TEST DRIVE #2: OVERFLOW EDITION.

[futurologists]

test drive 2.0 Hi all, the other TDM was getting a bit unwieldy, so here's an overflow post! Feel free to repost starters from the old post and carry threads over, as well as make new ones. Threads here can still be considered game canon, so be sure to make decisions you don't mind carrying over later. Otherwise, have fun, and thanks for coming! Reserves will open on November 25th, 12:01AM, so be sure to throw in a reserve if you'd like. Apps will open on December 1st, 12:01AM, and our current character cap is 90. BASICS The town of Chantes has been dark since ALASTAIR first arrived here with your fellow travelers in tow. The sun stopped rising, night is forever here -- at least until our brave recruits get to the bottom of the mysteries of this town. But one thing at a time, right? For now: the darkness. Prominent town inventor Edwin Brunswick has discovered a fantastic new source of light! He’s created a lantern that will give off a magically induced bright blue light for days, no more eating through lantern supplies faster than you budgeted for! He just needs an ingredient found only in the dark, eerie forest outside the town limits. It’s a good thing you got signed up to go and find it, huh? Maybe ALASTAIR wants to break in the new recruits, or maybe you’re just lucky. But either way, better get going. Those lanterns won’t light themselves! New Recruits: for the purposes of the TDM, new characters can assume they’re with a fresh group of ‘recruits’ on a practice mission for ALASTAIR. They’ll be given a (brief) rundown on the overall situation. Additionally, the standard locations around town are also open for your perusal. Characters In-Game: this mission is ICly optional, but characters will be alerted to the new recruits’ arrival through their network devices. It’s in your best interest that they all make it through this! THE INGREDIENTS So what is this mystery ingredient, anyway? Why, fairy dust, of course! No, just kidding, that would be trite. It’s fairy slime. Out in the depths of the forest are nests of fairies. They’re tiny, insectoid creatures with two tiny humanoid legs and four tiny humanoid arms that want to poke, prod, and pinch anything that comes within range. And they’re quick, too! Those pretty gossamer wings aren’t just for show, they can fly about as fast as you can run. And as any child native to the town can tell you, they’re highly territorial. Anyone who ventures into the forest is given a jar to collect the blue-shining magical goo, and cheerfully wished good luck. But it can’t be that bad, right? THE EFFECTS You’ve braved the fairies and delivered the fairy slime, and the spell is a success! Lanterns all over the city are brightly shining through the darkness. Edwin is very proud of himself. It’s been declared an impromptu holiday, and humans and goblins alike are out to have a good time after the day’s work is done in honor of the darkness being just a little less dark now. But nothing ever goes just the way it was planned, does it? As it turns out, fairy slime is a little more volatile than Edwin counted on, and the blue lanterns are starting to have an odd effect in some places... PROMPTS ONE ✗ LOST IN THE DARK... You’ve probably been in deep, dark forests before. But somehow, knowing that here the sun never rises makes it just a little deeper and darker than anticipated. Moonlight doesn’t even make it through the thick branches overhead, and if you haven’t brought a lightsource with you, chances are high you’ll be very swiftly and very hopelessly lost. Is that quiet snap in the bushes another ALASTAIR recruit? A fairy, maybe? Or something more dangerous? It’s hard to say. TWO ✗ FRIENDLY FAIRIES The villagers were right: the fairies are territorial. Very territorial. You might not even realize you’re close to a nest before the fairies start to notice you there. It might start with a sharp pinch at your side, but if that doesn’t deter you, the fairies will start to mean business. They might be small, only four inches tall at most, but there are a lot of them! A typical nest houses about 500 fairies, and none of them are happy to have house guests. Each one glows a very faint blue, though, so if you pay attention and move fast, you might be able to keep track of them. But they don’t seem bothered by the darkness, and they can easily track you right back! You can expect anything from pinching, to hair-pulling, to sharp pokes in the eyes -- and the more enterprising fairies might even try making off with any smaller belongings they can reach. Or bigger belongings. How many fairies do you think it will take to cart off the friendly animal sidekick you showed up with? They certainly seem willing to find out! THREE ✗ NOT AS ADVERTISED The newly structured lanterns do exactly as advertised, casting ghostly blue light from every streetpost in the city. But they aren’t just for show -- it turns out fairly goop is magically reactive in the strangest ways. Maybe the effects are purely physical, leaving you oddly lightheaded before you float a couple feet in the air. Maybe it makes your hair glow the same, unnatural blue. But the fae are known for all manner of moodiness and trickery; the lights may play tricks on the mind and vision, affecting temperaments and causing illusions. Your own magic may feel like it’s on the fritz -- better start moving, or get it under control before the townsfolk notice. FOUR ✗ CHIT CHAT Throughout the whole of this mini-mission, old and new characters alike will have access to the network to communicate and collaborate. Fairies got you stranded up in a tree? Need some help in the city square? ALASTAIR provides a magical piece of jewelry that should help. Remember, you get one username to identify you and one only — if you don't enter one, it will default to your real name (for example, Voldemort's would be tomriddle.) Choose wisely... or make it assfarts69, if that's your thing. More information on the network is here! FIVE ✗ WILDCARD Feel free to take any of these prompts and run wild with them, or come up with your own adventures around Chantes and the surrounding forests! There’s plenty of room to explore, get horribly lost in the tangled woods, and get to know your fellow recruits in the downtime.

Comments

» WARDEN (AMELL) » DRAGON AGE » OTA

[spellmight]

I. "Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow."
( Well, if this isn't the illicit lovechild of the Blackmarsh and the Wending Wood, then Alistair has suddenly decided to end his love affair with cheese. No light at all makes it past the canopy, but she's not overly concerned about that; she is currently lighting up her section of this forest by holding a small ball of fire in her left hand, casting eerie shadows all about her. Like a mummer's show might, to scare small children. She, herself makes an imposing and strange figure, a mage clad in heavy plate. If a curious onlooker should cross her path and ask, she will smirk to herself and say nothing.

It's a secret between herself and an ancient elven spirit. She glances down at her side, where her very large dog has his nose tilted up to sniff at the air. )

Well, can you make out a trail? ( The hound barks at her once, and she grins. ) Who's a good boy? You are!

