APRIL 2022 TEST DRIVE MEME

[reddosmod]

APRIL 2022 TEST DRIVE MEME

Another month, another test drive meme! Our test drive memes are open to anyone interested - regardless of whether or not you join our game!

All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.

Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.

Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.

If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Delicious, Gelatinous Fruit Treats]
[Image Two: Women in white dancing around a May Pole (Animated)]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A woman turning away from a mirror. ]
[Image Two: A woman trapped inside a mirror with disembodied hands grabbing at her. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A Forked Trail on a Wooded Path]
[Image Two: The Grim Reaper at the end of a sewer tunnel]

[NAVIGATION]

TDM Questions • Reserves • Taken • Applications • Full Navigation

[Jump to Comments]

A MOSTLY PLEASANT ARRIVAL

WHEN: May
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Forced honesty, personality changes, physical changes.

---

Congratulations, sleeper! You're one of the lucky ones to arrive in a month that is not awful to come ashore. The transformational process is almost alarmingly quick and painless. In fact, it is so quick that it is deceptively easy to change back into a squid and do it all over again! Partial transformations are not uncommon during this month for the first twenty-four hours after arriving, and even brief transformations of minor facial features like hair color, eye color, height, weight and a few more extreme possibilities have been known to happen. Don't worry, because the transformations are all temporary and none are inherently monstrous (Unless you already are a monster, in which case good luck with that!). Greeters are present in force to help accommodate you as you make your way, your welcome backpack and items all freshly and neatly cleaned and ready for you as they put the robe on. Everything is so welcoming and inviting that it almost seems like they're having a party.

This is, in fact, because they are. The Wild Moon is about and festivities are in full swing throughout the month of Bauphomette. May poles are set up and it is possible to dance around one if you should wish. Doing so can help to ground oneself in their current form, which may help new arrivals settle in a bit better. Even ignoring that, it feels good to sing and dance, and everyone is very friendly. Even the usually grim Hunters who guard the roads and entries to the shores seem to have less stern smiles on their faces, though their eyes are ever watchful to keep the peace of the festivities.

SEASONAL DETAILS ON THE BOARDWALK
Decorations this month are decidedly floral in nature. Everyone is dressed in white, regardless of their usual preferences. Flowers adorn many of the people of Trench and the weather throughout the first week of May is pleasant. Even if it rains, it is a refreshing, light and pleasant rain, and there are many awnings and umbrellas to take shelter underneath.

And of course, there's refreshments. What festival in Trench would be without them? The foods this month have a very floral theme to them. Edible flowers have been grown and prepared especially for this time of year. They've been used to help create infused and gelatinous sweets, Floral spring rolls and edible flower cookies and the like, along with floral teas that are meant to calm the mind. Additionally, the people of Trench will note that any of the foods present can have a beneficial, albeit transformative effect on the mind and body. They promise it won't last long, but if you're really concerned there is hard tack and water available that's quite filling.

Changes from Food will last a few hours at most. There are several options available among the drinks and foods. These may be combined as the player sees fit. Drinks have mental effects, while Treats have physical ones, the Trenchies will inform:

Pomegranate Juice: Sweet and tart, anyone who drinks it or has some of the fresh pomegranate and seeds will feel compelled to speak nothing but the truth. Pomegranates are found littering makeshift shrines to Bauphomette throughout the party, and Trenchies insist they are free to take.
Petal Infused Hot Tea: Pungent and aromatic, it is relaxing. The heat gives a warmth and vibrancy that fills a person with confidence, to the point of arrogance and fearlessness, leading the emboldened to try something that they might not otherwise do, even if it's very risky!
Floral Iced Tea: While refreshing, it feels like there's something just a little lacking, and anyone who drinks some will feel that they need more but not what they need more of at first, making them clingy and affectionate towards other people, especially strangers.
Iced Water: It's not the tastiest, but has a way of washing things away. Water can cleanse and remove the effects of other drinks, though it leaves the person feeling emotionally drained if it is used this way.

Floral Spring Rolls: Trying one of these surprisingly edible treats will have the added effect of giving a person plant traits temporarily. Hair may convert into tresses of ivy or carefully manicured moss, or perhaps a mushroom cap! Skin might become bark-like or chlorophyl green. The more that one eats, the more that they change.
Gelatinous Sweets: These curiosities come with a note. “Have you ever wondered what it is like to walk in someone's shoes?” Eating one has a profound physical effect, causing a person's appearance to transform into that of another person in Trench! It may not even be someone they've met, or seen yet! It would be awkward to meet someone, not looking the way you're supposed to, or worse? Looking like them!
Edible Flower Cookies: They come with lovely notes saying “Eat Me!” What could be sweeter? Well, like something out of Alice and Wonderland, eating one can cause a person to grow or shrink by a foot. More cookies can cause the height difference to become worse and worse, though if you're only a foot tall, it's a good way to end up an inch tall! So, maybe eating more to fix the problem is risky.
Hard Tack: Like the water, it can fill the stomach and remove prematurely any physical effects, though if it does so, removing a physical change physically drains the character.

A DIM REFLECTION

WHEN: May
WHERE: Throughout Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Paranoia, existential dread, hallucinations, possession-related horror.

---

They warned you about mirrors. Every once in a while, one of the locals in Trench might have whispered it, made a sign of warding when they passed by mirrors, but nothing seemed out of place. They told you that you might see yourself in it, and you would never be the same. However, every time you've looked it's been fine. So, maybe they were being superstitious about something? It certainly wouldn't have been the first time someone had gotten paranoid about nothing in Trench, would it?

How wrong you were. Maybe it was when you were looking down at a puddle rippling in a light breeze. It might have been a formerly polished piece of bronze covered in tarnish that adorned a building. Perhaps it was that lovely bit of obsidian in the shop where you caught your reflection garbled by the shape. It happens only when a reflection is seen in a distorted surface, especially those that are naturally occurring, though occasionally damaged and weathered surfaces that were polished will work. When you were looking at the image, it seemed to look back at you and something was wrong, distorted, imperfect. By then it was too late.

The natives were right. You saw some part of yourself there in the mirror. It might be something that you've hidden from others for a long time, or it might be an exaggeration of a single part of yourself that you aren't proud about. What it is, is a distorted and incomplete part of yourself, something that you try to keep controlled and in check, and it was there, smiling at you and winking. The moment it winked, it was like you were riding in your own skin, watching and unable to act as you changed into a self that reflected that distorted, unnatural and incomplete side of yourself. What shadows do you hide from yourself?

This effect lasts for, at most, one solar cycle. From the rising of the sun to its setting, or the moon to its setting, the effect can last no longer than that. Especially strong-willed people, particularly palebloods, can end this effect sooner through force of will, though it usually lasts at minimum an hour. The character is, for the duration of this effect, changed in personality to behave in accordance with some singular aspect (of the player's choice) of their personality that they do not usually focus on in their day to day behavior. This change can be subtle, or it can be drastic and even dangerous. Its goal is to make sure that everyone sees and witnesses this change, and goes out of its way to impact others in a memorable fact, making sure that they see there is more to the character than what they are revealing. This could be relatively innocuous or extremely dangerous, depending on the person, and the whole while the dominant personality is riding inside their skin, forced to watch what is happening.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

WHEN: May
WHERE: Dream worlds
CONTENT WARNINGS: Existential dread, disturbing visions

---

It happens when you are asleep one night. There is no warning for this effect, and it comes without apparent cause. One night, you go to sleep, and then suddenly you find yourself in a dreamscape, on a path. You can sense eyes on you the whole time that you are present in this field, and though they have a sense of benevolence to them, there is a deeply alien element to the experiment, almost like you are being observed by a scientist through a microscope. You are not alone on the path, either. One, or possibly more than one, other people that you may know or not know, they seem to have entered the same dreamscape. Behind you is nothing but shadow, and before you is a path. Might as well get going if you want to wake up, right? That's how these things work.

Introductions and questions aside, there's nothing but the path and dense, impenetrable woods on both sides, so eventually you and your companion start walking. As you do, shortly you see a branch in the path ahead of you. The fork has two paths, one of which shows the traffic of many feet, footprints grooved well into the worn cobblestones and mud. One of you will somehow recognize that the footprints are their own, and will notice that the other path has no footprints or very few. That is when the compulsion hits. It is inexorable and impossible to deny, the curiosity to see what is down the path that those footprints do not travel.

Travel, walk and taking that path, you will be treated to a vision. It is a moment in the dreamer's life, where they see something that happened in their life, which involved a choice. Did they go left or right? Did they say yes, or no? A choice they made, even one that seemed immaterial at the time, had some profound effect, and now you and they watch as the other choice was taken. And, within the hour, you will see the results, to your horror. Something terrible will happen to them. It could be anything, but it will be life-shattering, perspective altering and ghastly. They might even die from the experience or see a loved one die. The horror of it will still be in your hearts as you stand there for a moment, trapped in the sight of the aftermath, trying to come to terms with what you have just seen, and just at this moment, after a few parting words are said, both will wake up in a cold sweat.

The event that plays out can be from either character. Close CR is not required. Bauphomette has summoned the characters into the dream directly, and is sharing a distorted mirror of an opposite choice that could have been made. Actual “What if” canon events such as alternate timelines in Supernatural could be used for this, or the entire event can be concocted for this scene. The characters themselves are witnesses, and cannot be personally harmed in any physical way, but the horrific ending for the 'vision' version of the one whose dream this can be as awful as desired and take any form wished so long as it is unpleasant. Please be aware and mindful of each other's Content Warning Preferences in setting these scenes up.

CODING

Comments

QUESTIONS

[reddosmod]

[dohaeris]

ok I'm sorry but how long do the gelatinous fruit treats and their effects last if kept in a sleeper's fridge

arthur watts | rwby

[wattages]

I.) A Mostly Pleasant Arrival

[ As they say: Out of the frying pan and into the ocean. Honestly, Arthur can think of several directions this could have gone. But now, he has emerged as a new man. One writhing away from his tendrils and into skin and bone. And it comes with a welcome wagon! How unbelievably inefficient and unnecessary. Yet he takes his bag and (after much thorough inspection) carries it to the Broadwalk in search of a watering hole for a parched mouth.

Petal Infused Hot Tea is the beverage of choice. He savours all of its aromatic notes. The sweet escape from the fires of hell itself. If his and Cinder’s paths cross once more, he will have to go out of his way to personally thank her.

