Test Drive Meme #5

[seasonsmods]

Test Drive Meme #5
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Arrival

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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 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.

This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons. 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 used to have plenty of people here who could control the powers of the four Seasons. We called them Seasonal Power Holders. Unfortunately, due to a tragedy you can read about later, we lost almost all of them. Now only four of us remain and the world is in chaos. We have done our best to protect the world, but we need more power holders to do that.

That's where you come in.

All of you have been assigned to one of the seasons. Whatever space you were in just now is what season you represent. You will learn different skills based on the season and those skills are going to help you save this world.

These powers don't interfere with your own natural powers. They use a new energy that has formed inside of you. It's harmless to your health, but it's vital to your seasonal powers. Your own powers should still work, even if the dark energy outside the city might interfere with them.

Unfortunately bringing you here wasn't as simple as it sounds. We couldn't do anything about how to keep you anchored to this world other than making a simple spell that helps with it. That is, you need to touch someone else who is not from this world ideally at least once a day. It will help you stay in control of your powers and boost your magical energy. If you don't, the consequences aren't very good. But as long as you hold someone's hand or give someone a handshake, you should be fine.

That's all I have to say about the situation. The staff of the Research Center will give you more information about housing and other necessary things. I will, however, promise that you will be sent home once the situation becomes better. That's the least we can do.

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-sizes 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 or joining one.

Second type of stands is for the Welcome Center that aim 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 the stands is for The In Touch Support Group that is led by the Otherwordly Ambassador, Kamisato Ayato. The pamphlets have contact information for businesses looking to help Otherworlders. They also focus more on the lore of the World and what they have discovered so far, as well as a guide on what to think about when preparing to venture out to the Segments.

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.

Part 3

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 your own room if you ask them. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?

---

Light a Candle For You

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Part 1

All throughout the city, a festival is taking place. It's the festival to honor the dead. The areas are decorated with aesthetically appropriate lights and different flowers. Upon a closer look it becomes clear that all the flowers are bundles of flowers, based on the otherworlders' flower charms. Where a characters' flower is depends on their Season, but all of the appear in the Nightwake Center district.

The main part of the festivities is to light candles in various places. There are even floating lanterns, that can be either launched to the skies or put on surfaces of water. Those who have lost (= to death) someone at any point in their life will receive a message from them in their dreams and otherwise pleasant dreams about them if they light up a candle during the festivities.

Those who have died before (back in their world or on Ellipsa) will receive a protective light around them if they light up a candle. This light will also let the natives know to treat them with kindness and respect during the festivities. They will even receive special bonuses at some of the shops and restaurants, like discounts or extra items. The light itself will decrease any damage done to them for the rest of the month. The light will dim "when needed", but even as it's not easily noticeable, it will continue to protect.

Characters may receive both of these effects.

Part 2

The second part of the festivities involves making small ghosts made out of paper or cloth. These crafts are for the local ghosts to possess so they can be seen by everyone. Once the ghosts have possessed the crafts they will hover around the place, experiencing the festivities better than in their ethereal form. Only ghosts that wish to move on to the afterlife will possess the crafts.

Some of the ghosts gather at the Blossomcrown Park where magical crests have been set on various tables there. These ghosts are those who have been waiting for this moment to pass onto afterlife. Everyone visiting the bonfire will be given a special flower wreath. The goal is to wait for one of the ghosts to move and take hold of the wreath (literally holding onto it with their craft ghost forms) before placing it on the crests together with another person. This will help the ghosts to cross the border into afterlife. The wreath disappears after the ghost has passed on. This ritual can only be done at this time of the year, as the air is filled with a mysterious essence that helps with passing on. The scientists have yet to properly determine what the essence truly is, but it seems to concentrate on the park and at least it's not dangerous for the living.

The park also has some places to just sit down and enjoy the atmosphere at the park. There are also some food and drink stalls.

---

We All Become What We Pretend To Be

---

Part 1

The final part of the festivities is the multi-day Costume Party Masquerade happening in the largest airship of the city. The ship circles around the whole city of Nightwake, occasionally stopping at the dock and taking new passengers (or letting old ones out) before continuing on again. The airship is special, as it has a giant ballroom in the middle. There are also cabins, some more private and some more communal for those who just want a quick place to crash rather than a proper room.

Everyone who boards the airship must wear some sort of a mask, but they also have to be in a costume of some sort. Those who don't have either or both will be guided to a dressing room where the magic will pick them whatever they are missing at random (= of player's choosing) and dress them (their current clothes will be waiting for them at the airship station later). No one escapes the rule of a costume and a mask around here!

A magic is also applied to everyone's mask, making it harder for anyone to recognize the person wearing it (possibly even those who know them very well). This is said to add some level of mystery to the evening. Of course the spell will pause whenever someone takes off their mask and that may reveal a secret to someone. No one will just automatically forget if they saw someone take off their mask.

The music encourages people to dance and be brave in asking a stranger to dance with them. Thanks to the atmosphere of the masquerade, touch energy will feel even better than usual, even if you'd be "fully loaded".

Part 2

Another sort of magic sneaks into the party, as people's costumes start to take over their personalities. Someone dressed up as a king might start acting all regal, while a vampire look-a-like might try to bite someone in their neck. Some might even lose the sight of who they really are and completely take on their new roles for the time they're in the airship and in the costume.

Fairies will start trying to bomb people gone weird with water balloons, as a splash of water on their faces will wake them up from the trance (even if the said person is wearing a mask). They're even teleporting water balloons for others to toss - especially if it looks like someone is acting a bit too dangerously.