( The dog's tail wags furiously, and she laughs again. ) Yes, you are. Now, let us be—

( While no twigs snap nor leaves rustle, her dog's ears prick up, his tail ceases to wag, and a low, fearsome growl emerges from his throat. Sam reaches behind her to draw Vigilance, casting a watchful eye about. )

You'd may as well show yourself. If this dog finds you hiding somewhere, it won't go well. ( And sure, she'll let her hound tear someone apart before she'll waste her mana. Why not? )

III. "In their blood the Maker's will is written."
( It's almost a pretty picture: a backdrop of glowing blue light, and before it the figure of a woman emanating a gold light. Except that she is nearly transparent, her use of fade shroud and shimmering shield making her appear more a wraith than a living creature. And in her hands, she creates a ball of flame. Samara is hallucinating a pack of darkspawn, and no matter if there are innocents nearby, she can hardly tell the difference.

Her dog is not at her side but paces well back of her, whining softly before bursting into a fit of anxious barking, telling her to stop. )

Stay back, Griff! I'll take care of it. ( Should she unleash the spell, it will destroy the village. Her senses are going haywire with the false images, and she grits her teeth against the onslaught of it. ) Andraste's dimpled arse, where did they all come from?

IV. "Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting."
( user: amaranthine is online! )

This morning I found my dog nose-deep in someone's bag of herbs. An unfortunate favourite of his; I'm sorry.

On that note, does anyone feel up to debriefing me on just what ALASTAIR wants with us? Sharing is caring!

( But you won't catch her telling Alistair about this organization almost named after him. never. She'd never hear the end of it. )

I.

[untodawn]

[ A bright, white light poured out through the dark treeline in a singular shaft that moved from side to side like the swaying head of animal tracking something along the underbrush. There was low, continuous crack and rush of thick vegetation bending against the oncoming force of something very, very large moving through the forest.

The headlight in his helmet obscured his shape as it formed a massive shadow that slowly separated itself from the equally dark treeline. Over seven feet tall with shoulders as broad as the woman in the clearing was long with a singular, flat burnished orange visor where his eyes should be he looked more golem than man. Standing there, an imposing emerald green wall that seemed to have been spat out by the very forest itself, was a SPARTAN.

The dog growling viciously at his feet drew his attention away from the woman. And that was when, very slowly with every movement deliberate and calculated, the great green golem hiked his rifle up over his shoulder. With palms up, arms slightly bent and extended outwards, and the figure slowly lowered himself down to one knee in a placating gesture the still the dog's growling and show himself as non-hostile.

John had never seen a dog up close before, or at least at any point in his life he could recall. Chances were if he were deployed planetside it was nowhere he would spot a domesticated animal let alone in a situation to interact. Still, dogs had a body language he could read and he knew right away this one was fully prepared to fight to the death to protect the woman that stood someways behind it. And he didn't want that to be his first experience with dogs. ]

Does he do tricks?

[ The voice was deep, masculine with a certain twinge of genuine curiosity behind it. Perfectly calm, even flat when staring down a mabari on the defensive. The red-orange visor didn't move it's flat gaze away from the dog. Half crouched there on the forest floor, it was clear John was letting the woman call the shots to spare them both the trouble of dog needlessly getting hurt. ]

Lea | Kingdom Hearts | ota

[promises_to_keep]

ONE ✗
[Lea is no stranger to the dark, all things considered. He can still use the Darkness if he really needs to, opening up portals that will take him places far more quickly than his own two feet could. Granted, he's a lot more careful about it these days. Not long after venturing into this forest, however, he finds himself plunged into shadow, and he calls a tongue of flame to one hand to light the way so he doesn't trip or walk facefirst into a tree or something. His jar gripped tightly in the other hand, Lea keeps an eye out for those little blue lights that mean fairies are nearby, but he's starting to wish he had a friend for this mission.

[Not that he's scared or anything. Heck, no. He's never been scared of the dark, and he's not about to start now. But, well... it is a little creepy, to be out here alone, in these dark woods, with nothing but a little flame to keep the shadows at bay. The snap of a twig nearby makes him jump, and he whirls, the flame in his hand burning more brightly as he scans the dark trees.]

Lurking is rude, you know? Why don't you just show yourself and we can talk like grownups?

[[alternatively, feel free to have your character be Lea's partner for the mission so we can take on this unseen stranger together!]]


TWO ✗
[All fairies are not created equal, it seems. Granted, Lea's only had one previous encounter with a fairy, and while Tinker Bell was a bit of a pistol, she certainly hadn't attacked him. He swats at them as they swarm around his face like gnats, and ducks down with the jar to try and scoop up some of the glowing goo inside the nest.]

Ow--! Why you little--! [He claps a hand over his eye, where he's been poked fiercely, and then swats at them some more. Theres just so many of them! They pinch his face, his collarbone where his skin is exposed under the coat he wears, they pull at his spiky hair, and Lea just finds himself getting more and more exasperated.]

All right, back off, all'a you! [He's had enough of this tomfoolery! He snaps his arms out and raises a column of flame around him, not really caring at this point if that means barbecuing a few of these little winged pests. Let's just hope he didn't also set the forest--or you--on fire...]


FOUR ✗ [video; username: nobody]
[It's dark, but there's a faint blue glow illuminating Lea's face... which is blotchy red from being poked and pinched by fairies. He does not look pleased about this, but holds up the glowing jar of goo.]

All that for half a jar of glowing gook? I'm not sure I'm getting paid enough for this. Do we have a union?


FIVE ✗
[Wildcard! Town or forest, anything you like, I'm game!]

one

[winces]

[ she steps out from the shadows with her hands thrown up, half-illuminated by the bright orange glow of lea's flame. though with the hood of her cloak drawn up, her face is still mostly concealed... but she doesn't yet dare tug the hood down, worried any sudden movements might spook the other. ]

S-Sorry, I'm sorry..! [ her voice is small, almost as small as she seems in that moment, shaking slightly as she steps forward, but takes care to keep her distance. ]

I... I didn't mean to lurk, I promise. I just... I wasn't sure if you were with ALASTAIR too.

YU NARUKAMI | PERSONA 4 (GOLDEN) | OTA!

[composedfool]

one

[Faerie slime. …Huh.]

