Test Drive Meme #21

[seasonshelpers]

Test Drive Meme #21
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Arrival

✦ | ✦ skip to part 2 | ✦ skip to part 3

SUMMARY

 • Characters appear in one of the four seasonal spaces, depending on what season they are
• After half an hour they are teleported to the Research Center lobby and given information
• Hologram of Olwen (Winter Guild Leader) plays, explaining the situation
• They're given their smartphone-like device and told about the Starter Apartments next door
• Possibility of finding a roommate!
• Welcome Center welcomes newcomers and those who have been here for a while alike
• Alternatively they can also get teleported via fairy circle into the Fairy Kingdom and miss the orientation.

Part 1

You arrive in an unknown space, dressed in white clothes (player choice what kind of clothes, as long as they cover everything). Whatever was happening to you before no longer happens. It's like everything was put on a pause and you were transferred away from the situation without you realizing it happened.

The space that you find yourself in is one of these four options:

An empty landscape filled with snow and ice, almost like a blank canvas.
A field with cherry blossom trees and spring flowers.
A sunny beach near an ocean that seems never ending.
A quiet forest with falling autumn leaves.

All of the spaces seem to continue endlessly. No matter where or how far you walk it almost seems like you're not moving at all. There are no animals here - just those who happened to wake up there at the same time, in the same place. Everyone is wearing the same kind of plain, white clothes.

Despite the possible rollercoaster of emotions you might be feeling, the place somehow feels familiar. Like somehow you belong there.

And it looks like you're not alone.


Part 2

After half an hour has passed, the surroundings change as everyone is teleported into a room with all the other new arrivals, no matter what space they woke up in. It's a large place with plenty of seats to sit in and beverages to enjoy. Medical attention is offered to those who need it and the doctors here are very prepared for any challenging situations.

Here, in this room, everyone gets an answer to where they are and why. A hologram of a man appears at the center of the room, waiting to be heard. He brings a message on behalf of the leaders of Ellipsa. The staff nearby tells them that the message has finally been properly updated from the original one that can still be found from the records. After December 2025, there was also a new addition at the end of the hologram.

The Message [ Click to Expand ]

Hello, my name is Olwen. I'm one of the leaders of Ellipsa as it currently is. I'm also one of the four who summoned you here.

Our world is in trouble and we need your help. I apologize for tearing you away from your world and forcing you to come here but I hope you understand. The magic we used doesn't let us ask in advance, nor does it let us choose who we bring here. We wouldn't have resorted to it if we weren't desperate. Our world has lost the majority of power holders who kept the balance in our world and dealt with the dangers of the Segments. Just having one power holder for each season isn't enough. That's why we have summoned you to become the new Seasonal Power Holders.

This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. They were the places we used to get our resources from, but now they're dangerous places no one should go into unless they have the power to fight back. All of them have their own sets of powerful monsters and natural catastrophes. We have recently managed to regain some footing in the segments and made them safer, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The Darkness still plagues our world, but we are constantly finding ways to fight back.

Otherworlders like you have already made great differences to the world. They have managed to find and free the dragons, who in turn helped us expand the area we live in. They also managed to find the Fairy Queen, and even the Mermaids and Sirens of the Great Ocean Lake are at peace due to the efforts of a few otherworlders. All of these things we couldn't have accomplished with just four power holders.

My sincere wish is that you would join us in working towards saving this world. We promise to send you home afterwards, or enable a way to travel to your world and back, as a compensation for your efforts here. You're even free to stay here, if that suits you better. This world can also be yours.

I know we're asking you a lot and that it might be hard to trust someone who just talks as a hologram, but you are always free to approach us at our guilds to talk in person.

Also, as an important note that I have neglected to add to the speech previously, but is possibly the most important information for you. To keep yourself anchored to this world you have to generate touch energy. If you don't touch another otherworlder regularly, you will start feeling sick and eventually turn into a stone statue, in a week or so. This, however, isn't the end - you can be saved even from that. However, we highly recommend shaking someone's hand at least once a day to keep your touch energy at a good level.

My sincerest apologies for neglecting to add this here before, despite mentioning it on the old hologram.

