty. Drinks, on the other hand - those he has plenty of experience with. While others take on various tasks, the Sin busies himself setting up a makeshift bar after digging (and no-doubt making a mess) in the back. Bitters, liquors, fruits, and spices find a home between his knuckles; his keen eye picking and plucking at everything he can possibly find.

The rest all falls easily into place. Peels of oranges, limes, and lemons tower at the corner of his station; their skins stripped smooth into tight, twisted coils. The Sin sinks his thumb into a fresh orange nearby and while the rest of his fingers squeeze juice into a steel-topped shaker, he leers into a lit candle to inhale briskly on a fresh (albeit bent) cigarette.

Because now, the chalkboard has three new options:

i. falling in

[ruevealing]

Talon meet talon.

Greed flails in the water, scrambles for purchase, and without any warning there is another set of sharp talons gripping for his hand, bodily dragging him to the surface. There is quite the surprising strength in his savior - to them even too! - before he is being yanked from the water and dragged up into the boat.

And whenever the Sin's eyes finally focus, he'll come face to face with a pair of giant, concerned, owl eyes, dark and huge and unblinking, set in the heart-shaped face of a seven-foot tall owlbear. Rue is knelt at his side, a wing slung over his shoulders, their beak trembling in worry, not caring that their lovely beach outfit has gotten thoroughly soaked in the chaos.

"Pray, can you breathe? Are you well?"

Mitsuko Hiramori, A Flatswoods Monster alien | Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush! | Myth/Apping

[ms3meters]

Will and wisp

Mitsuko wasn't sure what she was expecting but she didn't expect to wake up on wet sand. However, she supposes that's what she gets for following a mysterious fox to another world. Nonplussed by all of this, Mitsuko pulls herself up to her feet and begins to float again. She brushes off the sand with her giant cloak and begins to drift calmly forward, her new reptile tail with heart scales dragging behind her. The tail drags a thin line behind her, the only mark in the sand, save for the ones she doesn't make.

When she footsteps, she's naturally suspicious but she IS lost. She doesn't know where she is or what's happening so she just... moves forward. Without much direction, Mitsuko follows the spirits that lure her into Exile...

She needs help but... Will you approach? In the gloom of the fog, she looks like a monster. Mitsuko floats only about an inch of the ground but it's incredibly likely she towers over you. After all, she's a whole three meters tall (9'10")! And if she sees you, her round, red eyes will glow brightly.

"You'd best beware... I am an expert at hide and seek," she cackles.

---------------------------------

Boats and Babes

Her suit got wet. Not her clothes, her actual suit, with the helmet and the flowing dress. But thankfully, there's no real damage to the mechanical parts and all Mitsuko needs to do is let it dry. Actually, she's pretty fortunate and one of the spirits has offered her a deal: let them use her suit as a makeshift tent while it's drying on this boat and he'll take care of it on top of giving her as much bread as she wants.

So you will see a giant woman carefully going from one boat to another, looking at the assorted stalls, with a loaf of bread in her arms that's bigger than some children. Given her size, it's very easy for her to turn and accidently knock you with one of her limbs or the bread itself.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

-----------------------------------------

Fetchquesting

Are you familiar with the Duel Monsters Trading card game? Because one spirit clearly has. By fortune or some other weirdness, one stall has a whole bunch of trading card packs on their ship. The boat is piled high with cards, sleeves and deck mats, as well as something more technologically advanced.

"Duel disks?" Oh shit, she doesn't have hers. She has HER deck but she doesn't have a duel disk. "Oh... I should get one of those just in case."

Mitsuko boards the ship and speaks quietly to the stall owner. Forty minutes later, the gigantic woman is going up to every stall and person she meets, likely including you.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can get the ingredients for three hundred and thirty-three curry buns?"

[OOC: I've used measurements in the prose but if it's hard to picture; she's taller than Lady Dimitrescu :D]

➥ boats and babes

[nestingdevil]

Sluggishly, Greed leans forward to run his hand through his hair. A slip of salt and brine clings to his claws and drips across his face, slicking his skin like a cool, second-coat sweat. It's oddly refreshing, in a way. An abrupt and brisk wake up call from an otherwise permanent death, and oh, what a way it is to come back.

Because there's things here: things to see, things to experience, things to have. The Sin's fingers knead into the base of his spine as the boat dips and rocks like a bobber on a calm, open sea. He lets his nails scratch across his skin; the smells of grilling food, rich oils, and thick spices filling his noise. Yes, there's a lot here to have. And in the pit of his chest, that core of his quickly stirs. It jumps and skips, writhes and scratches - the pressure of it thudding, pounding, in a silent, throbbing beat:

"Give it to me. Give me more, give it all, give me everything."

Funny, that the first thing he sees when he catches the horizon again is a giant woman moving across the swim of boats.

The homunculus slowly arches his eyebrow as he watches boat after boat dive lightly into the drink only to bounce back up again in gentle sprays of seafoam and silt. Whoever (or whatever) the woman is, she doesn't look like she's entirely in a rush. Taking her time, examining what she can. Greed's mouth quirks lopsided to one side and as he slowly stands, he casually moves to sag over the railing; his one heel planted and hooked into the flaky, semi-rusted steel.