[Yu didn’t consider himself an expert on faeries, or really anything approaching an expert, but he liked to think he knew more about them than the average bear. So when he received his “practice mission” briefing, the details had initially taken him by surprise — he’d never heard anything about this faerie slime before, ever. He soon decided that it was just one of many differences that set this universe (whichever one it was) apart from his own. Faeries were real here, not just a product of the collective human imagination, and also they made slime. It seemed legit enough, he supposed. Despite the fact that he was still leery of this ALASTAIR organization’s motives, it was clear that the humans and goblins of Chantes needed all the help they could get, and with that Yu was glad to help.]

[To ALASTAIR’s credit, though, they did give him a kitty to take along on adventures. The cat was well-trained, too; she never wandered off or let her attention stray from the mission after they stumbled upon their first droplet of slime and she picked up the scent. In fact, Yu was relying mainly on her to navigate his way through the dark forest.]

[Her ears flick out to the side when the duo first hears that noise in the forest. Yu glances down at her; the white-furred feline is staring in one specific direction. Trusting her senses more than his own, Yu turns that way, and speaks in an even tone that betrays none of his nervousness.]

Who’s there?

two

Good morning, everyone. Evening? Either way, I hope this message finds you well.

I’ve been trying to infiltrate faerie hives for a short while now, and have nothing to show for it but bites and scratches. Has anyone found an effective, non-harmful way to harvest the slime? Alternatively, does anyone want to come with me and approach the next hive together? Two heads are better than one, after all.

Notice: If you’re allergic to cats, teaming up with me would be a bad idea.

three

[Wild card option. (Ha, get it? Wild card? I slay me.) Chantes stuff goes here — maybe there’s a badass but decidedly ethereal being walking along beside Yu as he persuses the shops, or his hair is glowing blue or whatever.]

[mugenhatsuden]

[ The noise is quite the loud noise in the forest. Megumi had never been good with stealth missions, always preferring to fly straight into the action - and a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl didn't really learn much of ninja skills in her school curriculum.

So that sound might have been a very large crack and quiet cursing as the girl in question furiously pats at her sleeve, which she just happened to set on fire. It's terrible being in a dark place where your only source of light is fire and EVERYTHING IS FLAMMABLE. ]

Me! [ pat pat, pat pat pat pat ] Wait!

[ Her mind is entirely on putting out her sleeve right now. Strangely, she doesn't seem to be hurt by the fire, only that her clothes are getting charred. And of course, she hasn't really answered Yu's question at all. ]

➸ overflow for rin tohsaka | fate/stay night | ota ➸

[defenceless]

((ooc: starters here! threads continued and linked below!))

➸ sakura kinomoto

[defenceless]

((continued from here))

They tried to take your staff?

[rin looks perplexed for only a few seconds. figures that those stupid little fairies would try to escape with just about anything. she sends a stubborn glare at whatever fairies still bother to hover around her, almost begging for them to burn up in midair.]

The hair ribbon is a little lighter. That's true... [she's beginning to realize how poor it must look for her to be complaining about losing a hair ribbon in front of a young girl...] Your staff and your Clow Cards—and even that Shield you talked about—make me think you must be a magic user. Is that true?

overflow for enkidu | fate/

[ex_enuma419]

( original post here! )

for yob

[ex_enuma419]

( continued from here. )

[ Maybe he should try them sometime to see what they’re like then…

Enkidu doesn’t quite join Kida right away scaling the tree as he’s both listening to the fairies still speaking to him, making their requests and further explaining the things they require, and admiring the way that Kida treats this as it were nothing. Trees such as these weren’t common where he was alive and less so to see a human scale them with such ease. Someone must be used to this, most definitely.

From the ground, though not for too much longer, he’ll join her soon enough, Enkidu replies. ]

It varies. It appears that each of their homes is unique to the ones that have built it. [ A moment’s pause as he smiles a bit mischievously and spills a secret they had told him not to share. ] They are impressed by the way move through the trees. Most humans who come this way are not as agile nor as considerate.

[ Which gets a buzz around him and around Kida too. (What tsun fairies.) The mood significantly better now than it had been moments before Enkidu began speaking with them. ]

olivia | fire emblem awakening | overflow from previous tdm but still very much ota!

[winces]

( original toplevel here. feel free to tag in still! if there's anything anyone would like to play out specifically but are unsure, please don't hesitate to PM me at this journal; i'm always willing to work something out. c: )

captcha nty

[avantguard]

[ALL OF YOU ARE CLOUD STRIFE.

Asuna is all about swords and swordplay but now Olivia is talking about dancing. How did she go from dancing to swords? Ah, no. There might be circumstances that forced her to, just like it had with her.

But she seems a little more sure of herself when it comes to dancing.]

What kind of dancing do you like?

riku | kingdom hearts | ota

[darkbarrage]

[1]

[ he's not lost.

how could he be? steeped in darkness as he is, riku's pretty sure he couldn't get lost in this expansive darkness if he wanted to. it's easy to just close his eyes and navigate. keeping his eyes open means getting irritated or distracted by pockets of light, and he can't have that.

however, finding others who're lost, that's a different story. he huffs, annoyed, before he reaches out and grabs the shoulder of the wayward foreigner in front of him. ]

Do you even know where you're going? [ he could sound helpful, but instead, it comes out annoyed and tetchy, like he's blaming them. ]

[3]

Waugh!

[ not what he wanted! as he floats a few feet in the air, riku flaps his hand, making quite a display of himself. it's concerning, but not too much so, he supposes--at least, that's what he thinks before sharp bursts of inky blackness start to explode around him. uhoh. ]

Something tells me this fairy slime wasn't a good idea. Hey--get me down! [ yes, he is pointing at you. ]

[4] (text; amends)

This stuff isn't working, and it's a pain to get besides. There's gotta be a better way to do this.

Who's the genius who thought this up, anyway? Sounds like he's the one who should be gathering this slime.

1

[walkingby]

[riku pls u just can't grab people like that?? Allen, to his credit, doesn't jump five feet into the air into a tree, but he does jerk in shock, and then whirls around to squint at Riku]

Sorry -- [wait what was the question??? IT'S PRETTY DARK IN HERE, he actually can't see anything at the moment.] Er, excuse me, just a second -- Timcanpy, some light please?