The hologram can be viewed in private in a separate room later, should someone wish to look at it again. For now, the staff of the Research Center hands everyone their new smartphones with their small flower lucky charms (the flower is anything the player decides). They're also told that the building next door is where everyone can find a room assigned to them with some of their belongings there and possibly even any animal companions. Those concerned about their mount-sized companions are welcomed to the stables downstairs to see if their friends are there. The mounts are allowed to stay there until you find a place more suitable for them.

In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.

First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.

Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aims to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.

Third type of stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.

Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.

The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.

All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?

Part 3

The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.

Inside one finds a modern Japanese-style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.

Upstairs there are many rooms that can be made into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.

One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.

Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherworlders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.

Run With Us

✦ back to part 1 | ✦ | ✦ skip to part 3

SUMMARY

• Ellipsa is celebrating the Summer Solstice, where people make and wear (and gift) flower crowns
• A charity marathon is being held for two days to run all the way around the city
• A prankster switches some of the signs after most of the runners have passed

Part 1

The city is flush with colour this time of year, as flowers from an ongoing quest are being brought in from the Spring Segment. Signs and celebrations proclaim the Solstice holiday, the time when the Nightwake core district changes its artificial weather to summer. It's a joyous time of year known for beach parties, fairy visits, and flowers!

Specifically, there are pop-up crafting stations around town allowing people to weave flower crowns. It seems to be a custom in Ellipsa to make and wear flower accessories this time of year, especially crowns. All the flowers provided are enchanted to last the whole two months as if they'd been freshly picked. Everyone is urged to make one for themselves or make one to give to someone special! Even a brand new otherworlder can give a flower crown to a new friend.

And while making the crowns for the aesthetic is all well and good, using flower language to send a message with the crown has gotten more and more popular in recent years. Civilians might not say anything to someone's face if they're walking around with a crown that says "I hate everyone" or "Please marry me," but they'll definitely start gossiping.

Part 2
One event's gotten a lot of buzz as of late, though: the Nightwake City Summer Solstice Marathon for the Cure, better known as the Solstice Charity Marathon. It's a run to benefit research into magical illnesses, one that has rest tents all down the path, encourages regular breaks, provides food and beds, and completely supports runners slowing down or even walking the entire marathon!

...Because the marathon lasts two full days and goes around the entire circumference of the city, which would take one day of nonstop walking to complete.

For anyone who's interested in signing up, the first step is collecting pledges. Runners are given sheets to collect signatures and how much the person is willing to donate to the cause, whether that means going door to door, pestering everyone they've ever spoken to, or standing in front of a store or public building and asking everyone who passes through. Pledges can be to follow through if the runner makes it a certain distance or even if they complete the entire run.

The run starts one morning in Solarpeak and is set to encircle the city on paths closest to the inside wall. The run goes counterclockwise around the city and will eventually end in Solarpeak again, with runners expected to return to the start/finish line later the following day. People are also encouraged to line the streets to cheer runners on!

Due to the length of the run, organizers have been very careful about the runners' well-being. Break tents are erected at many places along the path. They provide the usual water, towels, granola bars, and a place to rest, but each also offers full meals and cots to sleep in, and volunteers will urge runners to regularly make use of these. They've got to take care of their bodies! Supplies are also provided in the tents; most prominently, winter gear is given to runners in Coldreach to wear over their marathon clothes, and the runners are able to shed and return the winter gear once they've made it through Stormreach.

...But if someone spent too long sleeping in the break tents, late into the second day, it seems a prankster or two has messed with the signs designating the marathon route. Runners lagging behind may get lost and be rerouted into a park, a back alley, or even a chute that opens up in the sidewalk and drops people into the Underground Mall (thankfully onto cushions).

I Feel Like A Monster
CW/TW: Organized crime, drugging without consent or knowledge, involuntary transformation (monster forms, body horror), experimentation on people

✦ back to part 1 | ✦ back to part 2 | ✦

SUMMARY

 • The remnants of an evil organization take advantage of the marathon to slip people experimental potions
• The potions, if ingested or injected, will make people feel off or ill for a while and later turn them into a monster
• Those who already have monster forms from the Hearts Gang, if they take the potion, will go berserk instead of get a new form
• Transformed people will need to be calmed down to return to normal
• If possible, the Research Centre wants samples from monsters to study and combat this transformation

Part 1

Amidst the festive atmosphere of the marathon, trouble is brewing. Specifically from the Hearts Gang, an evil organization in the criminal underworld that was wiped out. The Hearts' remnants may have been scattered but not everyone involved in their monster research was caught, and the need to accelerate their research to its conclusion has increased in urgency.