Of course, he misses the oversized bread entirely and when it hits his face, the Sin's foot skids across the rail, making his body splay out awkwardly on the bow. Shrrrrrrrrrk.

"Oi, oi," Greed slurs. "Might want to watch it with those, huh?"

Tetsuya Kuroko | Kuroko's Basketball | Familiar

[icanfixthem]

↪ boat bonanza

[Kuroko has been having a nice time exploring the boats. There are plenty of people to watch and good food to eat--he's yet to find anyone with milkshakes, but sushi is always nice, too--and he's even sat in on some games of chance. He's gone almost entirely unnoticed, as usual, especially in the excitement among all the people.]

[After a while, Kuroko gets tired enough to find a spot to sit down. His plan is to relax and people-watch. Be careful around him, though, his high lack of presence might make him invisible to you. You wouldn't want to sit on some kid, would you?]

↪ fetchquest

[Apprpriately to play fetch, Kuroko has pointy black-and-white dog ears poking out of his mess of light blue hair thanks to his role. He's spotted a basketball at one of the vendors, and though it's not as if he can play basketball on the beach, he's drawn to trying to obtain it anyway. However, he's being asked to barter something else, and Kuroko has no idea what to offer the spirits.]

[Next plan: approach a stranger for help. When he finds someone, he may seem to appear out of thin air, like a ghost. Sorry about that.]

Excuse me. Could you help me?

fetchquest! i feel like if anyone could sneak up on a jedi it's kuroko

[unapprovedtrash]

[ Cal is a Jedi. Like all good Jedi he can sense the lifeforce of those around him. That makes it absurdly hard to sneak up on a Jedi unless you are trained and know how to hide the presence your lifeforce has.

All Cal wanted to do was inspect the selection of cool belt buckles this one vendor has. That all. He wasn't expecting to nearly have a heart attack. The tiny droid on his shoulder even beeps in alarm as Cal jumps and looks around. He settles when he realizes it's just this kid who.. well he can sense him NOW but his presence is so...

Anyways. ]

Oh uh, yeah sure, what's wrong?

bodhi rook | rogue one

[onlydoubts]

arrival.

[ it was not uncommon for Bodhi Rook to have doubts, or second guesses on his actions, but he'd already begun to follow the fox and... he would follow this through, whatever it happened to be. Adjusting the goggles he wore on his head and dropping his hands stiff at his side, occasionally a fluttering of dark wings behind him? Is he dreaming?

And then he's falling. Falling down onto... sand?

He coughs, and rolls over so that he's lying on the sand facing the sky. Give him a moment, please. Or maybe five.

Once he's reasonably well collected (or as collected as he's going to get, which is not much), he trudges forward, until he comes to a beach. ]

What is this...?

[ Does he follow the footsteps? ]

boats

[ Learning to swim had been a small part of his training, but growing up on Jedha, and spending the last several years more or less flying ships - he hasn't really had need to hone those particular skills. So of course, Bodhi would find himself in the water, his Imperial flight uniform heavy as he tried to make his way to the shore.

Or a boat. Or something. Perhaps even another person in the same predicament as him. ]

boats again

[ Sometime later, Bodhi has gotten to the dock. Still sopping wet, he's sat on a bench, the top of his uniform undone and hung around his waist, sitting in only the bottoms and a dark undershirt. He pulls his boots off, dumping the water out with a frown, definitely ignoring the party going on around them. He doesn't do... parties. Gatherings. He sits awkwardly off to side, trying not to look as out of place as he feels considering not several hours ago he'd been on his way to a life, possibly galaxy changing suicide mission with people he'd met only a few days ago.

Someone passes him a drink which he takes and downs completely, wiping a hand over his mouth. ]

This can't be real... can it?

wildcard

[ you know the drill, hit me up with something else! you can always throw me a plurk @ dyads for plotting! ]

footsteps on the beach

[hershiningheart]

[Bodhi wouldn't be the first person who she sees coming from above but this time from a distance. The fog makes it difficult to judge the distance along the beach.

Her feet sink into the sand, it's difficult going but she's determined to reach this newcomer. It was better than the desert she had found herself in but she's sure this person is disoriented to say the least.

Despite the thick fog she still has a glow around her, she hopes it will help the new person that someone is coming for them and that they're not alone. She stops short when she sees the strange footsteps beside Bodhi, looking around but she can't leave him alone.]

Hey! Are you ok?

liea organa | star wars

[staringly]

( fogs and footsteps )
[Of course she would follow the fox. It's fun and different, and she's a literal child, so none of that is surprising. Likewise when she sees the footsteps in the sand, she starts following them and even tries to mimic them. First there's a little hop. And then another.]

Hop, hop. [And then it stops, and she squints in the distance, looking for more footsteps, and then running after it and stepping next to them one by one. She blinks when she sees someone else there on the sand with her.]

What do you think could make these? [Despite her adventure of off Alderaan, she's curious about what other fauna are out there, not dissuaded by the potential danger. Danger? What's that?]

( boat bonanza )
[She's sitting in one of the boats, someone else rowing the boat. She's drenched, wearing a simple jumper. It sticks to her skin, and while she's a little cold, she's happy to be out of the water. She doesn't know why they are all out. It's not an Aldaraan tradition, and she wishes she knew a little more.