For now, he will have a proper rest on the bench, legs crossed and held up against his lips. ]

II.) A Dim Reflection

[ At first, the sensation from within is mild. For years, Arthur had to master the art of repression. Repression of one’s anger towards the other, keeping it in check anytime it boiled over. But the more he walks the path, the more that anger pushed its way outward, finding some manner of escape. It wasn’t until his confrontation with Cinder that said annoyance—anger met its pressure point. Every single grievance coming out all at once, emphasizing every syllable to outline how much of a failure she was!

His feet continue to follow the path along the alleyway. Though this doesn’t feel like a stroll any longer. Anger doesn’t quite do it justice. This was fury. Unabashed, pure fury.

To a point, it contorts his expression to become more feral. He extends a hand to grab for the closest inanimate object and yolks it down in a yell. ]

III.) Wildcard

[ Pick your own scenario! I'm legit down for whatever you want to throw in my direction. Just giving this ol' chap a voicetest! Feel free to give me a shout via PM or on my plurk robutting ]

I.

[onekindsoul]

[Honestly it had been a very long time since Ruby had seen from home show up that she didn't particularly get along with. ...And even at this point she and Neo had managed to put most of their beef to rest.

She stops dead when she sees Watt's just sitting there having a relaxing afternoon to himself. She didn't really know much about him- But she knew the types he hung around with. She wasn't a huge fan of them.

...Now it's been more than two years since she had been in Remnant and she didn't quite look the same. Her lone silver eye was probably the main tell of who she was. The mechanical eye that replaced her other was obviously based on technology from Atlas too.]

Uh- Heeeeeeeeey.

You uh- just hanging around here?

[Awkward.]

himiko toga (hero au) | my hero academia | paleblood

[yandhero]

[a]rrival
himiko takes surprisingly well to squid transformations.

[ those sleepers that wander the beaches each month will be treated to an odd sight: a japanese flying squid nestled up in oversized welcoming robes, with a welcoming bag already directly at its side. it looks remarkably comfy - or at least as comfy as a squid can look.

someone approaches. one eye swivels to stare at the newcomer; it makes no attempt to escape or wave them down.

well? you gonna risk your luck with a curiously aware squid? ]

bauphomette [b]oardwalk
himiko, regrettably, drinks the floral iced tea.

[ the festival really is quite the sight. beneath the gently misting water, flowers are in bloom, and against the sea of trenchies in white attire the colors only become more beautiful. such a lovely time could only be improved by good company, wouldn't you agree?

himiko toga certainly feels that way. in fact, she feels that way and then some, if the red flush across her cheeks is any indication. which is probably why she can be found practically tackling people up and down the boardwalk, clinging onto them and saying things like- ]

Hey, heeeey~ You're a real cutie, aren'tcha?

[ the tilde is audible in her voice. this could be a problem. ]

flashba[c]ks and futures
himiko sees what her future could have been.

[ she's being watched.

it's not really a surprise. this whole place reeks of some strange set-up. a way for the teachers to evaluate their decision-making skills in foreign environments, or something like that. it even feels a bit like it - the eyes on her back don't feel cruel in the slightest, after all.

and yet she's standing still, waiting for her unwitting companion to catch up. curious. ]

Oi. [ her voice is flat, almost monotone - a stark contrast to her normal enthusiasm. ] You feel it too, right?

[ it doesn't feel like a trap. and it doesn't feel like she's in danger.

so why does she find herself so resistant to the idea of walking forward? ]

wildcar[d]
ooc notes

[ ooc: without going into too much details, this is a himiko toga whose childhood was slightly less awful for everyone involved! her motivations are mostly unchanged in the swap to the hero side. just think of her as a toga that learned about the importance of consent early, and also maybe the importance of only taking manageable quantities of blood once people agree??

if you want to contact me, whether it's for more details, questions or custom top-levels, i can be found at beelzebae or beelzebae#2319. looking forward to threading! ]

boardwalk!

[imaglyphwitch]

[Whoa. This was a stranger. A pretty affectionate stranger too, and likely just a little older than her. The idea of a teenager being that clingy was pretty farfetched, and something about all of this was certainly off. Sure, she was actually feeling better than usual for once, but that didn't mean she wanted to let her guard down.

Anytime newcomers arrived, something weird was going down. She may as well take caution].

Oh, uh hey! You just arrive?

[Oh, and she is also blushing like a dope. Luz was definitely not used to people around her age calling her cute].

Ethan Winters / Resident Evil 7 & 8 / Vileblood

[moldyolddad]

[CW: RE 8: Village spoilers ahoy. Character Canonic Death references inevitable.]

Arrival - I - The cold of the mountains and the cold of death burn through his veins, something that even Eveline's mutamycete could not keep out. Then the heat of the N2 mine exploding burned through his body. Then the light and heat extinguished, taking the pain and cold, even consciousness with it.

Warmth suddenly fills his senses, rousing him from the darkness, a watery warmth embraces him. A current pulls on him and he tries to push against it, but it overpowers him, drawing him onward. He tries flexing his limbs, only to find tendrils in their place. A memory of a deformed creature, with a head like a frog's and a body that had belonged to a human, bloated and distorted into something between fish and frog.

A wave lifts him and he feels the water breaking over his... head. He gasps and gazes about, realizing his body has phased to something between squid and human, his limbs tentacular. The waves lift him and toss him onto a shingled shore, leaving him sprawled there. He shivers despite the spring warmth around him. People mill about on the shore, figures in long white robes, some accompanied by others carrying leather satchels like old-time country doctors.

"Whuh... wheh... where ...the hell... is this... place?" he murmurs, finding his voice.

II - Some time has passed and Ethan sits in the shadow of a white and red umbrella ("Of course," he'd murmured when he first saw it.), dressed in a greyish blue hoodie over jeans, a glass of what he thought was red wine but which turns out to be something less strong though no less flavorful.

"So... local festival? Ren faire in season? Or does it all look like this?" he asks the first passerby who comes his way. "Gotta feeling I should be asking 'when' this place is as much as I should be asking 'when' or what'.

"The name 'Mother Miranda' wouldn't happen to ring any bells, would it?" Because truth be told, it's looking like he found his way out of the mountains and down a river to the sea.

Wildcard

[Feel free to throw anything and everything at him; this is as much a voice test as it is a TDM and I'm open to possibilities.]

Hope this is all right

[moldedafter]

Rosemary is used to weird things, but being a squid is weird, even for her. But she’s back to normal, mostly, all limbs and things accounted for. She still feels… strange, though. Like something’s off. Like something’s wrong. She hasn’t found any answers. Just this weird festival. And snacks that apparently turned her into a bit of a plant person, with how her blonde hair is currently flowering ivy. Well, more of a plant person, if you count mold as a plant.

There’s a voice behind her asking questions, and it’s so familiar she can’t help but stop. “Local festival, I think?” she answers, turning towards him even as he’s asking more questions all in a rush. Saying a name that she knows, but never expected to hear, here. Mother Miranda? How does he - And she freezes in shock. Would have even if the name wasn’t painfully familiar. She knows him. There are pictures of him in her home, she carries a picture of him with her always. (Not at the moment, because squid didn't exactly have pockets. But usually.)

“Dad?”

nadia vulvokov | russian doll

[ofnewmoon]

arrival. cw: references to historic cults, drug use

What is this, fuckin' Waco?

[ As far as Nadia Vulvokov is concerned, there are only two places where you can find crowds of people dressed only in white: cults and horror movies. She's not entirely certain she hasn't found herself in both. She'd like to chalk up the whole being a squid thing to a really bad trip, but by now, she knows better.

Might as well get her bearings. She's also wrapped in white, which is a bit of a drag, but Nadia likes to think her robe is cinched around her waist in a way that really shows off her girlish figure. She's not going to ask how her krugerrand wound up in her welcome bag; she's just glad it's there for her to wear.

Pronouncement made, Nadia will stumble swagger towards the party. (Hey, she's still getting used to her human legs, all right?) At one point, a Trenchie will give Nadia a glass of pomegranate juice, which she downs like a shot. It's not half-bad, really, for kool-aid that's probably gonna kill her. After that, it's time to make some party conversation. ]

Hey, man. You know what year it is? Or if linear time is, yanno, a concept around here? Because lemme tell you what, I do not feel like being three-for-three with the universe fucking around with me, temporally speaking.

dim reflection. cw: russian doll season two spoilers, smoking, blood, addiction

[ Mirrors can be dicey. Sometimes you have a bad hair day, sometimes you confront your imprisoned existence as a time-looper, sometimes you are literally your mother. It happens. Thankfully, the mirrors here have been pretty normal.

So far.

Nadia is in the bathroom of a bar in Cellar Door, when it happens. She looks up into the mirror after washing her hands, and her reflection lights a cigarette. She takes a drag.

She smiles, and her teeth are filled with blood.

It's wrong, in every conceivable way, and before she has time to realize what she's doing, Nadia has put her fist through that mirror. It shatters, of course, leaving Nadia's knuckles bloodier than those teeth.

Whatever. She's gone. Nadia wraps her hand in toilet paper, and returns to the bar to order another drink. If you so much as look at her funny, Nadia will narrow her eyes and snap: ]

What're you looking at, asshole?

( ooc: nadia is from the end of s2, but i'm happy to avoid spoilers! just let me know. also, feel free to hit this toplevel with a wildcard, or pm this journal for plotting. )

dim reflection

[yandhero]

[ "funny" is certainly one way to describe the look the blonde girl in the bar has been giving. she's been staring at nadia ever since she returned from the bathroom, her gaze alternating between nadia's face and her poorly bandaged hand. when the woman finally snaps at her, she doesn't even flinch before responding- ]

You! [ her voice is surprisingly high, with a certain energy behind it. ] You're a lot cuter than I thought.

[ ...she says it with her eyes squarely trained on the bloody toilet paper. gross. ]

Double Trouble | She-ra and The Princesses of Power | Paleblood

[melodramatrauma]

I. A Mostly Pleasant Arrival
The fluidity of form had always been a specialty of Double Trouble, so the change from squid to usual form and back was nothing new. For the thespian, it was as simple as slipping from one costume to the next, even if the two were entirely different forms with different appendages. More than happy to accept the robes, Double Trouble kept the usual greenish appearance, the tall lithe form a stark contrast to most of those in trench, not that they complained. All the more eyes to see the performance, and besides if it did become problematic then all Double Trouble had to do was shift into any one of the locals and shift the unwanted attention elsewhere.

Keeping to the sweets, and water Double Trouble watched carefully as people enjoyed the other beverages and the peculiar effects, as well as the rolls. After a bit the shapeshifter found someone that looked interesting and offered them a glass, it didn't seem like anything special. And in truth, it might not have been, then again it just might be an iced drink of pomegranate juice or perhaps floral tea.