Along the marathon route, various local people have set up food stalls to take advantage of the gathered crowds. Most of these are genuine and there is nothing wrong with what they are selling, but the Hearts remnants have found opportunity and scattered between the vendors, tainting some of the food and drink on offer with an experimental potion. They are also stationed at break tents and water stations, though scattered widely with their low numbers, and may sometimes seem just a bit too keen to have a runner take a bottle of water or to take over their care from somebody already seeing to their heat stroke or turned ankle.

The effects of the tainted food and drink aren’t immediate. Dizziness, an upset stomach, and increased emotional instability that could easily be blamed on spending too long under the sun or somebody suddenly having an ‘off’ day. These initial side effects may be particularly noticeable in those already living with monster forms, as the experimental potion quickly interacts with the changes their bodies have already undergone.

People found alone or in small groups serve as more direct targets for the gang’s plans, such as runners who find themselves taken off the track by the pranksters changing signs or spectators taking a break to wander the streets. Anyone alone and vulnerable might be accosted by someone pushing free samples or even just grabbed and injected with the serum. The gangsters can be escaped or fought off, but they'll remember the face of anyone who crossed them.

It’s possible that one of the gang may slip up, may act too suspicious at the wrong time, but by the time anybody raises the alarm it will be too late to stop all of them...

Part 2
Over the next day or two, the people affected by the Hearts’ potion begin to feel more symptoms. Starting out as feeling something almost like a bad cold or flu, with stomach cramps and body aches and a general feeling of not being ‘right’, the effects branch out depending upon the kind of monster serum the individual was targeted with. They may start to feel a strange kind of thirst that can’t be quenched by water or any of their favourite drinks, notice that patches of their skin are changing colour or turning into something like chitin or scales, or that clothes and shoes that fit perfectly the day before are now strangely tight. Locals who attended the marathon race are uneasy, and gossip begins to circulate quickly through the centre of Nightwake and the surrounding segments.

Not long after this, reports begin pouring in of people losing control in the middle of the streets, in stores and markets, as sudden transformations begin to take hold. Victims suffer sudden surges in strength, aggression, and instability, with those having monster forms prior to being dosed struggling to control themselves more than others. The enhancement appears to increase their existing abilities, potentially at a dangerous cost, driving them towards a berserk state.

New monster forms available

The existing monster forms from the June 2023 TDM may also appear, and the enhancements will also work on those who already had these forms. The Hearts' current experiment will mostly include these new forms below.

Monster	Description	Powers
Android	Robots with a humanoid shape. They can range from sleek and futuristic to clunky and full of gears and buttons. Some people may instead transform into cyborgs, keeping most of their usual appearance but with cybernetics slowly taking over and spreading across their bodies.	Remote electronic hacking, laser targeting, laser projectiles
Bug Hybrid	Humanoid bug creatures (can be any bug not listed under animal transformations for any species).	Shrinking/growing, flight, wall climbing
Demon	Big angry, red humanoid creatures with red wings, tails, and horns. Occasionally have other mutations. Similar to the Hell Dimension demons.	Flight, enhanced durability, extendable body parts (e.g. claws, tongue)
Giant	People the size of tall buildings who yearn to rampage. Unlike a person using an Enlarge potion to grow, giants have the strength to match and can lift or break anything that they conceivably could at their new size.	Massive size, matching strength
Vampire	Fanged beings with red eyes who drink blood and can't abide the sun. Essentially the same as native and turned vampires but as an alternate form instead of a default state of being, as the Hearts based this on data from stolen vampire blood samples.	Enhanced strength and speed (but vulnerability to the sun)
Wraith	Undead creatures that seem to be part shadow, part ghost.	Intangibility, shadow travel, shadow magic

This effect can either be permanent or temporary, depending on how the players want it. Temporary can be up to just one transformation under the conditions or several.