If anyone is in the water, she'll help to get them out, but she'll happily sit in the boat with anyone else there, looking out. She turns around a lot to watch the boats, more interested in them and getting a little excited to see if it's some sort of celebration.]

Fog and Footsteps

[hasmuchtolearn]

[It comes without warning. One moment he’s meditating in his apartment and the next he’s sitting on wet sand. The rather unpleasant sensation of water soaking through your trousers startles him and he quickly stands. What? How did he get here? Likely the Fox’s doing of course. Still able to see stars streaking through the sky even with the fog surrounding him.

But then he notices a tiny figure hopping across the sand. A little girl? Then she’s chasing the footsteps and ends up mere feet from her. The young Jedi simply watching until she sees him and asks a question.]

I really don’t know. I suppose anything is possible.

[His voice is calm and gentle yet full of youth. And a little bewildered at why the fox would bring such a young child here.]

Merrin | Jedi Survivor

[dathomirs]

The Will or the Wisp

Merrin certainly considers herself too cautious to be fooled by the trickery of such creatures as those that lure her deeper and deeper into the mysterious fog, but she finds herself there all the same, wandering with mounting disquiet until she spots another traveler up ahead -- perhaps lost as well, or perhaps the Star Child who has come to help her find her way?

In either case, she greets them with the same mildly guarded expression as she draws nearer to the stranger.

"Hello? Do you know your way through here?"

A Magical Day

Once she's found her way out of the fog, Merrin can be found walking along the shoreline, allowing the water to lap at her bare feet as she enjoys the calm here. This place is strange, but there's something reassuring about it all the same. Its energy is more harmonious feeling than she might've expected, given its dissimilarity to her home planet of Dathomir.

Lost in her own thoughts as she is, she might not immediately acknowledge one who approaches -- but rest assured that she is aware of the newcomer and might even welcome a bit of company.

Boat Bonanza

Later, a markedly more soaking wet Merrin can be found on the deck of one of many boats, having teleported herself to safety with reasonable ease, though not without getting wet enough to be slightly chilled in spite of the relative warmth of the evening. Those watching closely might've caught a glimpse of the green glow of her magick as it fades and leaves her standing there looking mildly annoyed, if determined.

"I don't suppose you know where one might find a warm beverage and a change of clothes in all of this?"

[ Want something different? Hit me up at speaksincolor! ]

i'm on a boat mf

[horncrown]

[ Curiosity gets the better of him eventually. It took him some time but Maul finally gets on a boat if for no other reason but to avoid another potential dunk in the water. He stays to himself, of course. Quiet on the deck as the glow of his golden eyes cut through the fog and he contemplates, mostly, the whole meeting Luke Skywalker thing.

Which oddly grounded him; brought him back to the sands where he had asked that very important question and the answer gave him something he never thought possible. What to do with it, though? How? He can't— All things which immediately disappeared at the jolt of a new presence; a very familiar feeling.

It wasn't to Maul that Merrin had asked her question but he was certainly going to cut in. Speaking with a slow and calm resonance as he continued his walk toward her. ] Well, well, well. What have we here? A Nightsister.

Kadaj | Final Fantasy VII Compilation

[jenovite]

Fog & Footsteps

He was still disoriented from his walk with Mother when his feet found the sand. There was a hollowness in his breast he'd never felt before, an aching longing that urged his feet forward. At first, Kadaj didn't even pay attention to the direction in which he was wondering. Silver hair fell into slitted eyes they darted around, focusing on nothing save the stillness in his breast.

Stillness. Solitude. It stilled his footsteps as the realization struck him.

He was alone.

He could not feel his brothers. Not Big Brother. Not him. Why had Mother worn that face and brought him here? The urge to move again found him and it was a guidance he sorely desired. Until this very moment, he'd known his purpose. Now? He was lost and felt every bit the young man from whom his face was borrowed to build him.

Kadaj sucked in a ragged breath as sadness pulled at his throat, a stinging in his eyes making him sob out a bitter laugh. "Where are you, Loz? You're supposed to cry."

The Will or the Wisp

Lost in a fog, not so unfamiliar to the youngling who'd only been willed into being a few days ago, a vessel for will and thought, for fragmented memory. Kadaj had his own desires, it was true, but he had little idea how to determine where He ended and Kadaj began. That was Mother's will, after all.

But was this? It was! He saw her here, gone and there again, laughing, calling him. "I'm coming, Mother!"

OOC

You can catch me on Discord at vikael or on plurk at vikael or just message this account if you have any questions, or if you'd like to do something completely random!

the will or the wisp

[fogsong]

The fog had a funny way of twisting the shadows into familiar forms. Several times, Sharon had sworn she'd seen Rose in its depths. She knew better than to hope but it still rose up in her chest, swollen like a balloon, and when she heard someone call out for their mother, she wondered, briefly, if that had been her own voice.

It quickly became clear that it had not—there was someone else out here.

"Hey!" She called back, hands cupped around her mouth, "Can you hear me out there?"