"You just have to try this darling, it's remarkable. Come on bottoms up."

II: Dim reflection
Reflection sand images, superstitions of shadows and hidden truths, Double Trouble couldn't help but to laugh and mock some of the stories that they were telling. Mainly because generally the image that was just so slightly off and winked back, had been Double Trouble having a little fun. But then there was that uneasy feeling that occasionally popped up when catching a glimpse just out of the corner of the eye, that something seemed off. Was that, a genuine smile, rather than a smirk or toothy imitation from twisted pleasure? No, surely it was just an imperfection in the mirror.

But then there it was again, a smile and compliment, and one that wasn't even slightly backhanded at all. Just what was going on?

III Wildcard.
Feel free to spot Double Trouble living up to the name, or just have someone curious about the six-foot-tall person that's green with blonde hair. Feel free to PM me or plurk me at likethelibrary if you want to plot something.

I.

[onekindsoul]

Ruby made a habit of wandering around shoreline and boardwalk incase anyone needed any assistance getting settled into this new world. Except with spring on the horizon it was looking like that was less necessary these days. A relaxed party wasn't quite as exciting as fighting pirates or dealing with wild waves and monsters but she had learned to welcome the break when it came.

She wandered through the little festival until she found herself being offered a glass. She blinks her mismatched eyes before giving Double Trouble a bright smile. She probably should know better than to try weird drinks in Trench, but she was awfully thirsty too.

"Really? Well I guess if you say so." She takes the drink and downs a large gulp.

"Hey you know what? that wasn't so bad. ...I'm guessing you're new around here?" And now she is completely under the effect of the pomegranate juice.

Fiddleford McGucket | Gravity Falls | Coldblood

[terribibble]

This is not the first time Fiddleford has washed up on this black sand beach. The last time the crush of information had overwhelmed him and he'd thrown himself back into the sea in hopes that the blissful ignorance of squidhood would be better than the acute awareness of altered humanity. This time his body reforms more quickly and his mind returns more quickly too and with it comes a sinking feeling of resignation very at odds with the joyful proceedings up on the boardwalk. He's going to keep washing up here until he gives in, isn't he.

Fine.

He gives in.

A.

The first order of business is collecting his belongings. This time he has the good sense to approach the Wakers and get a robe on first thing, and after that it's not hard to find the horrible eyeball bag meant for him. A quick check confirms the belonging he's most concerned about isn't in there, so once again he spends a lot of his initial arrival combing up and down the beach, clearly looking for something. The longer he doesn't find it the more annoyed muttering anyone passing by him is liable to hear.

"Don't understand why they can't just keep everything in one place, it'd be easier on everybody, you have the time to make bags with big ol' eyeballs set in but can't even manage to get all of a man's belongings together when he shows up on your beach--"

He is a man in his late thirties and here he is kicking sand like a petulant kid. He's having a day, alright?

B.

Eventually he finds what he's looking for. Once the Memory Gun is tucked safely into an inside pocket of the horrible eyeball bag he starts feeling a little better, or at the very least a little less snippy. It helps that he's also found one of his banjos, surprisingly not at all damaged from the water, which is now slung across his back along with the bag. It's a lot to be carrying all at once but the familiar weight is comforting so he's not about to give it up.

The one mistake he makes is stopping to sample the food. He figured 'transformative' was meant figuratively, which was a stupid thing to figure, and now he's got a pair of twisting rosemary plant 'horns' growing out of his head. They said it was temporary; he has no idea how temporary but he isn't about to eat the hard tack to fix it. No more eating or drinking things on this boardwalk. Fool him once, sure, but nobody's going to fool him twice.

Eventually he realizes that despite all his walking he doesn't actually have any sort of idea where he's going. He can't just wander this boardwalk forever politely but firmly declining offers of food and drink. He needs a place to sleep. And pants.

"Okay. Alright. Excuse me--" He flags down a passerby who looks, at least at first glance, reasonably non-threatening. "Can you tell me where is the least-haunted place a man can go in this city?"

C.

[Wildcard! Hit me with whatever or contact me at mister_inkwell to talk ideas.]

b!

[mehanizovati]

Curiosity always gets the better of Viktor one way or another- in this case trying to figure out the odd traditions of the Trench and how they change each month. The spring-like festivity isn't exactly what he was expecting but after a month without the sun? A little color doesn't hurt.

He has no doubt that same color will somehow becoming menacing one way or another, but sometimes one had to roll with the punches, as it were.

So he's simply strolling down the boardwalk, crutch under one arm and wondering if he wants to even bother trying the dubious food when he's called. He glances over, immediately gathering it's a new arrival- immediately a little amused at 'least haunted.'

"Ah, I suppose it depends what you mean by haunted. If you mean least likely to involve some sort of menacing nonsense I'm afraid the selection is slim. Cellar Door and the Willful Machine at least are decently populated without much incident."

Siri Tachi | Star Wars | Darkblood (probably)

[bitofarebel]

[ooc: I am dusting her off after a very long time so please forgive the rust! Also; her canon point is currently just post-Krayn, but that might change should I end up apping her.]

ARRIVAL.
It feels strange to walk around the festival, and not simply because she'd spent some time as a sea creature recently. She had begun to think that her mission undercover with Krayn was never going to end. She’d spent so long working her way into his ranks. Earning his trust. Behaving viciously. Zora to her core. As befit someone working for a slaver. Doing horrible things so she didn't break her cover. Because Krayn trusted her enough to make her his right hand woman. To let her close to him.

It had eaten away at her. Destroyed her inch, by inch. Everything she had to do to maintain her cover... It had destroyed her. It was for the Jedi, for the Order, to put an end to Krayn’s business. But it didn’t stop how vile she felt, how disgusted she was with herself.

She’d taught herself much, during her time undercover. Taught herself to hide what she’s feeling in the Force. It had been the only way. She just couldn't hide her feelings from herself. She missed the Temple. Missed the Jedi. Missed being Siri. Missed Obi-Wan.

She'd thought it would never be over. That she would be forced to remain as Zora. And then suddenly it was. Her hair had been returned to its natural blonde, and she had returned to the Order. Been welcomed back.

And now she was here. So yes, it feels strange to be wandering around a festival like this. She feels different. She's not sure whether that's because of what happened to bring her here, or because of Krayn. Her return home to the Jedi.

So she's wandering, a bit aimlessly (although she would never admit it), regretting having nibbled at one of the floral springs rolls being offered, because she still hadn't even grown used to her hair being blonde again and now it was plants, braided, flowering vines falling over her shoulders.

Perhaps that's why the glass of hot, petal-infused tea sits, untouched, in her hand.


WILDCARD.
[Choose your own adventure! Or message me at ThriceWiddershins and we can figure something out!]

[thisislife]

This woman isn't the first Lexi has seen with flowers and vines growing out of them. She assumes it's more of this place's weirdness, but hadn't figured that out in time to avoid one of the spring rolls herself. So now in place of long brown hair, she has white morning glories for hair.

It's actually not bad. She kind of likes it and figures that if she has to transform somehow, it's way better this way than it could be under other circumstances. Even if she has no idea how she's going to sleep with the flowers replacing her hair. She doesn't want to squish them, so she figures she'd have to sleep on her stomach. Which she hates.

So she smiles a little shyly at the woman.

"I, um. Do you have any idea what made this happen? Other than hey, it's spring, let's have some flowers?"

Cassandra de Rolo | Legend of Vox Machina | Paleblood (probably)

[enduringkestrel]

ARRIVAL.
Cassandra has never been a squid before. She's never been any shape but the one she has. Although there have been moments where she desperately wished she could wildshape into a bird, or polymorph herself into something small, and unnoticeable. Invisible. But wishing had never done anything. (She didn't have that spell, didn't have magic at all, so even if she could procure a scroll, it wouldn't have mattered any…)

She's not certain whether or not it's a relief to have her legs back or not, once she shifts from being a squid back into being herself. (She wonders if she might have been able to just swim away and never return to who she was. Not that running would change what it is she's done.) But she has, and she is. Something feels… different. She doesn't have much time to contemplate what that might be, though, because there are people on the beach with her ( and she is naked and the thought terrifies her they might see her scars, see them and ask questions.) And she shifts BACK into a squid for a moment, in her alarm. With a surprising amount of ease.

It's easy to go back to being non-squid Cassandra again, though. (She's not aware of the fact that her eyes are currently still a shocking shade of ice blue, rather than their usual blue-grey shade.) And this time she stays that way. No matter how much she might wish to remain otherwise. It'll be easier to learn about this place she's found herself if she has legs.

And thumbs. Thumbs are important.

It's a little better once she's dressed, and has her welcome backpack in hand and can start making her way… somewhere. Perhaps she'll even find out where here is. And what's going on. Why it looks like a party.


POST-ARRIVAL.
The festival is… interesting, and she finds the temptation to explore too great. It's as good a place as any to try and learn more about this realm she's found herself in. Is it awful that she finds she can breathe a little easier here? It's not Whitestone, it's not the castle that had once been her home. There are no memories to haunt her, here. No blood-stained halls. (No, just the memories in her head.) So she explores, wending her way through all the festival has to offer.

(There are beats to the ways that people watch each other, and if you’re clever enough, and you know what to look for, you can pass between attention spans and go unnoticed; and Cassandra is very very clever. And very very practiced at wanting to be unnoticed)

She can't help but try things, though. A couple very… floral spring rolls, which are far tastier than they have any right to be. It doesn't come without side effects, though. Her once dark brown hair is now vibrantly green clovers, and the shock of white in her hair snowdrops. Not the strangest thing to happen to her, she thinks. She's quite sure that being a squid is stranger.

However mild the effects of the spring rolls are, she's not certain that she should drink the hot tea in her glass. Who knows what sort of effects THAT will have.


WILDCARD.
[Choose your own adventure! Or message me at ThriceWiddershins and we can figure something out!]

Arrival

[imaglyphwitch]

[It had been a strange month, and Luz had been curious to see who would be washing up this time around. She was flying on her staff when she spotted the woman with bi colored hair. Cool.

She also looked like she was still trying to piece the strangeness of this world together, so Luz descended down and hopped off the staff, which promptly made the motionless owl atop it alive and the staff part disappeared].

Hey! Luz Noceda, nice to meet you! Just arrived, right?