[his ever-present and trustworthy companion Timcanpy proceeds to open its mouth and let out a beam of light, illuminating Allen's weird face. but more importantly, now he can see?!?! Riku?!? he peers at him.... looking a little bewildered, but finally registering that question]

Oh, are you lost? [no allen... riku is asking u if u are]

Regina | Original -- overflow

[gwenhwyfar]

[ ooc; Oveflow! Just comment here or I'll just link you. an excellent question came to me on plurk: regina can sense supernatural beings, to a degree! if you're cool with that, lemme know. and in the same vein, you are welcome to notice that regina's half-demon and she has a very chaotic aura. ]

ONE

[ To anyone or anything born of demon blood, she had been told from her childhood that she would have an advantage in darkness. That wasn't always the case; there was an advantage to demonic blood coursing through her veins in the fact that her senses were heightened. She absorbed every scent, audible noise, and touch around her more than a human ever could, but pressing her limits had a disadvantage.

Eventually, harnessing that other aspect of herself would become very taxing. The scent of earth and wind, the cold chill stood out from her that it wasn't the blood stained ground that she remembered. Regina would assume she could gain her bearings relatively easy, but she forgot one minor detail, in darkness, that would always annoy her. Her lack of depth perception. Nephilim could certainly see better than humans, but Regina's missing eye stripped that from her. The smells were obnoxious and overpowering, they overwhelmed her and kept her in a frozen state, clutching the base of her spear.

This wasn't where she was walking. Sure, she remembered the old woman weaving her limb and has been content to play along. But the missing presence of someone she knew, someone she thought she could readily move on without started to bore down in her being. Scents and noise, no matter how much it swamped her, became a reliable source and soon she was listening around her, cursing up a storm under breath. Damn him, damn him.

Eventually, senses would pull her from sulking and she would move swiftly in her robes, spear in hand. Her voice drew through in darkness, honing in on the other presence that she moved in, like the wild predator she could be. Her voice soft, feminine, and young. ]

Don't move anymore -- I could smell you before you started to appear in my sight.

[ Humans. Too many humans. She was in danger of losing control, so very close. ]


TWO

[ At behest of herself, Regina wouldn't press further to a fairy's nest. By far, one of the most important lessons she ever learned was how fearsome the fair folk could be. She was still mindful not to her exert herself anymore, after her previous travels. Rage and grief still boiling in her blood, she stopped firm, suddenly far more humble than she had been after stepping foot into this world. Her kind could stand against humans, but half-bloods against fairies was another matter entirely. Far from the Tylwyth Teg or Aos Sí, these fairies still earned a great deal of respect from her.

It was reassuring to see that their territorial nature wasn't limited to just humans or half-demons like her. Maybe she was contented in the fact they didn't treated her differently than others. Still, there was a reason why she was missing one eye and it was no thanks to the fair folk. Calmly, the pale woman stepped back, with a hand peacefully splayed- ]

I wouldn't dream of it, little ones, believe me, I know.

[ For as much as she loathed being around others, the wind had been taken out of her sails and she was softer and more genuine than she had been upon arriving here. She turns, gripping her spear, not daring to raise her hand at fairies that willing attacked her or pulled her long white hair. ]

Toby Daye | the Toby Daye books by Seanan McGuire | open

[blood_lines]

One
[The closer Toby's gotten to her fae side, the better she can see in the dark. And, hey, no sunrise means no charms broken, no period where she's totally helpless and in pain--these are all good things.

Now if only she wasn't tromping through a dark-ass forest looking for pixies (since that's pretty much what they sound like to her: territorial, mean little suckers more likely to be armed with twigs than toothpicks, around here). And she doesn't even have a loaf of bread to bribe them with.

So of course she's gone off on her own, because how else does one find trouble?]

Look, I know you're there, so just show yourself and we can think about keeping this civil.

Two
[Taking off her human glamour hasn't seemed to help, not with these guys anyway. Toby had been arguing with just three of them, trying to come to some kind of understanding regarding the slime, but then it was five, and then ten and now there are about twenty and even Toby can see her chances of something good coming out of this are getting slimmer by the second.]

I know there's no McDonald's here for me to bribe you with, but I'm sure there's something?

[Which is, of course, when one decides to pinch the point of her ear, just to see if it's real]

Ow! Ash and thorn, damn pixies!

Four: Wildcard~ [Throw a suggestion/question/whatever at me!]

Three | Drakengard 3 | OTA

[dollphilia]

-Two-
[Personality-wise, it seemed like the fairies here weren't that much different from the ones back in Midgard. And having extra limbs? Who cares, she can always sew some onto other creatures.

Still, the possibility that they might have some use can't also be ruled out. Hence, Three can be found:

a) Trying to slice at the fairies with her scissors.

or if you find her at a later time:

b) Dissecting the few fairies she's managed to catch as she's muttering some scientific mumbo jumbo to herself, all while ignoring the fact that she's being poked and prodded.


Getting the slime? She can do that later. Examining a species is way more important!]

Alternate option:
[After wasting all her energy doing the above, she can be found...being carted off by fairies.

While sleeping.

Yes, the jar is still empty.]



-Four- (text | username: kusi)

I am neither good nor evil. I give warmth, yet I also destroy. My reach can extend to the farthest depths of space. I can also bring illusions and even death.

What am I?

2 B alternate

[of_her_own_accord]

[Goddamnit ALASTAIR, they sealed those timelines for a reason, you know. A1 is beginning to wish they hadn't been programmed to feel pain, because she has a MASSIVE headache right now.

She supposes she'd better do something about this, though. She walks over and begins shooing away the fairies.]

Shoo! SHOO! Go away! You don't want her, trust me. Go away!

[This has varying levels of success.]

liara t'soni // mass effect // ota

[infos]

two.

[ Liara had read about fairies — after Shepard had died, she had read much about human lore and history, and fairies seem to be a near omnipresent figure throughout many human cultures. she knew that they were supposedly tricksters, but she wasn't prepared for.. well, this.

so you might be amused to see a blue tentacle lady trying her best to keep up with the fairies without hurting them. then, you may be a bit frightened by her shooting out some freaky blue stuff from her body that seems to stop them in their tracks. ]

four.