Alluka Zoldyck | Hunter x Hunter | Familiar | Current Character

[tooawesome]

🌸 Knock Knock Who's There [The Will or the Wisp] | Closed to Zechs Merquise
CW: Child in danger

Alluka rubs her eyes. She didn't mean to end up in Exile. In fact, looking around, she can't tell that she is in Exile due to the fog. However, the pervasive sense of not wanting her, of confusion about which way to go, and the general familiar vibes to when she arrived in Folkmore and left Baba Yaga make her pretty sure she's in Exile. Oops, her bad? If it'll just let her out, she promises she won't… she's not sure, overstay her welcome?

The path, when she finds it, is a good sign, and she skips down it for a good thirty seconds before responsibility weighs her down to normal steps. Responsibility is also known as a tree root that trips her and makes her spill down onto the path with a small oof. It's okay! It's okay. It's okay. She stands, brushes herself off, and realizes she's facing the way she's come because she can see her footprints.

Not only her footprints. Someone else's footprints! She twists her head back and forth to determine if she's following someone or if someone was behind her. It's the latter case, which makes the girl frown. How come she didn't hear them? How come they aren't here now? Did they find a better way to go? Are they lost and need help? She's sure someone else could figure it out, but as for her…

Alluka cocks a long black ear with curly fur up and listens intently. It sounds like someone talking very far away, though she's not sure what they're saying. Calm, confident, comforting. Alluka nods and walks back the way she came slowly toward the footprints until she can see someone through the fog—a person! "Hello! Can you help me?" Alluka calls out. They only turn away and keep going.

They may not want to help, but they do know what they're doing. Alluka leaves the potentially suspicious and dangerous path to follow the person who knows what they're doing. The trees crowd around her, disturbing shapes in the fog, and the ground gradually grows squishier. That's normal in Exile, but when she slides into water over her ankles, she takes a step back and looks around her in alarm because that step is as wet and lapping at her ankles as the last. She swears the land is shifting around her. "I am staying in my body," Alluka declares.

Deep inside, she asks Nanika if she'd handle this better, but Nanika shakes her head no. So Alluka knows she needs to protect them both. She's on her own. She takes big breaths and thinks of her brothers who are so capable. She can do this. She can do this. She can slip and fall on her butt with a cry of alarm as water soaks into her skirts.

🌸 Dog Food [Boat Bonanza]
CW: N/A

Ravenous, feeling like she could eat everything at the festival she wanders up to, splashing her way out of the river, Alluka approaches the Wandering Dog food cart because it's the closest option. She goes on her tip toes, grips the edge, and pulls herself up to see the dogs inside. They make her grin. "Oh you're so cute," she says. The dog grins.

She holds out her spoon toward the one at the window. "Can I have some yummy food? Whatever you suggest," Alluka says politely. The dog barks, takes her payment, and shortly thereafter a bowl of seafood stew is slid across the counter in a dog bowl. She thanks them, scritches one behind the ear, and continues over to the edge of the dock.

It really looks like it's meant for dogs to eat, in a bowl like that. No sooner does she have the thought than she is a dog, an adolescent black cocker spaniel, the bowl clattering onto the ground as her paws cannot hold it. Some of the stew spills on the ground, but Alluka follows the five second rule and licks it up immediately. Then she chows away on the rest of the stew.

🌸 How to Photograph Your Dragon [Fetch Quest]
CW: N/A

The large cuttlefish spirit leans over the counter to look at her closely—inspecting her? Alluka isn't certain, but whatever it notices makes it nod at her, muttering good good good. That's good. She points at a binder and ring set with a small label Greed Island in front of it. "My brother played that game. May I buy it?" Alluka asks.

The cuttlefish spirit chuckles, amused. "So you recognize it. Yes, it is for sale. To get it, you have to a few things for me," the spirit says. Color ripples down its body.

"Okay," Alluka says, "What help do you need?" She's used to Nanika asking others for things and granting them a wish, so it feels very familiar. She beams up at it.

"I need a picture of a dragon, a story about a time someone wishes they had a photo of, and a model boat," the cuttlefish spirit lists off.

Alluka takes a deep breath. Her eyes grow large then shut. "I don't have photos of almost any moments in my life," she admits, "I had a lot of fun playing with my big brother when we were little, when it was just the two of us, and he would ask me to toss him high high high in the air. I really wish I had a photo of that. I've wanted it a long long time."

The cuttlefish reaches a long limb over the counter to stroke her hair. It's appreciated. "Thank you," it says.

Alluka opens her eyes and looks up, blinking away a few tears. "It's okay! I remember it, and that's something. Don't worry, I'll come back with the photo and the model ship."

She's not sure where to find a dragon, but she sits in the eating area, buys a model ship kit with Lore, and starts working on it. As she does so, she repeats, singsong, "Dragon, dragon, I want to meet a dragon!"

How to Photograph Your Dragon

[fogsong]

In the middle of a quest herself, Sharon still finds time to grab something to eat before she finishes it up. When she spots Alluka hunched over one of the tables, she's quick to take the seat opposite of her, setting her bowl of fried noodles and fishballs down in front of her with a clatter.

She leans forward in her seat, elbows on the table and head bowed, to get a better look at the model that's being assembled. Huh. "I kind of thought you'd be building a dragon."