People will need to be helped and calmed before they become a real danger to themselves or others. Some may need to be fought and subdued if they cannot be reasoned with; tiring them out could help them calm down and focus on their sense of self, which will allow a transformed person to return to normal... for now.

The Research Centre quickly puts out a call for blood and tissue samples to be obtained from as wide a range of those transformed as possible, in hopes of using it to study the serum and find a cure. Still, they warn anyone trying to save the transformed people to please be careful, even if it means not getting the sample.

OOC TIPS

- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.

- The TDM is only available to the friends of the mods and those invited by any of our players. If you want to play in the TDM, please leave a note here to inform us who invited you over. We will get to you as soon as possible.

- Test Drive is open for current characters to make a toplevel as well. New characters can add TDM on their subject line to indicate they're new!

- Current characters cannot access the starting area again to meet new arrivals. They can, however, be at the Research Center when the newbies are teleported in.

- The TDM is game canon so anything in the TDM can happen for your character(s) in the game as well.

- Smut is not allowed on the TDM. You can play situations leading to it, but if the thread is turning into smut, please move it to a private space such a post in your character's journal, or a locked post in the game's log community if you decide to app!

- Check Locations: City to find more areas to explore inside the city. Every place in the districts is open.

- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures.

- You can find monsters to encounter on the Bestiary.

- FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.

-Remember, monster forms gained in the plot of this log can be temporary (cured upon the character being returned to normal) or can be a recurring form.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

Questions

[seasonshelpers]

Re: Questions

[kerontribution]

What if someone forgets the 'run' part of marathon run and decides to fly the whole way? Will they get comments from the volunteers?

[seasonshelpers]

Running and walking are fine, so why not flying? She's still doing the marathon for charity. People will probably stare the whole way, though.

[dontcallmetails]

For the Wraith shadow magic, what kind of things would fall under that? Just looking for some examples and limitations.

[seasonshelpers]

Shadow magic can encompass the shadow abilities available through tattoos and Winter magic, such as shadow clones, shadow travel, and shadow manipulation. All monster abilities are only available in the monster form.

[foxfireheart]

For the monster transformations:

It says permanent or temporary. Does permanent mean as in 'they're always like this now' or 'can turn into it when they need it' like some of the other transformations Seasons get?

And could this be taken as 'something of it lingers after'? Like, I'm looking at the Android form and wondering if what sticks around after could be less than the full initial transformation?

[seasonshelpers]

It's the same as the existing Hearts-induced monster forms. Permanent means that affected characters will transform again (involuntarily) every time one of the four player-selected triggers happens: strong emotional reaction, full moon, near-death situation or bleeding. (Players can select which triggers apply to their character.) As they learn to adapt to their situation, they can learn to transform voluntarily, though this takes at least three months to learn. You can read more about monster forms here.

Can you explain a bit more what you mean by "something of it lingers after"? Thanks!

New Character Toplevel Links

[seasonshelpers]

Current Character Toplevel Links

[seasonshelpers]

Aimoto Rinku | D4DJ (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) | Summer

[roundandaround]

sad around

Ruby Rose | RWBY | Spring

[silver_eyes_rose]

Ono

Aimoto Rinku | D4DJ (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) | Summer | in game

[roundandaround]

[1) Run With Us - 1]

[Rinku is staring at a selection of magically preserved flowers in a crafting area with a clear case of decision paralysis.]

What do I even make... I gotta do a happy one, right? And maybe I can make one for everyone! Everyone everyone! But...

[Her Zubat, Hina, gnaws on a dandelion stem without a care. This is weaving, right?]

[2) Run With Us - 2]

[Knock knock! Rinku comes up to a door -- a house, an apartment, anywhere someone would live -- with a clipboard and pen. (A Writer's Pen, but don't worry, it's been exorcised.)]

Hi! Can I get your pledge for the marathon?

[Wait, doesn't she live in Solarpeak? But she seems to be going to every neighbourhood and district in town.]