( liaratsoni is online. )

This is Doctor Liara T'Soni of the SSV Normandy SR-2 reporting in. Commander Shepard, if you are here, please reply immediately.

I would like to speak with anyone from Citadel Space, if any are present. Likewise, I am curious about some of the local fauna — if anyone has any information about this environment's wildlife, I admittedly would like to hear about it. The state of the planet's atmosphere also concerns me — it seems most if not all misplaced people are capable of breathing without any sort of support, despite differences in respiratory systems.

As for myself, I am an archaeologist my trade and a trained biotic. I also have been known to be adept at acquiring and exchanging information. I would like to help however I can, if I am capable at all. Please, let me know if I can be useful. I am sure many of us would like to return to our previous lives.

- Liara T'Soni

wildcard.

[ have something else in mind? shoot me a pm, hit me up at rosebride, or just wing it! ]

four

[felixculpa]

I assume by "local fauna" you mean the faeries, considering they're the most obnoxious. I know quite a bit about them. But it really can just be summed up with that much. Faerie like that are little more than pests with enough magical power to be full of themselves.

That aside, that's quite the combination of skills. But I think you can be useful, since you're offering. I'm always in business for competent information acquisition, as it would happen.

misaki yata | k

[rollin]

[ Original post here! Open to new threads. Feel free to do anything different, or contact me! ]

assna

[rollin]

[ from here ]

[ He for one is glad she's having fun. What about the guy between her legs? Asuna!? Despite the difficulty he's experiencing, he seems to be carrying her weight with ease. ]

Yeah, kinda.

[ The torch covers more ground than he thought it would, but he's too busy focusing elsewhere to even be happy. Breathe in, breathe out. Pretend she's not there, Yata. ]

Watch yourself, aight? [ She might hit a branch. ] We're moving.

[ And off they go! ]

Aaron Taylor | cWoD - Nuwisha | OTA!

[xochipilli_cursed]

ONE
[Aaron's not lost. You're lost. Okay, he's lost. It's dark and he's not quite sure spirits here work like they should so making a deal for directions isn't going to help him this time. Instead he's decided to put his faith in Xochipilli and let chance be his guide.

Which effectively means he picked up a stick, standing it on end, and let it fall. The direction it fell was the direction he has taken. Now he's wandering far from any trails and he is sorely tempted to take a different form for this job. His clothes definitely places him as a stranger to this world, likely a recruit due to the jar he carries.

He's usually much better at the whole wandering in strange places thing, but this world feels off to him. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes is that the world doesn't feel wrong. It just feels normal. Like how the world felt before things changed for him. It's off-putting. Like getting used to living in the city with all its noise and then suddenly moving back to the country where it's dark and quiet. No one can blame him if he's also a bit on edge right now.]

Okay, there's nothing to worry about. Just magic, and faeries, and goblins with pointy things.


THREE
[The town is lit and people are celebrating and even the goblins are out and about and not poking at him with swords. It's a great time and why not enjoy a bit of celebration, right? Well, the problem is Aaron's not quite normal (who is?), and these faerie lights are a bit trickier than he knows. Too bad Aaron's too distracted by the food and drinks to notice the more subtle changes.

The first is his hair, glowing a soft blue. In all the glow, he misses the fact he is giving off his own faint light. That'd be alarming enough without the fact that soon after his ears change and move, like animal ears they rise up and stick out of his hair. They change shape grow fur that also glows with the blue. Maybe in the dim light someone might notice his eyes shift colors and shape as well. His teeth also seem oddly sharper.

It's not until he reaches for a cup with a hand growing claws that he realizes what is happening. His claws knock over the cup and the hair growing on his arms is glowing a faint blue. He looks around in a panic, knowing he needs to get out of here quick and figure out why this is happening! The glowing hair is going to make hiding difficult though.]

ALTERNATIVE
[There's a coyote wandering the streets this night. It might be easy to miss in all the fun if not for its glowing blue fur! It seems a bit distressed as it darts from place to place, making its way through the crowds.

Even though it seems distressed, someone might spot it stealing a bite to eat from a table in passing or even their very own plate if they're quick. Just because its in trouble, doesn't mean it has to ignore all this good food right?]


FOUR
[User Name: P.I.W.]
[Open to all, text]
So, anyone else notice the strange lamps do strange things to people? Anyone?

four; un: thechamp

[bougy]

Define strange.

( that's pretty much a yes. )

leon | fire emblem: fates

[brunhild]

[ overflow edition! original top-level is here, still ota! ]

[brunhild]

[ from here; ]

[ Desperate times call for desperate measures. After all, it was the difference of their upbringing and past that crafted the divergence of their attitudes towards battle. They haven't come into disagreement over this yet, but perhaps it was just a matter of time. ]

We talked about trading styles before in the forest, yes? [ Leon hasn't realized, either. ] In time, I can ask ALASTAIR to bring some tomes over.

[ But as for Takakage's own... he's willing to make it a trade for information, even if the other's magic isn't exactly learnable. ]

jon snow | a song of ice and fire | ota

[fourthson]

ONE

[ Jon Snow is no stranger to the dark. As far north as the Wall, where winter's icy fingers have slowly but surely begun to dig in, the days have become shorter and shorter. Even then, day can hardly be called day when the sky is so gray and dim that the sun is nothing but a distant memory. What Jon can barely fathom is how warm it is in this other world, one that is both similar and so different from his own.

There are still conflicts, though in this case it's between the humans and the goblins. Jon has heard people speak of the goblins in hushed angry tones, and it isn't so different from how his Black Brothers talk of the wildlings. New to the political situation, Jon has no idea which side to support.

As a member of the Night's Watch, he isn't supposed to get involved. Then again, the Night's Watch doesn't exist here. He's the sole member, and what does that mean? Does he keep to his duties and his oaths even in this unknown land, or does he accept the strange sense of freedom that comes with it? Jon must journey back to his men, that much he knows, but he won't be able to unless he earns his way.

Which is how he's found himself in this forest on the search for "fairy slime." Ghost, his direwolf, is already on the hunt, but in these unknown woods he isn't straying too far, remaining within earshot of Jon as he travels the established roads, a single lantern in hand.