Quentin Beck | MCU | Familiar!

[thegreatmysterio]

1.Into the Trees

[Beck hates magic. He thinks he might be starting to hate foxes, too. He's lost in some fucking European backwoods for all he knows, and is going to die here, because none of his tech is connecting to the network, and EDITH is goddamn useless, and he is somehow not bleeding out so what the FUCK is going on here-

He already knows what he's meant for, he's meant for spite, for anger, for ruining Peter Parker's goddamn life and he needs to get back, he needs to see that through-

A branch snaps at his side, and he shudders. Stares harshly at the half-hoofprints, half-footprints trailing next to him. The last time he'd looked, they were more paw-like.]

Goddamnit, I thought Strange was off-planet, what kind of- what mystical bullshit is this, I swear to god- If it's Asgardians, I'm razing them to the goddamn ground-

[He's fuming. One of the- the ears now on his head twitches, and he shudders again. Balls his hands into fists, and can feel nails (claws?) dig into his palms, and those aren't supposed to be there, what is this-]

2.Sand... worm?

[There is something in the sand. A moving thing. It is burrowing, shifting, the sand is moving-

Out of the sand pops a pale ferret head. The pink nose twitches as the critter stares at the nearest person. It's eyes are unnervingly pale, but- that gaze may just be directed at you.]

Hey, ah- don't freak out, but is this normal? Am I- am I stuck like this, I feel like I have more bones than I used to, how many bones do tube things have? Am I a tube thing???

[This ferret is in distress, thank you!]

3. [Points Ominously] - Closed to Peter Parker (turtles allowed as well!)

[Quentin Beck has a list of people he hates. That's just a given, who doesn't? Peter Parker recently soared up multiple ranks on his shitlist, and- well.

Sure, the sand is warm. The heat is nice, and he's a little drowsy because somebody decided that the wild ferret got food, but that peace snaps the second he sees Parker. He's a goddamn fuzzy tube, but he has teeth and nails, and all he can think is You got me killed, you little shit-

And lo, a ferret is dashing its way across the beach with murder on its mind.]

PARKER! I'm going to KILL YOU-

3. prompt for meee

[heyunderoos]

[Beaches are nice enough, but Peter would rather be back in the city, Luan Street at this point is a lot more comfortable than other parts of folkmore he's picked at (which isn't much honestly).

The sight of a small tube animal weasle-y shaped animal does stall him out mid-walk. It's definitely not Leo, right-

Then it starts yelling at him and charging.]

...Beck?

[Why the fuck is this man a ferret.]

Alabaster Swan || Original / DnD || Myth

[thebards_swansong]

Arrival

Fog and Footsteps
[Went a bit hard with this oops]

It was familiar and wholly unusual at once. Feeling outside their body, approached by something astral. They were waking up, shielded in wings marked with eyes raising to their feet they just.. kept going. They can't stop themselves, severed apart from the body they know they're leaving behind. There's time passing they think, or maybe just the idea of it. It feels like ages and mere moments pass as they follow the fox through hail, sleet and snow.

They feel the form they left behind shed to their truest self. Already crowned with wings though along with already darkened eyes set against mottled purple skin, they morph further, features unusual to themselves. Nor ones they choose to take. Growths of horns from their temples, claws and teeth longer and sharper, uncomfortable in their mouth.

The word Myth lingers as starlight overcomes them and they are rocketed to the ground. Feet plant in wet sand and the changeling buckles down. Hands fist in the grit earth as they take a few laboured breath, then steadily moves upright as their features shift again. A moon elf with fair blue skin as well as properly primped and styled fair blonde hair.

Swan staggers a moment as their eyes rake over what little they can see through the fog towards trees. Unrest settles in their chest as this.. definitely doesn't feel like a dream or nightmare but doesn't really seem real just yet.. All they can do is walk forward as far as they know, so onward they start to go.

fog & footsteps

[thiscruel]

Bertolt has spent two months in this world, having followed the Fox away from slaughter in the hopes of finding something better. Something different. Something that wasn't cruel. During those two months, he has done his best to acclimate to this place, trying to adjust to an existence in which he no longer has to carry out a mission. It's a tall order, and a scant two months is hardly enough time to fully settle. It's certainly not enough time for Bertolt to feel comfortable acting as a guide for newcomers.

And yet, Bertolt finds himself drawn toward the new Star Children. Or rather, he finds himself unceremoniously dumped into fog, a sixth sense that someone needs help all but screaming through his veins.

With few other options, Bertolt follows the tug around his middle, the starlight radiating from his skin piercing the fog. Bertolt is tall, especially for his seventeen years, standing at six-foot-four with an athletic build. Green eyes gleam brighter as he follows that pull, his role as a Legend manifesting more with each step.

It's in this state that he appears: starlight first, then bright green eyes, dark hair illuminated as if a halo hangs behind his head. He spots blond hair first, slowing so he doesn't startle the person overmuch before he speaks.

"Are you all right?" he asks, his voice naturally soft.

Zanth Breaker | Original/DnD | Familiar

[zanth]

Arrival / Fog & Footsteps

This can’t be a dream. Or at least, it shouldn’t be a dream. Zanth hasn’t slept in several years, after all. Even curled up in a surprisingly comfortable bed, it literally shouldn’t be possible for them to fall asleep.