[3) Run With Us - 2]

[The run has been a lot, even with Rinku's determination. She stumbled into a rest tent in the middle of Frostreign absolutely wiped, and now she's flopping over on a cot in the sleeping area. Thankfully there seem to be heating enchantments, since it's Frostreign, but it's still not most people's first choice to sleep in...]

Wuehhh... I think I'm kinda glad I escaped Tsubasa-chan trying to do this whole run in a morning.

[4) I Feel Like A Monster - 2]

What's going on?

[Someone -- maybe you, maybe a third party -- is doubled over and struggling. Rinku approaches, but gets knocked back as they transform and dalls to the ground.]

No... This stuff's happening again?!

4

[poison_bat]

[Kuroko watched as the person transformed, and was there to pick Rinku up and get a little distance from the monster.]

So this has happened before? Is it just a temporary thing somebody's gotta ride out?

[roundandaround]

I don't know!

[Rinku blinks as she's picked up. The poor civilian thrashes, transforming before their eyes into a robot, as the people in the street start to panic and run.]

Sometimes it sticks! We gotta stop them and get them to calm down before they hurt someone!

2

[bombdemon]

[ By some miracle, Katsura has not heard about the marathon just yet -- or at least not the full details -- but he looks interested, at least! ]

[ (Unfortunately, he'd probably also be interested if it were some door-to-door snake oil salesman, so that's not saying much. But!) ]

Could you tell me more about it? What exactly would I be pledging myself to?

[roundandaround]

For donations! There's this big marathon people are running around the whole city, so it's two whole days. And so people are collecting pledges, like, "I'll donate this much to magic disease research if you can make it this far in the race" and stuff.

Oryou | Fate/Grand Order | Winter | in game

[kerontribution]

[flower crowns]
Why do flowers mean things?

[An idle question to whoever's near her while she's making flower crowns.]

Oryou knows roses stand for love, but they aren't more loving than other plants.

[marathon]
[Oryou's going door-to-door with a clipboard with one of those attached pens and a sign-up sheet.]

Will you sponsor Oryou for the charity marathon? She's going to finish the whole course.

[...You may note that, as per usual, Oryou is floating about a foot off the ground. She absolutely intends to fly the whole marathon.]

[monster transformations, stupid]
[Oryou is here to help newly transformed monsters calm down! She has a very simple way of doing this: float there and let them try to bite or claw her.

Given that her skin is impenetrable enough that bullets have no effect on her, odds are a just transformed monster with little grasp of their powers is probably not going to break her skin.]

Better?

[She asks this completely calmly, even if the monster is still trying to gnaw on her.]

[wildcard]

flower crown

[roundandaround]

I dunno! Maybe people really wanted to send messages with them.

[Rinku looks over the different flowers and tilts her head.]

But the different rose colours mean different things too, right? Like yellow is friendship! Except yellow is also jealousy. Why'd they make it two things?

marathon

[wingbound]

[ Levi is half tempted to take part himself, but with his leg the way it is, it would likely just be a day of torture. He's got plenty of money to give to charity, though, and if he's honest, Oryou does look like she'll finish the whole course. He maybe stares a little bit at the fact that she is obviously floating, though it's practically indistinguishable from his default all-purpose frown. ]

[ Damn, he wishes he could float. His injury wouldn't be a problem then. Would she carry him through the marathon-- ]

[ The awkward silence only last a few moments. ]

Sure. [ Well that was easy, wasn't it? ] And I know a guy who'll happily match my pledge.

[ Is he going to send her after Hijikata-- ]

~Monster Transformations~

[agenttethers]

[The gargoyle that once was Nelson Tethers takes a break from violently chomping on her arm to glare at her. What do you think?

…he immediately goes right back to chomping, however. He’s not getting anywhere, and whatever part of his brain that isn’t swallowed up by bloodlust is frustratingly aware of this.

Yet, he persists, because the only thing he can really think of at the moment is ripping and tearing, and right now, Oryou is neither of those things.

…though, there are some cracks on his stony hide that definitely weren’t there before…maybe Oryou’s getting through to him?]

Ruby Rose | RWBY | Spring | Established

[silver_eyes_rose]

A) Flower Crowns

[Ruby couldn’t help but find herself enjoying making the flower crowns. Sure, they seemed childish, but she never really grew up, so she was busy making them.]