Astolfo | Fate:/ Apocrypha | Dark Blood

[worst_paladin]

Around the Maypole:
It wasn't a usual summoning, and emerging a squid was pretty strange even for the things that Astolfo had seen in the grail wars. Quickly deciding that it wasn't very cute though the servant decided that switching back, or even sporting a tentacle or too was a bit more than would be desired. And so with the robes acquired for a bit Rider was now attempting to find something that was a bit brighter and a bit shorter. With the help of a local girl, Astolfo's braid is back in shape quickly enough, and a cute skirt and top were easy enough to procure with a nice pattern to them. Blending right in among others around the may pole, Astolfo completely forgot to check about the purpose for being summoned this time, though without anyone claiming to be a master or presenting the seals there wasn't a hurry to do so either. Might as well have a little fun.

The fun included a few cups of the iced floral tea though, so now willing or not Astolfo was grabbing someone that stood out in the crowd and started dragging them over towards the maypole.

"Come on, have a little fun."

Under my umbrella:
Of course it would be a celebration of the wild moon that would bring Astolfo to Trench. A light rain had driven most others inside or off to various buildings, but with no real reason Astolgo simply took shelter under one of the umbrellas at a table on the boardwalk. Sitting there sipping a water, the servant looked out into the drizzle. The world now didn't seem that colorful or interesting, even the pastels and bright colors of the ribbon on the May Poll were dull and muted by the dampness of the weather.

"Man, what a waste. Two days and it's already raining, and I've already been around the whole place. You'd think there would be somewhere interesting to explore."

There had been a few places, but nothing that really called out to the paladin of Charlemagne.

"I wonder what I should be doing?"

The Road Not Taken:
The skirt and cute clothes were gone, replaced with armor and mantle, and oversized sword hung on Rider's side. Looking up and examing the path there was a pleased grin on Rider's face as something interesting and strange was finally going to be taking place. Walking forward the pink braid swayed back and forth.

"Don't tell me that you're just going to stand there all night. You've got to be interested in seeing where this goes as well right?"

Turning back around Astolfo reached back extending the invitation to whomever had joined in on this adventure.

Wildcard: {Want something else? Go for it and I'll follow.}

The Road Not Taken

[unphase]

In contrast, Tinya never stops wearing cute clothes, in this case a red slip-dress. The armor and mantle are curious, she's never seen anyone in such things outside of an Ancient Earth Faire and even then, most people went for cute rather than actual armor and a giant sword which looked like it might actually be real.

"It's not that I'm not interested, it's that such things often lead to more than what one initially bargained for. The last time I was in a similar situation, the person I was with kept deaging to the point of being a young teenager." Other than an old, nineteen years old teenager like her.

D | Vampire Hunter D | warmblood???

[distant_one]

[CW: probably violence and blood drinking at some point]

A: A(n) (un)Pleasant Arrival

Avoiding the festivities but lingering nearby, D stood as still and pale as a statue. perfectly sculpted, beyond the beauty any mortal hand could make. Perfectly still, except for subtle inhale and exhale, and the way his dark eyes moved to follow people. He was unwilling to join in, but also not completely uninterested in the proceedings. The neutral, almost tranquil expression gave no hint to what he might think about everything that had happened in the past few days.

No sign of troubled thoughts at his transformation, or enjoyment of the lively and carefree atmosphere. Only on approach did anything become apparent, a feeling of foreboding in the air. The only indication of his wariness, the always alert hunter even more prepared than usual to kill any threat that might appear in this new place.

There was a drink in his hand, accepted only because it was easier to accept with a quiet nod than to argue.

Then the wind shifted, and a brief glint of red lit his eyes before he tilted his head forward, the wide brim of his hat shielding his face for a moment. D quickly abandoned the post where he'd been lurking to find somewhere more favorable to stand. In his haste, he nearly bumped into someone, but at the last moment and with an unearthly grace managed to avoid either a collision or spilling a single drop of his drink.

There was a brief, almost pained expression on his face, finally revealing that D was not having nearly as easy nor enjoyable time with his arrival and uncontrolled transformations.

B: The Road Not Taken

A dream world. D had limited experience with shared dreamscapes, and none of it had ever been pleasant. He knew wasn't quite a mental attack, he could sense no hostility in the presence responsible, but that didn't make him any more willing to tolerate mental manipulation on any level.

But D was uninclined to linger, even if he wasn't alone. There was only one way to go, undoubtedly planned by the architect of this shared dream. He had not been long in this strange world that was so similarly dangerous and unforgiving as his own. D had an air of weary resignation about him as he went towards the path, prepared to face whatever danger lay ahead with the same lethal focus he had for any unavoidable trials placed before him.

He spared only a moment to pause to start at the pause of the path, to glance back. Whether to wait for the other person in the field to join him on the path out of some reluctance to abandon one who might be less capable than himself, or to assess if he was leaving a threat at his back, or both.

"There's only one path." It was as close as an invitation to join him as any stranger was going to get, as D didn't immediately resume walking, but stood there, still waiting.

C: [your ad idea here. Got an idea? Go for it]

A!

[hammerbearer]

"Oh!" comes from the person who was almost bumped into. A teenager, probably around sixteen or so, who didn't notice D's sudden movement as she was passing by. Gaia fortunately makes what seems to be the right choice to stop moving forward while the much more graceful figure avoids bumping into her. Though there are a few staggered steps past before she finally manages to turn around and face D.

"Hey, are you alright?" The teenager seems assertive and perhaps a bit flustered by the moment but she's not aggressive. "I didn't realize you were going to move so quickly." Gaia probably didn't catch the pained look on his face at first.

Though a moment after she speaks, the teen finally does appear to catch a glimpse of D's features and her own could be called a little pale after. A step back is even taken as if she were startled by what she saw before Gaia shakes her head firmly and dismisses whatever her thoughts were as 'silly'.

Alabaster-like skin and perfect, inhuman-like features aren't exactly good memories to people of the First. Even for Gaia's own scattered recollections.

Toboe / Wolf's Rain / Paleblood

[onewiththewild]

NETWORK ¦ video ¦ human

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

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

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

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

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

He can't ask any of that.

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

ARRIVAL ¦ wolf

[ Toboe came out of the ocean on his own and transformed on his own back into a wolf. The whole process was, of course, incredibly confusing because he doesn't understand why he was a squid at first, and he is not the kind of person who is able to form theories and understand technology, magic, or much of the non-animal world. But the whole squid thing was temporary and he thinks maybe it was all just some strange dream he had and that is enough for Toboe. The Waker was kind and gentle and left Toboe desiring more of it, but their job was not done and they turn to help more of those tiny squids coming out of the ocean.

"How nice." he can't help but think. Now with the items he got on arrival - no clothing, though, he has no use for those - Toboe decides to keep moving, while carrying the bag and all of its contents in his mouth, and eventually comes to find the festivities other are participating of.

At first he considers using his illusion to look human, but ultimately Toboe does not want to be human and he wants to get closer to others as a wolf instead, thus he approaches whoever is cloests, tail wagging and wet nose poking against people's hands while he begs for food with big puppy eyes. If that is not enough to get someone's attention, the pup gently paws at the person's leg while whining softly, before he sits down and tilts his head.

Food for puppy, kind sir, please.

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

arrival

[dohaeris]

[sansa wears a thickly embroidered white coat dotted with hidden wolves over a long white dress stitched and pleated to look like it has long white feathers all down the front. there is, in fact, a wolf next to her in a matching collar, a little more than half grown (for a direwolf). in fact with lady next to her she can sense both 'wolf' and 'sleeper' before her human senses fully register his approach. she turns, holding a pomegranate. she smiles.]

Oh! Hallo. It's good to meet you. Do you need some help with your bag?

[he is not the first wolf-sleeper she has met here.]

Shouta Aizawa | My Hero Academia

[erasureye]

ARRIVAL.

[ So. Shouta’s a squid now.

Not that he’s really… aware of that. He’s not much aware of anything, really, which is a situation he’d usually hate to be in, but it’s difficult to care about something like that when you don’t even realize why you should. Awareness… does come eventually, but it comes to him slowly; gradually, starting with his senses and slowly progressing into something that could be considered consciousness. The transformation of his body is similarly slow, but eventually… as his body fully forms, he comes to realize two things. Firstly: that he’s unconscious, naked, and has no idea where he is.

…What the fuck.

The second is that when he searches his memories, he vaguely recalls… swimming? Being submerged by water… in a form that didn’t feel quite human. But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? ]

…The hell is this…?

[ After muttering to himself aloud, Shouta sits up, trying to get a better look at his surroundings… and quickly, he realizes just one more alarming fact. His arms… seem to have been replaced with tentacles.

Shouta’s eyes only widen for a second before he blinks. …Okay. This might as well happen, right? ]

ON THE BOARDWALK.

[ Being in Trench – that seems to be what they call this place, at least - is nothing like anything Shouta has ever experienced before.

It’s not just the strangeness of the place, or the way that he was taken here so abruptly… in fact, one of the first and most startling things that stands out to Shouta is that he feels no urgency to return home, or to go back, at all. Even knowing how many people must be searching for him, and the problems and distress his disappearance must’ve caused them – somehow, it all feels… unimportant. Like it just can’t be helped. In fact, it almost feels like it’s for the best.

He recognizes the irrationality of his feelings, yet he can’t seem to shake them nonetheless. Distantly, he wonders if it’s the effect of some kind of mental influence, or brainwashing… which concerns him enough to make him distinctly uncomfortable, but as far as he can tell - it’s not like he could go back even if he wanted to.

Either way, it’s not like he’s the number one hero. The pros back home will just have to make do with one less hero on their side for now… and maybe in time, they’ll join him here too. But he worries for them, and it’s frustrating that he can’t do a thing about it. Startlingly, he finds that he’s starting to miss them, too – Hizashi, and the rest of his colleagues… it’s not like he’s been apart from them for very long, so it must be the fact that he doesn’t know when he’ll next see them again. If he even will at all.

On top of that, the way that everyone’s so at ease and happy just feels weird, and Shouta doesn’t know how to deal with the fact that he’s found himself in a world without the threats that've been on his mind so often, lately. Not that there won’t be other things to worry about, but… he doesn’t know what those things might be, yet, and that’s the thing – really, he knows unsettlingly little about this place at all.

Eventually, he relaxes enough to try out some of the drinks, since what the hell, why not. The pomegranate juice is nice enough – enough people had been pushing it on him that it felt rude to refuse it – and the floral iced tea is actually pretty nice. Yet, by some miracle… it seems that Shouta hasn’t been made aware of some of the side-effects the drinks are supposed to have.

It takes a few minutes before he starts feeling the itch in his skin. A few minutes after that, and, well… that’s when things start getting weirder.