But it doesn’t feel real, either. They know the fox appearing in the room should worry them more–they know stepping out of their body doesn’t feel right. They know they don’t actually want to walk away from everyone they were in a room with, especially not when they’d promised to keep an eye on a sleeping friend.

But if this is a dream… is this related to the night hag that’s been causing trouble? That’s just what they need right now.

No.

The fox answering the question they hadn’t actually voiced is another thing that ought to make Zanth more uncomfortable than it does.

Either way, they follow the fox for what feels like far too long. They feel something in themself shift and twist in ways they don’t understand. They’re told their role in this place they’re going. A familiar.

They’re… not going to unpack how they feel about that right now. Perhaps that’s the unnatural calm as well. Then again, Zanth is good at not unpacking how they feel about things.

What follows is more disorienting still. Blinding light, falling, crashing–and, once they’re on what feels almost like solid ground and surrounded by fog, the return of everything they should have been feeling.

As their body reforms, their feathers bristle anxiously.

They push themselves to their feet, peering into the mist.

“...Swan?” they try calling, with no luck.

“Dirk? Kain? Reina?”

Finally, they start walking, until they feel wet sand under their talons, until they’re surrounded by trees. With nothing else to guide them, they simply keep walking.

The Will or the Wisp

Zanth isn’t sure exactly how long ago she began following the footsteps. They twist and turn, disappear and reappear, but at least it’s something. Something to focus her curiosity and her drive to find her way out of here on.

The further she follows them, the more certain she becomes that they must be leading somewhere. That she must be making progress; she has to be.

All the same, she suddenly hesitates just short of the wall of fog, tilting her head to where it’s fully horizontal as she watches the flickering lights intently.

the will or the wisp

[ruevealing]

But consider!! Another figure in the darkness, beaming starlight brightly enough cut right through the fog, just some distance away.

Dare to follow it to safety?

vanessa ives | penny dreadful | myth

[matermali]

{ the will or the wisp
go down to the river to pray

[ Bare feet as pale as her flowing white dress seem to drag against the sand, pressing staggered footprints along the fantastical ones that her invisible companions seem to be leaving. Vanessa follows them for reasons still unknown to her... For whatever reason she had followed the Fox. Hope? Such a thing used to burn like a fire within her breast, but now it's been smothered by the ashes of her own ascension. She has left behind the end of days, where countless people will succumb to the pestilence if not first consumed by her night creatures that now roam free. The crime of her existence can't be forgiven, and for that it seems she has been denied her ending of choice. So why? Not hope.

Wonder has also been something that she has nearly forgotten, and it used to have her gaze unblinking into the beating hearts of monsters with a love so dark that it could leave them in pieces. It's wonder now that guides her steps as much as the fae, and with curiosity she hasn't felt since she was young, Vanessa's steps begin to quicken.

There is a hostility to these woods, but it doesn't strike her with fear. She seeks it out, her fingertips tapping the looming trees whenever she peers around in the hopes of finding someone. While she may be lost, she doesn't slow in her pursuit of whatever it is that weighs heavy on these woods. Through the mist, Vanessa spots the outline of a wolf with a lantern dangling from its clenched jaws, and she doesn't hesitate to trail after it. There's a familiarity to it that reminds her of the one she had been waiting for before the Fox had appeared instead.

The misty figure and the others in the fog only seem to lead her astray, and it isn't long before hopelessness does begin to press down on her small shoulders. If only she could find some manner of light to break apart the impenetrable mist, but Vanessa ought to have known better. Having abandoned the light for her own selfish desires, how can she expect it to ever find her again?

And yet, she spots something in the distance — something so much brighter than mere lanterns. Someone. ]

...Ethan?

[ Of course it isn't him, but she still reaches out for the person that shines so bright as to tempt her with a promise that won't be fulfilled. She reaches with the desperation of someone who has nothing left to hold onto. ]

{ flotilla afterparty
just to make it undone

[ She had only just been gaining her bearings when a wave most unforgiving had swept her so far into the water that she can no longer see any shore, and that's with eyesight sharper than that of a human's. Vanessa had always wanted to swim to the center of the sea and sink into the water; there she could float down to the center of the endless void, singing silently with the ancient leviathans who will love her like nobody else can.

Just as her eyes slip shut and she begins to let herself sink, an unknown hand drags her from the water to drop her unceremoniously into a boat. The spirit has a jovial laugh as he claps a hand over her back, keeping her from thinking to jump back in.

Once escorted to the gathering of flotillas on the riverside, Vanessa acquiesces that for whatever reason, she is meant to be here for now. She can't understand why, but there is enough going on to keep her from being utterly consumed by the anguish that creeps beneath her shadow. There is a near reverence while she stares at the varied creatures that fill the boats. All shapes, all sizes, and they celebrate as if the world hadn't just ended. It's stunning.

The dark of her long hair—already past her waist even dry—is near plastered to her shoulders and back, and the wet folds of her white dress have become nearly translucent against her ashen skin, but Vanessa isn't in her best state of mind, and she doesn't seem to notice or care about modesty while she weaves through the crowds. Her feet are still bare, but she has gained enough of her wits to be able to avoid being stepped on or bumped into. The weight from earlier has been lifted and now her footsteps are as light as the air, making not a sound even to the sharpest ear.