Then he senses it. Ghost has found something. Jon's hand goes to the hilt of Longclaw as he pushes through the brush toward his direwolf. Once he gets a glimpse of that pure white coat, Jon speaks—barely a whisper—and his breath frosts in the air. ] What is it?

TWO

[ Jon hadn't known what to make of the term "fairy." He remembers Old Nan's stories about the Children of the Forest and had wondered if they were anything like that, beings closer to nature than humanity.

As it turns out, nothing he knew from his home, none of Nan's stories, could have prepared him for this.

Even Sam probably would have laughed if he could see him now, set upon by what feels like hundreds of the tiny flying creatures as they yank at his scraggly hair. Jon has his sword out and is swinging it, though more to disperse the fairies than to actually hurt them. He can't help but keep in mind that they are doing nothing more than protecting their own territory. He's the intruder here.

Ghost, meanwhile, doesn't have any clue what to do in this situation. The direwolf circles Jon and the mass of fairies, tensed with grit fangs but otherwise completely silent. ]

FIVE

[ The Den, the tavern is called. Jon's mission had ultimately been successful, though the effects of the fairy secretions have been unexpected, to say the least. He's done what he can to steer clear of the strange blue lights, seated in a darker corner of the room.

He has a generous plate of food in front of him, and Jon still can't quite believe that it's real. The food stocks at Castle Black have been nothing short of miserable, and rationing has left all of the Black Brothers even more cranky than usual. There's no telling how they'll even survive the winter with the amount that they have, so to see huge portions of food served without a second thought is strange, to say the least.

There had been a time in his life when he'd eaten like this. Back at Winterfell, during the summers when there had always been enough to go around. Here in this foreign place, his old home feels even further away than it had at the Wall.

Nonetheless, his belly churns with hunger and so Jon grabs for a hunk of bread first, ripping a piece of it off with his teeth. As he chews, as the freshness of it sinks in, his eyes flutter closed so he can savor it. ]

5, I'm so sorry court....

[ackingcraycray]

[And almost as if the grim, mournful soundtrack of Castle Black suffered a record scratch, a near literal ray of sunshine drops in right next to him. She's dressed in an oversized sweater with a glow-in-the-dark cat face on it in neon pink, and her braces glint in the dim tavern light as she grins with all her teeth at him. Her plate is already on the table. She's somehow snuck up on him. There's a crusty patch of dried honey running from her elbow down to her forearm, and another on the side of her sweater and skirt. Her plate carries only six sweetcakes and an apple.]

Hi! [She's the picture of sweet innocence.] You looked lonely. Can I sit here?

[She kicks her feet back and forth under the table.

Your move, Jon Snow.]

Lucifer Morningstar - The Sandman - OTA

[felixculpa]

one

[ It's not the first time that Lucifer has found himself in a maze of darkness, and he doubts it will be the last. It's the sort of cliche that's terribly common, and yet each person that employs it thinks of themselves as original. To be fair, he's sure that it falls into the category of "tried and true," since so many mortals had a visceral aversion to darkness, but that was because they knew so little of it. Though really, that tended to be true of most things with them, didn't it? Ah, well.

The jar is tucked safely away into his long coat's pocket, and he strolls as casually through the forest as if he could see his way clearly. He can't, not really, but that's the thing with cliches. They're predictable. He can move carefully enough to avoid any of the roots in the way, and when he hears a rustle in the bushes, he barely glances towards it. ]

I'd advise you come out. If this the part of the tour of the dark woods that's meant to be a trap, I'd like to get it over with now rather than later.

[ He doesn't have time for nonsense!!! He'd like to get this fairy goo and get this over with, thanks. ]

three

[ When you possess Phenomenal Cosmic Power, your magic being on the fritz is generally not a good thing, but at the very least, Lucifer is careful to not let things get to out of hand. He may not have his full breadth of ability, which he doesn't exactly complain about (nor is he surprised), but it still causes some issues.

Aesthetic ones, mostly.

That fairy goop causes some problems as advertised, but for Lucifer, it manifests as the angelic wings that he usually wills away being quite visible. And it's no wonder that he does, since even if they're just as beautiful as you would imagine an angel's wings to be, they're definitely cumbersome. At least they match the black tie suit.

If this happens to catch your eye, Lucifer will notice and turn his attention your way. He doesn't seem very amused, since he's actually quite annoyed that he can't will them away so easily. But he's taking it in stride as best he can, though it may not seem like it. Some of those fairies just might get burnt to ash later... nbd... ]

Yes?

[ He just levels a question flatly your way, since it seems he's assuming that you have one. ]

four

user: morningstar

If you're finding the fae particularly annoying, I recommend iron. Generally speaking, they're not fans. I'm usually not in the habit of selling out weaknesses, but I think considering their general annoyance, it's fair enough.

[ take advice from satan, what could possibly go wrong ]

Though fair warning, it might kill them. Weigh that against the annoyance as you'd like. [ ah, right, that ]

4!

[walkingby]

user: crownclown

[what a lame username tbh...]

klL thm

KILL THM///??

[ugH TYPING, giving this a third try... even if it takes like a long time... for allen the technologically incapable to carefully type out what he hopes is a good argument but just looks like a youtube comment]

i dont think we should use anything that could kill them its not their fault that they are mad

[okay maybe they could be less violent and ANNOYING...]

Lady Zozo | Code of Princess | OTA

[vitaminzomb]

[One.]

[Walking through deep, dark forests really is something Zozo's used to. Being a necromancer with a body made of corpses, you get used to trudging through them to find a graveyard or cemetery. You never know when you'll need a spare arm or two. Especially considering her body isn't exactly the most stable. Fairies, though, that's a new one. While she has plenty of weird stories to share, almost none of them involve fairies.

Mostly because they're usually assholes. Only natural she avoids them as much as possible. Until now, at least.

A fireball, about the size of a basket ball, floats calmly in the palm of her monster-like hand, while her much more human one carries her walking staff. As she walks, her limbs move lazily; one foot in front of the other.]

...?

[Once she hears a noise, her already slow pace comes to an abrupt stop. When a single glance around doesn't give her any insight as to the cause, the dull light of her fireball brightens significantly to further illuminate her surroundings.]

Someone there?

((OC: Feel free to have your character having been partnered up with Zozo if you'd rather have the sound be caused by an enemy, fairy, etc.))