With the same tired look on his face as always, Shouta pats the shoulder of the closest person he sees, and his hand… lingers there just a little too long to be normal. And then, he gives them an utterly uncharacteristic smile. ]

You seem… nice. [ And alright, he’s not used to giving compliments to people he doesn’t know out of the blue, alright? What else is he supposed to compliment you on? ] Wanna chat for a bit?

[ If, instead, you’re someone he recognizes… assuming you’re not a villain, well, you might find yourself suddenly with an arm wrapped around you, and a scruffy-looking man leaning in a little too close for comfort as he calls your name. Let’s hope he’s not too embarrassed when he comes to his senses. ]

WILDCARD.

[ Feel free to throw whatever you'd like at Aizawa here! I'm taking him (tentatively) from some time just after the rescue of Eri. I still need to rewatch/reread MHA, since it's been a while since I last read it, and it's my first time writing Aizawa - so apologies if it takes me a while to find my footing! While I haven't finished the manga yet, I'm 100% happy to be spoiled, and I plan on finishing it hopefully before the end of the month regardless. Thank you! ]

boardwalk; with permission from anna's player!

[yandhero]

[ the little jelly sweets are... well, they're a little impersonal, you know? usually, she prefers to get up close and personal with the people she becomes. as weird as it is to say, it just doesn't feel right, turning into someone at random - especially one like miss anna.

not to say she hadn't thought about it! she's fully aware miss anna is cute! with arms like that, metal hiding tantalizing uncertainty... she's getting shivers just thinking about it! but, well. becoming her like this, without even the welling of a syringe and a band-aid to cover up their indiscretion? without even checking with her partner?? it's a little rude, right???? she doesn't want to be a homewrecker!

...buuut it's not like she can't have a little fun, right? even heroes are allowed to have fun, you know!

so when someone stumbles forward, patting her shoulder, it's with anna's voice that she initially responds: ]

Hey, watch it. I'm not feeling the touchy-feely stuff right now.

[ she moves to gently push her interceptor's hand off-

-and then aizawa speaks, and "anna" turns to face him with a look of stunned surprise. ]

Sensei? [ and then, almost breathlessly- ] Sensei, it's me!

[ how lucky for them - the gel chooses this moment to wear off. like wet clay melting away and off of her, "anna's" surprised face peels off, revealing a very excited himiko toga.

she's still wearing the white robes she woke up in. thank goodness for that, at least. ]

Himiko Toga, reporting in!

No1 (Noi) || Dorohedoro || Vileblood

[bullysandwicher]

[ ooc: if you are unfamiliar with this character, please beware Noi is an extremely violent yet cheerful person, with little regard for death and suffering, who comes from a gore-filled world where they worship the devil and hell. She is also technically immortal and a healer. ]


ARRIVAL . awakening
[ Everything was a lot of late, Noi remembers that as she awakens in her newfound squid form. She pays little mind to it and emerges as the giant woman she is soon enough, and instead she is busy (and very naked!) tried to find someone ]

Senpai? Shin-senpai? [ she ignores the Waker who tries to talk to her, passing right by them and instead focusing on the squids which she pokes with a foot ] Ew, that's gross. Why are there so many of these things around here? [ again, the Waker tries to explain, but Noi is on the move, not even bothering to take the robes the other is desperately trying to give her ]

Shin-senpaaaaaai! Where are youuuuu? [ she bumps against someone - You, perhaps? - staring them down. Noi is very tall, very buff and very naked, and she looks at the other person for a second before she FINALLY realizes it: ]

Where are my clothes?


ARRIVAL . food
[ If there is one thing Noi loves is food, and if the natives were giving away free food, who is she to say no? In fact, Noi takes as much of it as possible, not even thinking about the side effects some of these foods might have, and after she fills up several plates with enough food that could be shared among a small army, Noi sits down and wolfs down all of it.

All at once.

She also drinks away, not even bothering about any effects, but since everything goes in together, it could be a mess. But whoever is curious enough to notice will realize that the physical effects of the foods Noi is eating barely last.

A mushroom popped up on top of her head but after a couple of seconds, it turned into black smoke and vanished. Transforming into someone? Sure it does happen! But soon her body is engulfed in black smoke again and she turns back into herself soon after. The same goes on with getting shorter or taller, and after watching for a moment one thing is clear: that black smoke is counteracting whatever effects the food and drinks might have. ]


ARRIVAL . rain
[ The worst thing for a Magic User is rain. It turns them weak, to the point of fainting if they aren't strong enough, but no matter how strong one is, they will always feel the effects. Noi isn't any different.

When it starts raining, she simply stares at it. Perhaps nothing will happen, perhaps she will be okaaa------

Noi basically falls flat on her face or perhaps even on top of your character ;She is 124kg (273lbs) so enjoy that. But regardless, ether she hits the ground or someone dares to catch her, Noi just groans miserably ]

What the heeeeeell... why is there rain hereeee....


NETWORK . audio
SHIIIIIIIIN-SEEEEEEENPPPPPPPAAIIIII!!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! [ that's it, that's the post. A woman screaming. Enjoy ]

Arrival - Awakening

[cuddlery]

[It's not often that Scorpia bumps into someone taller than her. It's also not often that she literally bumps into someone quite taller than her, who is also quite naked at the same time! She looks up towards the woman's face, while her own face turns red.]

Oh. Your clothes are - they're definitely not on you, that's for sure!

[She says with a weak laugh in a terrible attempt at humor. She had been meaning to volunteer to help wake up new Sleepers on the shore, but she was distracted by the festivities going on, so she doesn't have a robe or towel on hand!]

Th-they might be in a welcoming bag... somewhere on a shore? And there's plenty of robes around if you can find one of the Wakers!

Kreia / Darth Traya || Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic || OTA

[apathy_is_death]

Arrival

The first people to know that she has come will be the Force-users; a sudden, massive ripple in the currents they feel around them will be all the warning they need. She would disguise this, if she could, but crashing into another universe is not without its perils and indignities - some lack of choice is inherent. But the rebirthing process itself, usually so natural, is...not, in her case.

The squid that comes ashore is jet black, moving with purpose, its skin mottled by red cracks. As it hits the air it seems like steam seems to escape from them. And then pulses of red light emerge, flare upwards and...she is there. The waiting assistants are waved away by her single, solitary hand.

"There is no need," she intones, pulling the black hood over sightless eyes. "You will not remember my passing regardless; still, your kindness to strangers is noteworthy, though somewhat naive."

She turned, as if sensing something, and looked down as another squid flopped from the waves. Something like a sigh came from her.

"Even here, you follow me," she said, crouching down to pick it up. The onlookers seemed rather concerned at this, but then they...stopped, held in her power, like blank slates ready to be activated. "Sion," she said, slowly, "wherever my life force finds purchase, perhaps yours must follow. Perhaps your hatred for me is that strong." There was a pause after that and then the hand closed, wreathed in force lightning, the squid exploding outwards. "But not this day."

She turned then, addressing the onlookers. "You will remember nothing of my passage." And she moves from the beach, hand casting back - erasing even the trace of her footprints.

A darkness to challenge the might of gods has arrived.

The Boardwalk

The version of her seen on the boardwalk is not the visage of Darth Traya, the great heretic of the Sith - no, it is of Kreia, the old Jedi woman. And she does not imbibe any of the altering substances - but she does watch, to see what others do. There is a brief note of amusement at the gelatinous sweets - such a different way to do what she already does; walk with a false face, unnoticed and unseen. Even the greatest Jedi Masters would be unlikely to pierce her disguise. Her illusions have allowed her to stand in the sanctums of the most powerful without being known.

And so, looking like a harmless, blind woman, she still bears witness. She hasn't needed eyes to see for many, many years. The single hand, however, may draw somewhat more attention - as well as the confident fall of her steps.

A Dim Apparition

The first sign that she is not just a harmless old woman comes as she passes by a mirror. A row of them, in fact, in a shop stall held open by one of the braver residents. As she passes them, each in turn shows a different face. There is one of a pleasant-looking woman with short hair, another of a grey-faced Iridonian Zabrak. Still another is of a cocky looking man, another after that a man in armour- Mandalore the Preserver. There are others, in turn, becoming darker as she goes - one depicts a man whose face looks like a scarred landscape, and another showing only a white mask.

But she only stops when the smaller mirrors, the ones at the fringes, show a young woman with short white hair. There are vague similarities between her and Traya - not the same person, but some that might be noted by those keenest of insight. In any event, it is one of those small ones that stop her, causing her to pick it up.

There is a slight shudder as something tries to reach out from the mirror, and meets the full weight of the Force coming back at it.

"No," Traya intones, the air feeling thick around you. "You are not her, you will not become. My mind, my form - they belong to me, not you." The magic writhes, a sort of heavy, undefinable sound coming to the area around them as power vies against power. But will shall triumph and the mirror...cracks.

"Not this time," she says, more quietly, letting it drop.

Notes and Choose your Own Adventure

[OOC: Will not be apping Traya, doing this for fun and challenge and seeing what CR I can get. She's a game breaker as is, alas. Feel free to suggest other scenarios! More than happy to take on whatever comes. You can encounter her either as Kreia, the old Jedi, or Darth Traya, if you so wish.]

Arrival

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul is down at the beach as he usually is when Sleepers begin to arrive in the month. He never answers anyone if they ask who he is waiting for. That is his own business. This allows him to be present for that massive shift in the Force. He feels like it could have knocked him over had it been physical in nature.

As it stands, he approaches the part of the beach where he can feel it coming from with trepidation, caution, and no small amount of fear. For one crazy moment, he thinks his master has arrived, but this being in the Force doesn't have the same signature as his master. Maul would have known if Sidious had arrived even if he was blind, deaf, and had his hands amputated.

What he is just in time for is watching this woman obliterate another squid with Force lightning. Maul can't help the instinctive flinch such a sight brings, the bone-deep terror it produces in him. So this is a Sith and of no small amount of power either. He shall have to be very, very cautious with this one. But while Maul is afraid, he's not a coward. He approaches Traya and gives a short bow in recognition of her power. "Welcome, Dark Lord," he intones, a proper amount of respect in his voice before he meets her own sightless gaze. Maul's own Force signature is carefully guarded, clearly meant to keep any other Force-sensitives from being able to tell just how powerful he is.

Eda Clawthorne | The Owl House (Voicetesting)

[uncoventional]

Arrival

You know what interrupts loud snoring very effectively? Sand. She sits up, suddenly, spitting and hacking and batting at her face to get the sand away.