On the music performance flotilla, she stops to listen and gaze in fascination at the band members. Vanessa isn't used to this sort of music, but it can only remind her of how much she once loved to dance. Against her better judgment, with arms folded, she finds herself swaying to the sounds of celebration. Perhaps hope hasn't been utterly forgotten. There is a memory of it here that Vanessa is reluctant to let go of now that it's been nearly rediscovered.

If given enough time so that her dress and hair are merely damp instead of soaked through, she may even take the hand nearest her to pull the stranger into a dance. She is a ghost of a woman, but her intent is real enough, with temptation shimmering behind the pale blue of her eyes that may be difficult for some to resist. ]

{ wildcard
have at thee

[ ooc; Surprise me, or PM me if you want to plot anything. I'll love it all! ]

flotilla

[ironypoisoned]

[ Tony's enjoying the music, swaying a bit himself, getting lost in it. It's a bit older than his taste, but it's nice to listen to something live.

When his hand is grabbed, he starts paying attention to the person next to him. She's pretty stunning, and maybe more importantly he's been at enough galas and balls at this point that he knows a thing or two about dancing.

So Tony grabs her hand a little tighter, wraps an arm around her waist, ignores the dampness, and gives Vanessa a twirl. ] Hi there. [ He takes his hand off of her hip, gestures at his chest to introduce himself as: ] Tony. [ Before putting his hand back where it was.

A beat. ] You let me know if you need me to get you a towel.

Cliff Secord | The Rocketeer | Legend

[rocketboy]

arrival

Cliff is no stranger to plummeting out of the sky. He's a stunt pilot and the proud owner of an experimental rocketpack that Peevy had JUST rebuilt for him. So going in a freefall from the cloudline with or without an aircraft around him is pretty much business as usual.

Except the Fox or whoever it was that brought him here seemed to have neglected to send his rocketpack along with him.

Luckily this sandy beach breaks his fall! He lays on the ground for a moment and finally sits up flashing a thumbs up.

"I'm fine! I'm fine," he is intensely grateful that he's at the very least wearing his helmet. Not because of the extra protection from the fall, but because it hides how embarrassed he is.

((Can transition this to any of the 'Oh How Quiet' prompts if desired))

boat bonanza

You know what's bad about wearing a lot of leather? When it's wet it suuuuuucks. Like right now. Cliff isn't having a good time. His helmet (which he'd just kinda left on for a while because he got tired of carrying it) is full of water, and the wet leather straps are being uncooperative partly because he's trying to undo them with wet leather gloves with his arms in a wet leather jacket. Finally he peels the gloves off and manages to yank his helmet off with a dramatic gasp.

He places it beside him and you know what? The rest is going too right now he doesn't care wet leather is miserable. His jacket and his belt and his boots are next.

Honestly if the Fox didn't want someone stripping to his skivvies out here she shouldn't have dunked him in leather.

fetch quest

Cliff is decent again. Well, dry at least. Helmet carried under his arm he meanders through the stalls until something catches his eye. It's a candy stand offering a variety of treats and amidst the sweets is a pack of his favorite chewing gum. Like many pilots in his era he considered chewing it to be a sort of lucky charm.

And he could use a little luck right now he figures.

"What do mean I can't just buy it by myself?" He frowns and leans against the stand, "I've got that spoon thing? Why do you need me to do something first?"

It seems the vendor is being uncooperative though.

Fetch Quest

[personaldata]

Unfortunately the spoons don't come pre-loaded. 9S pauses at the stranger's trouble and he tilts his head.

"What is it you want to get?" He interrupts, maybe a bit rudely? What did he know about proper etiquette?

"Maybe I can help." He, however, had a ton of spoon points.

Layla El-Faouly || Moon Knight || Myth

[lilscarab]

I. The Will or the Wisp

It's foggy, unbelievably so. She cannot help but stumble as the ground changes from solid to a thick wet sand beneath her feet. Where the hell is she? She remembers going to leave Cairo after everything and-- A fox? Another god? It wasn't a jackal or a cat, it was a fox.. there's no Egyptian fox god, so.. who is she?

She speaks to Layla, communicates her intentions about potential, about Folkmore, explains most things but leaves the important parts vague and dark. Layla remembers following her and then falling. Falling, falling falling...

And here she is with golden horns and claws, walking on wet sand in a fog that is so dense she can barely see her hands. Except when she looks down to almost prove that point to herself, she sees.. foot prints in the sand. Stopping, she looks around herself, looking for who made them. "Hello? Is someone there?"

Nothing. Silence. And when she looks down again, she sees another set of foot prints along side her own. "What the hell?" Silence.

Eventually she continues, moves forward until she finds skeletal trees - each time she checks there are more prints, cat, human, dog - then there are wisps of light, a voice. Layla shakes her head to try and dislodge the voice. But instead opens her eyes to find the shape of someone in the fog. Moving towards them, but they don't grow closer, even when she calls out to them - a mirage? Was she lost? What's going on?