[Three.]

[...starting to regret gathering all that fairy goop, honestly. For most people, the magical effects that occur from those lanterns might not be so bad. However, when your body is literally held together by stitches and magic (mostly magic), it becomes very very concerning. At first she felt fine.

That changed pretty quickly.

The longer she walked down the streets, the worse she felt. Her body was never held together perfectly, so the magical disruptions felt like they were trying to force her body apart. Generally speaking, Zozo is pretty laid back. It takes a lot to make her upset or concerning. While she's managing to hold herself together pretty well (metaphorically), she's still concerned. Hence why you'll find one (totally not) zombie running down the street and ducking into an alleyway. Somewhere she can try to fix the connections that are going haywire.]

one

[bottomofherheart]

Oh!

[Here comes a little girl out of the woods, with her own little fireball in her hand, though this one is more enveloping her hand than actually being held in it. Seeing Zozo with her own fireball makes her dissipate her own.]

Please excuse my own hastiness in approach! I wasn't aware there was anyone else here until you announced your presence.

Pitch Black | Rise of the Guardians

[kingofnightmares]

A
[Pitch stares down at the jar in his hand, his gray fingertips running over the smooth surface of the jar idly. His gold eyes glance upward towards the dim lights in the forest.

A world of darkness. This was like a godsend for the King of Nightmares. He felt like he was betraying himself with just holding the jar in his hand. His mission. Collecting glowing slime from fairies. Glowing fairies. He purses thin lips into a tight frown. His entire body sinks into the darkness below him, using the shadows and the ready supply of darkness around him to travel with ease.

In the next instance, he pulls himself away from a deep shadow of a tree, gray head and hands visible in the very dim light that the moon casted. Nearby was a nest. A bright and lively nest.

The Boogeyman stands, apprehensive as he holds the jar in his hand once more, fidgeting in his hand.]

B
[In town, Pitch was in brighter spirits. Figuratively of course as he walks through the town. People could see him. This place dripped with fear. The word of riots having happened just weeks prior, the sun being blotted out rom view, whispers of a possible violent act. It was like a buffet for the embodiment of fear.

But behind him, a hiss of sand could be heard. He is rather oblivious of it, taking in the gawking sights of onlookers as he passes. Black sand trickles out from the hem of the man's cloak. Behind him, a form of a large horse slowly builds itself into view. Tall and menacing.]

B! HELLO

[gwenhwyfar]

[ To be amongst humans was decidedly a bad idea, for her, who was struggling to hold it in. She kept a distance, standing aside from onlookers, drawing a hood over her face. For once, she found herself overwhelmed and genuinely afraid to be around others. It was an anxiety she hadn't felt in years. She could feel eyes all over her, clutching the sleeves of her robes tighter over her hands to hide them.

What a monster.

A missing eye and her hands -- she was waiting for them to say something about her, waiting for them to scream what a demon she was. She was that same little girl from so long ago, fleeing from others, begging them to understand she wasn't all that different.

But she wasn't the same and those differences kept her away from humans, for their safety, as much as she hate to admit that. Her senses have her zoning in on a particular feeling and a sound, the slight sound of sand. She sniffed, of course, because it was always the sense of scent that followed her ability to hone in on a sound and a feeling. The pale figure turns her attention to the figure trickling out of shadows, with a slightly amused expression.

Tall and menacing, indeed, and hilariously, a polar figure before her, wherein she was pale, adorned in white. ]

And what matter of fae are you?

Leonardo | TMNT (IDW comics)

[kamiizumi]

(Overflow from here + open for new threads, too!)


I. ninja of the night
[The darkness is a ninja's element, the shadows his ally.

Splinter always did have a way of making these things sound quite serious, but as much as Leo is normally one to agree...well, if he's completely honest with himself, he really misses Mikey's bullshit commentary right about now.

He's crouched on a tree branch, high above the path, and though he hasn't brought a light, he doesn't seem to be doing any worse for it - if one even notices him, of course. (Without a light to give himself away, and as practiced as he is in making a sound only when it suits his purposes to let it happen, that's questionable.)

But when he hears the snap of a twig or the rustle of leaves underfoot coming from below, it doesn't take long for him to consider the source and determine that it's one of his temporary comrades below - and only a moment more for him to consider where that sound is moving, and reveal himself, speaking as matter-of-factly as if he was right there at your side all along and not just hanging out in a tree and watching without giving any previous indication that he was there at all.]

Not that way.


III. light up the night
[Okay, that could've gone a lot worse.

Nobody's gotten their eyes poked out by fairies, they've cleared the area - at least for now - and there's a nice big glop of glowing blue residue where the last ones took off a moment ago. Success is just a scoop into a jar away, and Leo's already got the jar unscrewed and has a large leaf folded over in his hand into a makeshift scoop.]

Tell me if you see any of them coming back, okay?

[Not that this will take long. Just a flick of the wrist aaaand -

- and a slip of the finger that was definitely not intentional, and he's got some of that glowing gunk on his hand.

Ew.

And oddly, once he actually touched it...]

Did it just get a little brighter?

[The goo did not get a little brighter, actually.

Leonardo, on the other hand, is glowing faintly blue all over. How very un-ninja.]


IV. it's dangerous to go alone, take this
[Username is leonardo. much witty, very creative.]

If you're not used to night missions, going alone is asking for trouble.

I'm available if anyone needs backup.

[Short but sweet. There's not much to add to that, is there?]

I. and I apologize for his muttering and general insulting in advance

[shutupmage]

[Oh, Kurogane knew he was there. Could feel his aura pretty easily, but even without that, he was a trained ninja too. He did admire the guy's silence, though. Well-trained, then, and probably at least a halfway decent fighter! They'd have to spar sometime. Or something.

Still, for all the respect he felt just feeling the guy's presence without hearing or seeing him, he was a little offended when he appeared and told him he was going the wrong way. Okay, so maybe he'd been here a little longer than Kurogane had been and thus knew the lay of the land a little better, but...it still rankled. He tried to keep it out of his voice, though, his own a quiet mumble.]

Why, more fairies over there?

[Because Gods knew he'd had enough of those for one night.]