"What in the..." She gets the last of it off, looking around. "Uuuugh, waking up on a beach is a lot less attractive as you get older." Then she blinks a few times, looking around. Then at the people waiting for her. Then at herself.

"Wait, was I just a squid? Who are you? Am I naked? Why am I naked and a former squid?!"

It takes some time to explain and she's not happy until she's back to her properly dressed self, shaking her head to clear out the rest of the sand. Which is, frankly, quite a lot. She has a lot of hair that can hold quite a lot of sand.

"Still the third weirdest thing I've ever been turned into," she grumbles, being presented with her backpack - which has her grinning and diving in.

"Ooooh, loot! Gimme!"

It will take...some time for her to figure out how to use it all properly. Mainly as her first reaction to the lantern is to scream at it and throw it as far as she can.

"Creepy little whatsit!"

The Boardwalk

Naturally, presenting Eda with things to eat or drink produces an instant, goblin-like reaction. To wit: she steals extensively.

She consumes a vast quantity of Pomegranate Juice - running off with it despite the locals insisting it's free. The Petal Infused Hot Tea? Well, she drinks that, feels nothing, and demands a refund. Even though it had been free.

The bigger problem, however, are the cookies. She simply keeps devouring them, rapidly changing sizes without seeming to care much which one she ends up at. By her logic, she'll wind up regular sized eventually, and in the meantime, there's free cookies to eat. If you're already going down the path, heck, might as well have a full stomach on the way.

So enjoy the sight of a white haired, white-skinned woman in a red dress rapidly changing sizes, looking completely unconcerned whether she's half a foot tall or pushing past twenty.

She'll stop when she's regular-sized Eda. Probably. Though the temptation to roll the dice and add an inch or two is tempting.

The Road Not Taken

She opens her eyes and is...not where she was. She groans, immediately and audibly, shoulders slumping. "Uuuuuugh, another stupid magical dream. I've had enough of these!" She shakes a fist upwards. "D'you hear me, Baphomette?!"

She's silent after that, then sighs, starting to tromp forward. "Fiiiine, let's get this over with. Stupid dreamscapes with their hidden meanings - unconscious should just mean unconscious!"

The Boardwalk

[cuddlery]

Scorpia wanders around, eager to try out all the snacks! But she's quickly distracted by one particular sight. Specifically, it's of a person she's seen before long ago - and knows now as the mentor of one of her friends here.

The tall scorpion woman approaches with surprise while Eda chows down on those cookies. "Hey! You- you're Eda! And also growing at an unusual rate!"

Sato | Ajin | Darkblood

[madgamerhat]

🎮 A Mostly Pleasant Arrival 🎮

[ The water is cool and dark as small eyes blink open. A shimmering light shines above. Curious, the creature swims towards the surface. While bobbing on the waves, a Grey squid scans its surroundings. In front spans a dark shore. The squid notices others of its kind. Dozens of small tentacles swim towards shore as part of some ritual. As the curious mind swims closer, it observes the others mid transformation! Incredible, what once were squids are now more human. Before the squid can wonder about their own state- a surge of energy flows through its body. The transformation does not frighten the squid, but delight the little one. As the waves bring the being closer to shore, black energy swirls around tits frame. No longer does it swim with tentacles but hands. A naked old man lands ashore. Surrounding him, are other nude individuals- the squids. There is a large group of folks tending to the newcomers: giving them robes and bags filled with essentials. The old man is among the assisted. He grins while accepting his bag from a jovial young man. Once dressed, the man heads over to the smell of food. He peruse through all of the refreshments offered. While taking a cup, he drinks hot tea- there's a strong floral scent. The old man feels refreshed. A sound from behind catches his attention. The old man turns to see you and asks: ]

Are you a newcomer as well?

[ His words seem smooth despite the transition from squid to man. He has a wide friendly grin as he sips more tea. ]

🎮 Road not Taken 🎮

[ While resting beneath the boardwalk, an old man drifts off into sleep. He feels comfortable despite being in an unfamiliar territory. Although he cannot recall much, the old man is excited to observe more. Yet, what's that odd feeling? ]

Where am I?

[ The old man sets his gaze towards a dirt path. Surely he is dreaming. Yet, the presence of another leaves him with doubt. ]

How are you here?

[ The old man asks the stranger with his head tilted. Behind his warm smile is a hint of skepticism. ]

Road not Taken

[miiraculous]

[Rika also blinks 'awake' and finds herself on a strange path. It's nothing like the roads she has grown accustomed to in the Trench, though then again... One thing she has grown used to there is being whisked away to strange places.

She looks up at the older man with some concern. The two of them are on the far ends of the aging spectrums; Older and Younger than most other residents. Rika files this away, recalling that some of the elderly in Hinamizawa need help even from a ten year old.]

I am not sure of the answer to either of those questions, sir.

[She does not return the smile, but keeps her concerned expression lighter than one might expect from a child in this situation.] It seems to be another one of this place's tricks though.

Talwyn Kallig | Star Wars The Old Republic | Paleblood

[drawsghosts]

Arrival
Talwyn wonders if this is what it feels like to be a Nautolan. Or a Mon Calamari. He flails about the ocean in squid form for a while, but once he washes ashore he's back to being a Sith pureblood. Yellow eyes take in his surroundings, fingers brushing long, wet hair away from his face. What happened to his hair tie?

"Khem? Andronikos? ...Xalek?"

He must be really desperate if he's asking for Xalek.

Boardwalk
As he wanders about, finding his way to the boardwalk, he comes across the refreshments, feeling rather hungry and thirsty. Talwyn selects a glass of pomegranate juice and a floral spring roll. Taking a sip of the juice, he lets it sit on his tongue for a moment before swallowing.

"Not bad."

Wildcard
[Feel free to request a special prompt]

Boardwalk

[hammerbearer]

"That's--" ....too late. The teen, about sixteen or so, resting nearby and nibbling on a piece of hard tack was recovering from her own foray into the whimsical changes of the food. She had looked up too late to warn the red-skinned man.

Or did he need the warning? She gives a sigh and leans back again. "Yeah, well at least the food tastes good. It's the side-effects that you need to be cautious about."

Battler Ushiromiya | Umineko No Naku Koro Ni | Coldblood

[checkmater]

Arrival

[I really should be used to this kind of thing by now, huh? was the first thing on Battler's mind when he could fully gather his thoughts once more. Well. Not fully. This was...he'd just gone from Chess only for someone to yank the board away and say 'not anymore! We're playing Shogi!

Also, there's a squid! For some reason! You are the squid!'

If he wasn't so hypervigilant of his surroundings by this point, he would've thought it was the natural evolution of Kumasawa's mackerel jokes. Which might've been why the second thought was Please, please don't let this be something where I get eaten. That's not funny! I don't want to be a digestible! Not again! and he half expected the next thing to happen to be some kind of witch prank. It certainly seemed like magic. And yet there was still something in him that wanted to defy that. To fight against it.

That was the typical Ushiromiya Battler defiant spirit.

But there wasn't an easy explanation for...all this. Being turned into a squid. Being turned back into himself. Being essentially told he wasn't going anywhere. And also, he was naked, which wasn't a plus. He had one of the typical robes wrapped around him, and he was shaking his head to himself. One thing he absolutely hadn't noticed about himself...was that instead of his normal red hair and blue eyes, he now had stark white hair and golden eyes. That would change back to normal, eventually. But not now.

What kind of switch was this? What was the meaning of it? Even turning the chessboard around seemed ridiculous when it was now a shogi board, and he hadn't even grappled with the pieces yet...!]

...Ugh. All this squid stuff is giving me a headache. If we could choose what we were, maybe then it'd be okay. Because then we could be things like sharks or dolphins before being human. Those are more interesting. [He bemoaned to no one in particular, his eyes shut before he glanced towards them.] Don't you think?

Boardwalk

[Well, at least his appearance had returned to normal. No more harrowing reflection of his grandfather - Battler's natural red hair and blue eyes were back.

Look at all the treats around! All the different food and drink! ...And Battler wasn't hungry or thirsty for a single one of them. Because he didn't trust them. The atmosphere felt like a tea party - there was that feeling that everything was okay and in complete and total discord all at once. Everyone was dressed in white, there was a light misty rain, and the assurance that even if you tried one of these delicacies, it would be okay.

Ahhh, it's useless, useless. There's no clear orchestrator of this, which meant the presence he could feel here was ethereal. Not an unfamiliar feeling, having an opponent that could not be seen nor heard. His brow creased. Still, if they were to do something to this large amount of people, what would be the purpose? Flip the chessboard around. What do they stand to gain from this?

Discord. That's the clearest motivation. Absolute discord and havoc. If people are going through changes like this, they'll be stirred into a havoc. And he'd already heard the word 'corruption' tossed around. Wouldn't that be easy to gain from a scene of discord? Is what they wanted simply that? But this is an entire community - why would they want for those who feasted to become corrupt?

He could do this all day. But for now, he looked over, and upon seeing someone looking at the questionable buffet, he stood beside them, seeming almost to appraise the treats as well.]

You know, these look good, but I've heard too many treats is bad for your health. Ihihihihi...so I might pass, personally. I don't know the chef either, so it might be germy, too. Eesh.

[He made a childishly disgusted face, sticking his tongue out for a moment. Use levity first. Being on-edge wouldn't help anyone.]

The Road Not Taken
[CW: potential spoilers for Umineko No Naku Koro Ni, potential gore]

[It was dark.

Battler stood alone in the dark, his hands in his pockets, and slowly opened his eyes. Where was he this time? No details yet. It's an unset stage. But he could feel another presence around.]

I don't suppose you'd have a flashlight, huh? ...Don't answer that. Probably not. That would be way too convenient.

[Convenient just wasn't a thing in his life, unfortunately. As to who this other person was, he hadn't looked back to check, and he'd simply talked behind himself, but he had a hunch it was another unfortunate participant, like himself.

This was purely because Battler couldn't imagine an orchestrator of some event - a witch - to not immediately start making grandiose gestures when he seemed to be taking everything nonchalantly. He couldn't imagine Beatrice, for instance, not responding to that with some remark that she COULD make things as bright as the sun, if she so wished it. She'd blind him, if he were arrogant enough to ask for such a thing. She'd say that, even if it wasn't true at that moment. Even if she had no idea what was going on, either, there was no way she'd let onto that fact.

So obviously it was someone with at least a little more restraint.

He shrugged to himself, and started walking forward. Finally, he glanced back.]

Well? C'mon. We've gotta find a way out of here. Nothing to be scared about. If anything bad comes, I'll handle it!

[Implying he could, but Battler wasn't going to doubt himself here.]