C’mon, this is fun! Besides it’s quite quiet here, so…!


B) Marathon Part 1

[A charity run, huh? Sorry, but Ruby’s gonna break a few records here! She’ll zip past a few groups using her Petal Burst Semblance]

Try to keep up, everyone!

C) Marathon Part 2

[And Ruby’s cockiness got the better of her, causing her to get exhausted and also turned around.]

Ugh, I know this has to be the right path! Where is everyone?!

[She says, running through a park]

D) Monster (CW: Monsters/Monster Transformation)

[Ruby wasn’t feeling well. She wasn’t sure if it were something she ate or drink, but it was aggravating. The more she tried to fix it, the worse it got.

And then, it hit: her body began to change, flesh and blood being replaced by metal and oil, clothing being replaced with armor plating.

Despite the new weaponry and form, Ruby still used her scythe, Crescent Rose.

And she wanted something to attack.]

E) Wildcard

(OoC: Wanna play something else or plan something out? Hit me up here or at AshBlaze!)

Gray | Void Stranger | Autumn | Current Character.

[addastra]

— ooc.
////////////////////////////// notes ///////

( info/permissions. feel free to wildcard; i'm @ vandalisto if you'd like to discuss.

please let me know if you don't mind heavy void stranger spoilers also! this toplevel will include spoilers. her canon point is the very end of the gray route. )

— out of your reach.
////////////////////////////// flower crown making ///////

( Gray isn't really feeling up to making a flower crown; her brain still feels stuck in the Void, and therefore, stuck in despair. All she can think about is Lily. All she wants to do is see Lily again — or at least continue to have the chance to fight for her. She'd go through the Void a thousand times just to have that chance back, to be in her home world once again.

So when she's walking — a bit aimlessly — through the City, the offering of a flower crown takes her off guard a little. )

I ... ah, thank you.

( Her voice crackles with disuse; she clears her throat. )

What does it mean?

— i hold the key.
////////////////////////////// transformation ///////

( Jagged wings sprout from Gray's back. Tall, curved horns grow from her forehead. Claws and fangs and a spade-shaped tail form thereafter, and Gray is positively inconsolable. Her panic gives way to anger, then. Anger that feels righteous to her, but might seem irrational to anyone else.

Especially when she punches her fist through the table of the rest station that had given her the drink in the first place. )

What did you do to me?!

obviously transformation

[abnormalizes]

[The vendor is clearly shocked and terrified, and as they back away from her trying to babble about having no idea why-

Evangeline speaks up.]

Hey - this is the Hearts' gang's transformation drug, isn't it? I doubt a random person would have access to it, and you're way too easily intimidated to be a gang member.

[Like, so what if she punched through a table, you can't be cowering at just that.]

A lot of people have passed through already, right? Plenty of chances to tamper with food.

[The vendor manages a weak, 'Th-that's right, it must have been the Hearts, please don't hurt me?']

flower crown making! idm spoilers

[bombdemon]

[ Katsura is familiar enough with despair to recognise it when he sees it, and as the woman who might as well have a visible storm cloud following her happens to walk past the flower crown making station he's currently working at, he doesn't need to think far about a distraction. He just grabs a finished crown and trots after her. ]

[ He doesn't seem troubled by her surprise or what feels like a slight reluctance; he simply continues holding the flowers for her to take. ]

Ah, I'm rather new at this, so I'm not entirely fluent in flower language, but I do believe it reads along the lines of "A burden shared is a burden halved."

[ It's probably more something like "Let's be friends". He's just offering an opportunity to talk if she feels like it. ]

Besides, yellow flowers are considered to bring happiness and hope. Any person could use more of that in our lives, don't you think?

[ Especially you, from the looks of it, but he's tactful enough not to say that. ]

Miles "Anti-Tails" Prower | Sonic Archie Comics | Winter | Established Character

[dontcallmetails]

Run With Us
////////////////////////////// Part 2 ///////

Charity was not something Miles was interested in. Why would he be? Charity was all part of the Great Peace and that lead to global stagnation. Sure, this place was not in some era of extended peace and lack of conflict, but still. Why do this? Why take time out of his own day and help with charity? Simple. Helping with charity, and doing so in public, would show he was less likely up to go good. It created an expectation of cooperation with the others in Ellipsa. Should he decide to plot and scheme in the future, this would build good plausible deniability. That was always worth something.