It's not til there is a blinding light like Starlight that she stills her steps. "This one better be real," she mutters as she steps towards it.

II. Waves

[Walking down the beach, Layla finds herself still confused but trying to understand where she is and what to do here. The problem is, she is so lost in the fog and her thoughts that she doesn't see the wave that sweeps her off her feet and drags her into the water before it's too late. Thrashing in the water, she struggles to get her bearings as to which way is up, caught in a rip current of the wave as she reaches.

She doesn't know if she is reaching up until her hand breaks the surface, but once it does, she can feel another hand grab on to her's and yank giving her the chance to break free from the current and get to the surface.

Gasping for air as she coughs up river water, shaking with adrenaline.] Th-thank you.

III. Wild Card

Just to avoid having too much timey-wimey things with the TDM and what's canon, I am avoiding some of the other prompts. But! I am open to all sorts of things! Maybe you catch her exploring Folkmore or trying some of the food or maybe you want to take her to Tides! I am down for whatever you wanna throw at her!

Wildcard

[fistofvengeance]

[At some point after Layla's found her footing, she's sure to end up near Satori Hills. Maybe she was just wandering, or maybe someone directed her there on purpose. It doesn't matter. It's one of those nights where Marc is feeling extra restless, so he's been out and about in his cat form, sprinting through the neighborhood. He climbs fire escapes, he leaps to rooftops, he gets into fights with real(?) cats... It's a good way to get rid of excess energy.

Should he just get a job at some point instead? Probably.

He was just trotting along a high wall when he spots a head of dark curls down below. Familiar curls. His speed increases to overtake her from the side. ... It is her- she's here- oh god what does he do- what's the last thing she remembers? Has she spent months without him? What does he do?!

Jump towards her is apparently what he does, because his brain shut down and cat antics have taken over. HEADS UP!]

Tav | Baldurs Gate 3 | Legend | New character!

[chaotictide]

Fog & Footsteps / The Will or the Wisp

[Folkmore, the fox had said. And for reasons entirely unknown to him (save for curiosity, save for wondering) Tav had followed. Left the party's encampment and walked a good way into the unknown before he had even deigned to look back.

He should have been worried. He should have struggled. He should have resisted whatever enchantment this was for the sake of knowing at least ten others just like it- Yet he does not. Some part of him had known, incredibly, that all would be well, and his mind repeated it like a mantra. That him- the rest of him- continued to lie next to the encampment's fireplace in slumber. That he would wake and continue on with his companions. That all would be well.

All would be well.

That sentiment seems like a joke now. The air around him is heavy with a thick fog that clings- soaking through his robe and chilling him to the bone. The fox is nowhere to be seen. And all around him feels utterly strange. Judgemental. Resentful. Somehow.]

Enough of this.

[He speaks abruptly, the timbre of his voice low, artificially rough- in a vain attempt to frighten away whatever lurks around him. He turns on his heels and decides to make his way back whence he came- commencing the long walk back to... anywhere but here, really-

And then he stops.
Did he truly come this way? What were these footprints? Those lights in the distance?]

Hells take me...


A Magical Day

[Finally, finally, finally, the mist clears some shoreline beckons. Not like this shoreline is anything alike anything he has ever seen before. It seems to stretch for miles upon miles- where his vision ceases to register more than a small dot.

There are no landmarks. No signs of settlements, or civilization. What sort of land might this be, which could be so gargantuan? Even the vastness of the Trackless Sea seems absolutely insignificant compared.

He would comment on it, of course. He would express something alike disbelief- yet something else strikes him. Something far more important. Raw magic. In abundance. Yet not even half as terrifying. As a sorcerer, it stirs him, most certainly. It stokes the fire within- making him feel better. Stronger. More lucid. Far more present.

With it would come a certain degree of fear. Even for him- Especially for him. An uncontrolled sort of fear. Perhaps even the desire to check that nothing around him- or on him- was burning. That he still had all of his hair. That he was not either two or twenty feet tall. That there were no Mephits presently chewing on him.

But there is no fear. Just a sense of calm, of peace. If anything, it feels like the Weave is present, binding the chaotic threads of sheer power unto reassuring order.

He advances toward the beach. And he breathes in. Then, abruptly, he leans backward- lying face up in the sand, his eyes looking upward into the starless sky.

Oh, this was wonderful.]

Fog and Footsteps

[recreator]

[Such is Exile. Absolutely dreadful place with a dense, wet fog which makes navigation nigh on impossible. Emet-Selch had hoped never again to return to this godsforsaken corner of Folkmore, and yet here he is. On a search. And a rather vain one at that.]

[Tav will first hear a rustling through the branches overhead as some manner of creature glides low. This, followed by a dark shadow and a "whoosh" of wind as something quite heavy lands in a nearby thicket (and certainly does not crash into it by any stretch of the imagination). Cursing soon follows, something which sounds suspiciously like:]

Petty and utterly vindictive creature! Just you wait until I get my hands on that rod. "An equivalent trade," she said. "I've barely touched black magic!" Yet know one thought to mention the fool's errand that would await--!

[The silhouette begins to grow taller as it rights itself, and out of the dark appear two luminous yellow eyes, piercing and narrowed and staring straight at Tav.]