Wild Card
[Anything else? osomatsuniisan or PM me for plotting or just toss something at me. Battler is taken Mid-EP5, so this is Precape Battler. This is kind of a rusty muse but I've been doing a recap, so here goes nothing.]

arrival!

[erasureye]

[ Speaking of things giving him a headache.

Shouta already feels one coming on as he listens to the kid in front of him talk. Why, he's not so sure exactly - maybe it's the way he seems to be so casual about all this, when Shouta himself had been far more... well, let's just say it had taken him a little longer to adjust to his new situation. And it's only been a couple of hours since his own arrival, so even now, he's still trying to wrap his head around everything himself... he's wishing he'd had it in him to be as calm as this kid. ]

Does it really make that much difference? [ Shouta grumbles - as far as he's concerned, being a squid or a shark or a dolphin would be equally as bizarre a way to wake up. He'd been planning to give the kid a robe, but it seems he's already got one wrapped around his shoulders, so he doesn't bother. ]

Either way, you're here now. Congrats. ...Welcome to Trench.

Percy De Rolo | Critical Role - Vox Machina | Darkblood (maybe)

[travels_faster]

Arrival cw: ptsd description
[A grey and white squid drags itself up onto the shore. In a blink, there is a thin scarred man with a shock of white hair. He jerks back in shock turning back into a squid. Tentacles flail and grasp at nothing before he's a man again.

He looks around to get a sense of his surroundings but nothing seems familiar. Panic grabs him and he puts his head in his hands, breathing hard. His chest feels tight but he manages to stay himself. But his hair is grey and white for a moment.

A Greeter approaches him and kneels down, talking quietly. It takes minutes before their words pierce the panic. He raises his head as they hold something out to him. His glasses. He takes them and slides them on with a whisper of thank you. As the robe and his welcome bag are set before him he looks up.

His hair bleeds back to white, his form seems to settle as he shoves everything back down inside. Whispers of shadow lit with sparks seem to flow out of a cut on his leg. He hasn't noticed it yet as he nods. His voice is steady and calm, despite the earlier display.] Not the most grateful of arrivals, I know. Can I help you? Or perhaps, you're willing to indulge in some questions.

The Road Not Taken

[One night he shuts his eyes and wakes up in the middle of thick woods. There are brambles and vines that make it difficult to see anything on either side of him. He glances once at the woods then starts down the path. Here in a dream he's dressed as he usually is, but there is a wariness in his eyes. His dreams have never been his ally.

Not for a long time. As he walks, snow begins to fall. He takes a breath but keeps going, head held high. The sense of unknown eyes on him doesn't slow him. But he glances about as the wind begins to howl and the cold grows. He's trudging down a narrow path between piles of snow when he comes across you.

He doesn't slow down.] Come on. Whatever is going to happen, best to see it through.

[Whatever it is.]

Wildcard
[Got another idea? Toss me a pm for a custom starter or to plot things out.]

The Road Not Taken

[cuddlery]

[The other person nearby is a scorpion woman who looks quite lost. She thought she was just settling down to sleep! And now here she is. She has a confused frown for a moment, but then she lightly smiles as she looks towards the stranger.]

You, you have a point there! I'm not sure what's happening, but whatever it is... I guess we just have to press onwards and find it! My name's Scorpia, by the way.

Iskandar - Rider | Fate/Zero | Paleblood

[towards_okeanos]

Mostly Pleasant Arrival

Iskandar couldn't have chosen a better time to start his new life. He had never said no to festivities of any kind. Had, in fact, organized a lot of those himself. So he doesn't need to be coerced, or even convinced much, to don a white robe, sing and dance with all that wish to accompany him. He has a strong voice and is a surprisingly adept dancing partner for a man of his stature.

All the decorations, the food, the floral elements remind him of the Artemisian mysteries, and he's quick to reveal that to any that are willing to listen. Even if he can hardly expect that they will know what he talks about. It matters little as long as everyone is having fun, doesn't it?

Iskandar eyes the pomegranates with suspicion. Old habits, even the ones from a previous life, are hard to break. Those particular fruits make him wary, even if there's no need for that here. He has no such reservations when it comes to other food or iced tea. The latter making the naturally very friendly King of Conquerors even more so. To the point he might become a bit of a nuisance.

A Dim Reflection
All well that ends well, but Iskandar can't tell this about the later time when he happens to encounter a mirrored surface. Is it a piece of polished ornament? A suddenly still surface of a drink. He can't remember. He can only remember recoiling from the horror he's seen there. A bare glimpse of the red-mist monster, he'd rather keep buried deep down. The one that threw a spear at his friend in anger, stained the hooves of his cavalry horse with the blood of the Thebans, the one that laughed when the palace at Persepolis burned, the one that dragged his people through the Gedrosian desert and watched them die of heat, thirst and exhaustion. Vicious, cruel, cold, ruthless to the point of sadistic. A tyrant, a monster. It makes his eyes all red, like the blood that he never hesitated to spill. It makes his voice sound colder, draining the warmth even from his signature booming laughter, makes it sound sinister now.
Iskandar hates it with a burning intensity. But he also knows, and knows with bone-chilling certainty, that it is him too.


Wildcard
[I didn't write a prompt for the Dreamword (The road not taken), but Iskandar has plenty of choices he made that could have ended in tragedy, many places he could have died, lost friends and loved ones, or make a grave mistake. I could write a starter if there's a demand for something in particular.

Other than that, the world is your oyster. Iskandar is a flexible guy, pretty good in many scenarios. I can be poked on bitweaver or through PM for all other plotting needs.]

a dim reflection

[slightlytaller]

... He had never quite witnessed his King quite like this.

Waver Velvet was a studious person. As soon as he realized that his Servant was the one and only Alexander the Great, he hit the book to confirm his suspicions despite being able to ask the man any question in person. The studies didn't stop there. He read the collected works of Homer front to back, with special focus on the Illiad so he could divine what his King had seen in Achilles. From there he read various accounts of history. Along the way back to London, he even destroyed the man's tomb after being captured in the depths of the Iraqi deserts.

There was no doubt to his loyalty-- but the visible changes he saw in Iskandar upon returning from some silly errand on the boardwalk was chilling.

Waver slowed down. It had been some time since he had felt this small.

Uncertainly, he ventured: "Rider?"

Then, growing bolder, he continued in a voice the grew stronger by steps with every syllable.

"...Iskandar? My King? -- what's happening?"

Bail Organa | Star Wars | Coldblood

[simplegestures]

A MOSTLY PLEASANT ARRIVAL
It is a warmth that greets him, stopping the shivering that had come as he came ashore. One moment he'd been in the water and seconds later, he is in a humanoid form. It is a shift that comes easily although the easiness stops there. A general sense of confusion lingers as Bail rests on the sand. His lungs heave in and out, sucking in air with each passing moment.

The sun is warm though and there is no sense of urgency. It is a curiosity that stays as he wiggles his fingers, watching them squirm quite differently from the way he had before. They curl into the sand, feeling the texture beneath his tips. More solid and unbendable than the tentacles and arms he had just had, his is taller and his perspective shifts.

As does he.

It is a fluid motion that a finger starts to shift back towards a tentacle and back. Not that he is aware, but his hair alters for a moment, shifting to more grey. Focusing on the finger, it turns back once more to an appendage, staying there. That seems right. He hears steps and raises his head from regarding his hand, spotting a form coming towards him with a robe. Brown eyes study, the alert expression on his face but he stays still until the robe is offered. "Thank you."

SEASONAL DETAILS ON THE BOARDWALK
a.
There does seem to be a festive atmosphere around as Bail walks along. There are little bits of pieces of his life that returns. A planet of beauty. Water and mountains. Rich in culture. Ruled by a queen. His wife... Alderaan. There's warmth there. Good memories. Happy memories. Even with the war, Alderaan had been a haven. Would continue to be a haven if Bail had anything to say about it.

He takes in the scenery as he walks. The scent of flowers fill the air, spread by the light breeze. He nods as others walk by, greeting and acknowledgment, tries to wave off a string of flowers. Harder said than done, and it rests in his palm. The next person whose eye he catches, he provides the same nod of his head in greeting, and it they don't have any flowers themselves, he offers his instead. "They may suit you better."

b.
When it rains, he ducks beneath an awning, waiting for it to let up a little. It isn't hard or aggressive, but rather soft. It seems to match the general atmosphere of this place. At least what he has seen of it so far. He has heard by now some of what this place is about and he is still working to make ends meet with those ever flowing memories that return and his other form. Folding his arms, he glances up to the sky, not moving until he catches motion.

It seems that he is not the only person seeking a momentary respite from the rain. He shifts a little to allow them to get under the awning as well. "You're welcome to stay. There's more than enough room."

c.
He is a little parched after walking around and finds one of the vendors. Glancing around, he isn't particular on the flowers. They may be edible but he still declines. Perhaps later, but Bail isn't exactly interested in eating them at the moment. Rather, he looks among the drinks offered. He likes tea, but it's a little too warm at the moment for his taste. In the opposite, the iced drinks seem a little too cold for him. Instead he settles on the Pomegranate juice.

It's tart, and Bail makes a face, but there is also a sweet tone to it as well. It bears hints of fruits that Bail is familiar with but it's taste isn't exactly the same. He sips it, and does accept one of the fruit for later, after asking how one eats it. With the fruit in one hand and the drink in another, he moves out of the way to give others access. "I recommend the juice, if you're looking for something to drink."

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
a.
He had gone to sleep that night, having found a place to rest. Whether it is where he will remain in the long run, Bail doesn't know. What he doesn't expect is to awaken somewhere strange. His mind reels at the odd sensation, finding himself on a path. He glances in one direction and then the other. Is he awake? He honestly can't tell..

He can feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as his eyes skim. It's like he's being watched, and yet... He glances forward again, spotting someone ahead, and he takes several steps to get closer to them. He's mindful, alert, sweat starting. "Hello?"

The foreignness remains as Bail slows. Halts. "Have you any idea what this is, or where we are?"

b.
They've walked for some time. Sometimes speaking, sometimes in silence. It's eerie here yet Bail continues onward. There doesn't seem to be anything else to do. No obvious answer on how to return. Perhaps they simply do need to keep continuing onward until they hit something akin to civilization again. He doesn't notice right away. Not until he is a few foot steps in. They are his both in size and pacing. His exactly foot prints. Have they walked in a circle...?

The compulsion takes him and he's drawn down the path. Until the vision hits...