In truth, he was also bored. School was going well and he had little else to do. Which was why he signed up. The days leading up to the marathon, Miles is going door to door. He knocks and waits. Once the door swings open, they see a small fox with black dyed hair holding a clipboard and pen. He nods with out really smiling.

"Hello. I am Miles and I'm looking for pledges for charity for the upcoming marathon around the city. And I intend to finish the whole thing. Will you make a pledge of one hundred moon coins for a good cause? And if you decide to place any bets on the proceedings, I can provide up to data analytics of who is in first and likely to come out victorious. If you're into that kind of thing," Nothing wrong with helping someone place a good bet on the marathon, right?

For charity, of course.

The day of the marathon, Miles is ready to go. He has on his running shirt, shorts, and shoes. He has no water bottle or canteen. Why need that when he can just make water? He is stretching before the race begins. He makes sure to really stretch his legs and his tails, for some reason. He might be planning something. Whatever it is, he just goes about his business as he watches the other racers. He makes mental calculations in his head while typing out quick messages on his phone between stretches.

"This should be a good event. Profitable. ...For charity, of course."

I Feel Like A Monster
////////////////////////////// Part 1: CW/TW: Drugging of a young teenager. ///////

A wrong turn. That was all it took to get sidetracked off the main trail. Miles was sure the sign had told him to go down this way. It's dark in the alleyway he finds himself in. The wall in front of him telling him he either has to go over or back. He frowns. The sun has set and right now, he'll be wasting more time going back. He starts to spin his tails when someone calls out to him. He stops and spins. Someone rushes him and collides with the small fox. Miles yelps loudly as he is pushed down. He thrashes and tries to get free but the one on top of him is stronger.

Then comes the water bottle. It's shoved into his mouth and water is poured into his mouth. Miles's legs kick as he tries to get free. Water! He summons a blast of it, knocking the person off him. He coughs as he swallows the water in his mouth. The person is up and running soaking wet into the night. Miles gives chase out of the alleyway and coughs, the water feeling heavy in his chest. His head swims and he stumbles. He feels awful. What the hell was in that water?!

"You...better hope I don't find you!" Miles calls into the dark and groans. "Gross..."

I Feel Like A Monster
////////////////////////////// Part 2: CW/TW: Monster transformation! ///////

Miles had a plan when this whole marathon started. He would rotate between running and flying just above the ground. Run, fly, rinse, repeat. Also keep going longer than others before resting. He wanted to finish in the upper numbers of runners. He knew he wouldn't win first place but at least placing in double digits would be nice. That was before he was attacked in that alleyway. That was before the gross water was forced down his throat.

Now? He knows he'll be lucky if he finishes at all. He feels awful. His body aches, his eyes are sensitive to the sun, and he feels waves of weightlessness. Like he's floating even when he feels his feet firmly against the ground. He considers bowing out but that only angers him. He doesn't want to quit. He wants to just cross the damned finish line! He will push through this and get to the end. He has to! He wants to! He won't lose!

The anger boils over until he feels his feet sink into the ground. He falls into pure darkness and it feels cooling. It washes over him like a refreshing rain. He knows where he wants to be. He kicks his feet and up he goes. Light breaks as he breaches the surface of the shadow of the banner over the finish line. He claws his way up. His form translucent. Deep shadows cast over his body as they almost seem to move over him. His feet hovering just ever so slightly off the ground. Dark eyes scan his surroundings. He's here. He made it! And now? Now it's time to find someone to let his anger out on. The shadows raise up around him, forming long arms with strong fingers and claws.

"Run~" he says with a grin as the hands are unleashes, stretching out to grab anyone or anything around him, pulling them toward him and the dark shadows.

Wildcard
////////////////////////////// tseutsumi | Discord: tseutsumi - got an idea for a new top level. Hit me up or just tag here. I'm good with anything. ///////