Break | Pandora Hearts

[half_mad]

(( For overflow threads ))

[half_mad]

(( Original Thread ))

Oh-hoh! So the boy lost something important, huh? [ he chortles ] I suppose I could help.

[ help keep it hostage that is. Didn't you know it's rude to steal from a lady? \

Souji Okita | Hakuouki

[venerance]

[[For Overflow things!!]]

starters are also here for new folks

for kashuu kiyomitsu

[venerance]

[He couldn't put his finger on why talking to this guy was throwing him off. He seemed to know him and yet... didn't? At least he doesn't recall meeting anyone in this place he knew - being new and all.]

A coworker? You've got a ways to go before I consider you anything more than an enemy with a common goal.

[Mistrustful and capricious to the last, if he was still using voice, kashuu would probably be able to hear the scowl even if he didn't see it on his face.]

Name one reason why I should trust you to be of use to me? If you get in my way even once I'll kill you.

[Probably not the best way to go about making friends but Souji wasn't in the business of making friends - he wanted someone to give him a fast answer and an even faster ticket out of here. He didn't belong here, that much he believed.]

[haring_to_go]

(( Original Thread ))

[ it's more like Oz's lifeblood is bullying teasing :|

Reim coughs just every so slightly before clearing his throat. ]

Yes, well. I suppose if we simply stand here waiting, we will never find them. [ but then Reim frowns ] Did you find something to eat while you waited?

[ because heading towards the nearest source of meat would do just as much good as running through the town, looking. ]

[existingsin]

[It kind of is. Yeah. Gil can attest to that.

Still he gives a nod in answer to the question. Which isn't so say he's likely to turn down the offer for more food. Or the idea of looking for the nearest butcher or the like where they might find Alice drooling over it.]

Yup! Exactly. Which is why we should get going. I was about to go look by myself, you know. But I did find some snacks at least.

Hei | darker than BLACK

[bottomless_pit]

(( Top Level ))

[bottomless_pit]

(( Original thread ))

[ Hei tilted his head, looking on with soft, confused eyes ]

From their homes?

[ he shook his head ] I thought we were just supposed to take... [ he trails off for a second then and then frowns. ] Are they like bees, then?

[ eating their own slime doesn't sound very appetizing, but honestly, Hei's had worse. Man could do anything if it meant one survived. ]

Kurogane | Tsubasa: World Chronicle. OTA and I'll match format!

[shutupmage]

I.

It didn't seem all that dangerous to Kurogane, but then, he'd been to a lot of dark worlds without suns and could sense auras from afar. He'd be a failure to Tomoyo-hime and a disgrace as a ninja if he couldn't operate well in the dark, after all.

But that didn't mean he wasn't annoyed by it, and anyone approaching him was likely to get an irritated huff rather than help, unless the situation was dire.

II.

The damn things were everywhere.

What's more, they seemed to know that Kurogane was a man very easily annoyed by small flying things that enjoyed poking at him. He could see the little bastards just fine, and sense them even better, but...well. He couldn't just go slashing through the forest and kill them all!

If anyone might like to distract a few of the fairies currently having a great time annoying him, the tall ninja in black would be grateful. In a rather annoyed way, but still happy to be rid of at least some of them as he makes every attempt to steer clear of their nesting grounds.

III.

His teeth were glowing.

He probably wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't started to feel...well, as if they didn't exist, or were somehow lessening in mass? He didn't know, but when he happened upon a stream to look by what little goop remained in the lantern he carried...well. His teeth were a better source of light than even that.

Which of course led to great deal of muttered cursing. As most things like this did, when it came to Kurogane.

"Gonna need a whole cask of sake after this shit..."

IV.

[Username is BlackSteel. Yep, creativity isn't exactly his strong suit...]

If anyone needs help, let me know. Better that than me tripping over you in the woods someplace.

[He's actually not too bad a guy, once he warms up a little. Kinda.]

II. told you i'd be horrible

[wiltingorchid]

Irritants. They truly were such bothersome, pointless creatures, their existence more of a nuisance than a guide. It was easy to fend them off alone, with familiars to chase them around, capture them if possible and protect from the humiliation the little creatures might attempt to bring upon him.

But Kaname could sense the life not far away, the smell of a man, not quite like humans he'd come across. Something different, enough to pique his interest. Those bats that flutter from his body in the darkness move forward, long before he does, as if fleeing from something, and acting as what might appear to be an accidental diversion, swooping in and chasing away what fairies might have seemed to be their prey.

He waited until they had slipped out of sight, using them as his eyes further along while he slowly approached the person of interest that he would determine worthy of his time or someone to move on from.

"How unpleasant. This place is filled with pests. We should go, before their numbers grow brave again." He gave only a slight smile, calm, even in the face of this. For a little while, he'd pretend he didn't already have an agenda.

akame | akame ga kill | overflow;

[consignity]

( original toplevel is here for new folks )

kaneki

[consignity]

[Preventing chaos----indeed, it's an alien concept for Akame. For much of her life, she's been trained to do the opposite; albeit with the right intentions in mind. Seemingly so, in the case of the Empire (and that was blown straight out of the water the moment the rebels started using assassins of their own); and in the case of Night Raid, it was for the sake of liberation. She is used to being the hand that slays, not the hand that saves.

And, really, she's had a pretty terrible track record with saving people---and thus, there is doubt already lingering in the back of her mind as she quickly follows after her newfound companion, a slight furrowing of the brow that won't be easy to spot. A quiet hitch in her otherwise steady breathing. What if this is all another lie?

But doubt is what has tripped her up before; and they're fresh recruits, so she knows she shouldn't be so quick to assume. She will wait, as she always has. So she focuses on the tiny speck of blue light that darts and zips about. She can't tell what it is.]

An insect, perhaps? If so...we should wary of a nest, or hive. [Akame grips her sword.] They could be venomous.

[A little ways in, however, they've reached what appears to be a clearing---illumimated by several of the blue wisps. The initial wisp joins up with a particular cluster of them hovering around a tree, chittering and chirping. They're insectoid in nature, as she soon sees when another small detachment of them spot her and Kaneki, curiously staring and flitting around them.

Needless to say, she's left a little speechless. One even lands on her shoulder, messing a little with her hair. Blinking, she looks over at Kaneki.]

...I don't think they're hostile.