Vision One - Delegation of 2000 - ROTS novelization - choosing to keep his head down and work from the inside

"Vote for Palpatine. Vote for the Empire. Make Mon Mothma vote for him too. Be good little Senators. Mind your manners and keep your heads down. And keep doing all those things we can't talk about. All those things I can't know. Promise me, Bail."
Padmé Amidala during the Declaration of a New Order

Vision Two - Alderaan Cruiser Conference Room - adopting Leia

BAIL ORGANA, YODA, and OBI-WAN sit around a conference table.
YODA: Pregnant, she must still appear. Hidden, safe, the children must be kept.
OBI-WAN: We must take them somewhere the Sith will not sense their presence.
YODA: Split up, they should be.
BAIL ORGANA: My wife and I will take the girl. We've always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us.

WILDCARD
[ if you want another scenario, feel free to make one up]

[ I will match any format so feel free to change if you prefer something else]

( arrival )

[jedies]

[ obi-wan takes to the shores sometimes. partly because people always need help when they arrive, to be led with gentle hands and warm faces. and sometimes, he wonders if he'll see abby again. it's not a hope nor is it desperate. he just wonders and lets it pass through him.

when he spots bail — bail organa, here? — obi-wan immediately crosses the distance, removing his cloak and handing it to him. ]

You're worse for wear, Senator.

Raine Whispers | The Owl House | Pale Blood

[raineyday]

Arrival
It was a strange feeling, going from a squid to a person, and then being caught between the two on occasion. The robes were certainly welcome, and anything was better than the darkness and the headaches brought on by that tea. Raine felt a bit of relief for just a moment, though the anxiousness soon returned about being in a strange new world with who knew what rules. Or if the Emperor's Coven could be right around the corner. Raine offered a quick thanks to those welcoming new arrivals, but quickly pulled a hood up and started making a hasty retreat through the boardwalk.

Celebration in music
A festival and celebration was a place that Raine found to be the perfect welcome for anyone. Whether a new world, or a familiar one, there was nothing like music and festivities to bring people closer to one another. As people danced around the May pole there was a figure in a white cloak off to the side playing soft musical notes, a hint of magic washing over the magic as drops of water floated lightly by, flowers seemed to bloom just a bit more vibrant and everyone's movements were in time with each note. The violin playing lively notes softly as if to only accompany the activities rather than to draw attention to the one playing.

Network: Video: UN: Rainey.Day
Umm. . . hi.

[The figure seems to stop for a moment, pleading with someone off camera.]

Why am I doing this again? Couldn't I just make a poster or something? I still think we should just do audio.

[Apparently Raine's protest is unheard since the video continues.]

Hi my name is Bard and I'm a Raine. . . I mean my name is Raine and I Whisper. . . ahem, my name is Raine Whispers and I'm a Bard.

[With each instance Raine's face turned a little more red until eventually they just blurt out the rest of the message.]

IFYOUDLIKETOLEARNBARDMAGICPLEASEMEKNOW BYE.

[And learning forward quickly the feed is cut much more abruptly than it was started.]

Arrival (CW: death, the Titanic in general)

[nothinglikea]

There was a young woman wearing a blue crew-neck sweater, boot cut jeans, and work boots, her hair pulled back in a severe braid. She'd been making a habit of coming to the shore when new people were expected.

It was her way of paying it forward for those who'd been there for her when she woke up, not a squid but in the middle of ice-cold waters, terrifying her into believing she hadn't been saved by a lifeboat, she wasn't on the deck of the Carpathia. She was back in the freezing cold North Atlantic, only she didn't even have Jack's cold, stiff hands to hang onto.

So when she sees the woman beating a hasty retreat from the boardwalk, Rose called out to her "Madam! Your Welcoming Bag! Please, you must have that at least?" She hoped that the woman came back.

Kaito Momota | Danganronpa | Coldblood | OTA

[luminaryofbelief]

A Mostly Pleasant Arrival:
[So, uh, there were a number of things Kaito expected. Pain was up there. He was pretty used to that by now with his sickness. He also kinda just expected... nothing. That seemed like a safe bet, yeah? From gazing at the stars to never gazing anything else... Not a bad way to go, all things considered.

What he hadn't expected was bein' all squiddy and then right back to himself... only to get swarmed by friendly faces! The hell was this place? It's not like it was a bad vibe or anything. Honestly, the friendliness was a sight for sore eyes! After all that deception and mistrust, this kinda place hit in the perfect way. Seemed like they were havin' a party!

Kinda fru-fru for his taste, but, hey, who could turn down a party? Kaito grinned at the lively atmosphere, making his way through the swathes of people and tables laden with snacks. He had no idea what to grab or where to dance or who to talk to... Heck, it was like he was a thirsty man that stumbled out of a desert and right into an air conditioned supermarket!

So, why not just clap a hand on the first random shoulder he sees and give 'em a grin? Kaito did just that, leaning in jovially.]

Quite the party, huh? Havin' a great time?

A Dim Reflection:
[After adjusting to this place... it was clear that all was not flowers and fun. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh? Geez, life couldn't cut him a break. Now, apparently, he had to deal with these rumors about shit in mirrors! Couldn't even trim his face without worryin' about something grabbing him! Stupid s-supernatural bullshit...

Kaito had just been trying to get home. He stomped along a path he didn't normally take, pulling his jacket more over his shoulder where it hung. Just avoid anything freaky and get home... Simple!

But, all it took was a wandering eye. A puddle in his path and a natural, reflexive look down at the puddle. His reflection was there, but... It wasn't quite right. Kaito stopped in his tracks, staring at the manic grin on its face... before it winked.

Kaito's expression shifted into that sharp grin. His eyes lost their warmness, replaced instead by an empty and unsteady gaze.]

Hahaha, alright! Can't just stand around here! I gotta create somethin' that'll cause all kinds of despair! Screw this shit!

[He immediately scanned the alleyway for anything of use... before his eyes fell on a busted up chair, abandoned. Kaito walked over and reared back, stomping as hard as he could to further fracture it. He grabbed at a leg and yanked, ripping it out and hefting it across a shoulder.]

Alright, which direction... eenie, meenie, minie...

The Road Not Taken:
[When a path opens before you, you gotta walk it. That's what Kaito thought to himself. It's gotta lead somewhere and somewhere's better than wherever you used to be. Always forward. But, paths don't just stretch forever without any kind of change. Eventually, that path had to give way to a fork in the road.

Ah, geez... If he was by himself, he'd just pick a direction and live with it. But, a leader doesn't just make decisions willy nilly. They make 'em for the benefit of the group! And if somethin' goes wrong, then it's the leader's fault! Y'gotta take responsibility! Kaito looked to the other person of which he hadn't been paying much attention to up to that point.]

Whaddaya think? The traveled road or the adventurous one?

[Something... flickered in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore it, but it was like an itch. At one point, it'd be impossible to ignore. But... it got worse when he looked down that path without footsteps. The heck was all this...?]

The Road Not Taken

[miiraculous]

... Are you asking me or your eyes?

[Rika calls him out on the way he keeps looking back to the barren pathway. Her instincts are also pointing her gaze in that direction. There is something comforting about familiarity and patterns, sure, but Rika knows a little secret about well worn paths: Being the most common path doesn't mean they're safe.

She looks up at Kaito.]

It depends on where we want to go... Is the 'same place as everyone else' also 'the right way to go,' do you think?

Gilbert Nightray | Pandora Hearts | Darkblood

[belovedscars]

A Mostly Pleasant Arrival

[There has been a lot in Gilbert's life that could be described as odd or unbelievable, but this might top everything.

Gilbert is a squid. He's a sea creature. He finds himself panicking and struggling to swim, and shouldn't squids be excellent swimmers? Normally he may have felt ashamed to be so afraid, but in this case he thinks it's quite justified. After washing ashore, he eventually regains his original form. Mostly. His normally gold eyes are red, but he doesn't realize this and is too busy accepting the robe with a quiet thank you, even if he's not a fan or white clothing.

Left arm of the robe flowing loosely due to his amputation, he clutches the fabric and wanders around as if in a trance. It's strange. He should be panicking, but other than his normal nervousness he doesn't feel afraid...only confused. This doesn't seem to be the Core of the Abyss's doing.]

Are you having a party?

Boardwalk (CW: smoking)

[Somewhere off to the side of the bright and pleasant festivities is a gloomy-looking man who seems to be trying his very hardest to fade into invisibility. This is much more of a challenge when you go from an even six feet to seven with seaweed hair. Seaweed. First a squid, and now this. Of all the nonsensical things! Gilbert is mortified, pacing around the party while mumbling anxiously to himself, attempting to cover his hair with his hand as he avoids getting too close to anyone. He had made the mistake of washing down the treats with the floral iced tea, and he doesn't want to take any chances.]

Why is this happening to me...?

[Cigarette. He desperately needs a cigarette. Sitting down and awkwardly folding his legs close to his chest, he holds the cigarette between his teeth and lights it with a match, taking a drag.]

The Road Not Taken

[Now he's sharing a dream with others. It's another Tuesday. Gilbert begins to doubt whether he fell asleep at all. It often doesn't come easy to him.]

Stay behind me.

[He may or may not know these people, and if he doesn't he has no reason to feel attached to them. Even so, with all he has seen and experienced, and the feeling of unease as if being watched, there's a sense of responsibility for him to handle whatever comes. These woods would have terrified him as a child, but now he navigates through them with a quiet sort of confidence. He doesn't like the idea of a single path, but it still doesn't feel like much of a choice when he arrives at the fork.

He looks at his companion with a troubled frown.]

I...feel like we should go down the one that doesn't look used.

[Hm. He doesn't like this at all.]

Boardwalk - 1/2

[swornto]

[It was becoming easier to be happy in the Trench. Even with all that happened in November and the recent pain that those butterflies brought, Oz was learning to recognize his blessings and enjoy them.

One such blessing was this party, which made his monthly trip to the beach much more pleasant. He usually went to wander the beach and comfort the new squidy Sleepers, all while hoping one of them might turn into his best friend. It was a cycle of unfounded hopes and unfair despair. Oz had all but given up this month, too, when he saw a familiar form.

The literalness of his nickname is beyond Oz's scope of caring. He wouldn't miss that stressed, anxious wreck of a human anywhere. For a moment, he forgets how to breath. Oz forgets how to greet people. Especially this person, whose potential arrival Oz had rehearsed for for months.

Eventually he does make himself approach... Thooough deviousness dictates that Oz come up behind his sitting friend. Who, even as Oz gets closer, appears very real. Not an illusion, nor a hallucination, or some kind of monster in disguise. It's really Gilbert.]