Another way is to strip them out of their clothes, but that might be something reserved for the privacy of a cabin, rather than the ballroom.

Even once someone has been freed from the spell they can unfortunately be spellbound again later on - but it's just less likely.

---

OOC TIPS

- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.

- The TDM is available only to friends of the mods and their friends. 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 top level 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 are open.

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

- You can find monsters to encounter on Beastiary.

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

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[yenice]

[ Anchor what a troll??? Yenni here, trailing off so as to be indirect about everything and not have to directly address it, and Anchor just dismantles everything with a single gesture.

He's left clearing his throat and feeling awkward as he struggles to continue. ]

You...erm. You have something on your head. And water.

1/2

[wingbound]

Levi returns that look with the same intensity -- perhaps even more, considering it's all now focused in one spot instead of two.

"So do you," he says firmly. After all, that was also part of his decision to let Erwin go back then, regardless of the agony it had caused him.

He's had some time to reflect on the whole home issue, too. They would have to rebuild, but... hadn't his role really ended years ago, anyway? The brats had it all covered, from what Gabi had told him, and she would be fine going forward too, with how strong she was proving to be every day. What else would they need from him, alone and crippled? His duty was finally complete. The lives he carried with him vindicated, set to rest. The world didn't need him anymore.

And then he ended up here, and he'd gotten someone back. There was no question in his mind that Hange deserved another life here, even if he didn't extend the same courtesy to himself at first. They had given everything they had to the cause, including their very life. Surely nobody had the right to ask anything more of them.

And now Erwin was here too, and the same applied to him.

Would it really be so terrible to be selfish this one time, let himself stay with them?

It took him way too long to decide that no, no it wouldn't, but he did in the end. They'd even made a little promise by the lakeside, him, Hange and Eren, that they'd stay right the fuck here once they found out (via Levi threatening the guild leader, of course) that it was an option. And he always did good on his promises, didn't he?

Erwin starts rising to his feet, and Levi stays still for a moment, still in the dirt, staring stubbornly at the indent in the ground where his knee used to be. Then he glances up, somewhere between resigned, frustrated and amused.

"...I'm gonna need you to help me up," he says simply, mostly as a warning so Erwin can brace himself before Levi uses that hand as leverage to pull himself up with a small grunt, though he won't shuck off any additional aid either, at least this time, if the other man wishes to offer it.

Once he's actually on his feet, Erwin may notice that he's wearing something on his left leg that doesn't look like anything they may have had at home. It seems it's not quite enough to let him get up quickly on his own though, or maybe it would just be awkward and Levi just doesn't want to make a scene of it when there's a subtler option available to him.

[hometown]

Not for the first time, Reiner wonders why he's out of sync with so many people from their world. Why do most of them remember that older version of him? How has he ended up younger than nearly everyone here? He feels weirdly self-conscious. Inadequate, though that's nothing new.

At least Galliard arriving from so far in the future answers a few questions. One: Galliard must have the Jaw. Two: Galliard must know about Marcel.

Reiner has no right to feel relieved that he doesn't have to break the news about Marcel's death. He feels that relief anyway, and he hates himself for it.

For now, Reiner does his best to shove those emotions aside, bottling them up to deal with later. (Or not.) Right now, he needs to bring Galliard up to speed.

"Yeah, there are. My cousin Gabi is here. You know her," he says, glancing at Galliard. It isn't a question; Gabi has spoken enough about Galliard for Reiner to be sure. "She told me what I look like in a few years.

"That's an important thing to know about this place: it doesn't care where or when you're from. For me, the year back home is 850. I was in the middle of a battle in Paradis when I suddenly woke up here. It's been five months since then. I was seventeen when I got here; I'm eighteen now."

Hopefully, Galliard doesn't need too much time to process that. Reiner has questions about that battle, suspecting that something goes horribly wrong at some point during the fight. But his focus remains on filling Galliard in, so he keeps right on talking.

"Between you, me, and Gabi, there are three of us from Marley. And there are over half a dozen from Paradis, all members of their military."

As a Good Eldian, Reiner ought to immediately call them devils, spitting on their existence and claiming they befoul this place. That's what his mother would want him to do. But Reiner can't get the words out. Too compromised. Too much of a half-assed piece of shit.

"There's an informal ceasefire," he continues. "I've been working to establish a non-aggression pact. There are factors at play that make fighting here pointless. Unfortunately, there's been a delay on their end; either they're having trouble agreeing on terms, or they're deliberately stalling."

Reiner shrugs. He has no way of knowing which it is, nor has he been in a position to push for it. Now that Galliard is here, things have changed. Reiner needs to get the Scouts to agree to something. He needs to keep his comrades safe—on both sides.

2/2

[wingbound]

He almost wants to say that he knows a place, but Ayaka's teahouse is quite far away and frankly, he doesn't feel like trudging half across the city at the moment. No, something quiet nearby will do, and he maybe tugs Erwin along a little by that hand he forgot to let go of, indicating that he can follow him.

"There's a bunch of us here," he starts as they walk. "Me, Hange, Eren, Jean, Mikasa and Historia. Armin just showed up last month. You haven't met Gabi, but she's a good kid. And Reiner. I don't know how much you know about what happens after --" his grip tightens a little, then he just continues, "well, lots of shit went and will go down, but we've got a truce of sorts right now."

He proceeds to explain, the best he can, that everyone seems to be from different moments in time, judging from their last memories of home. That some of them have apparently been to different worlds before this one. He'll also accent that Jean and Mikasa don't want to know anything about the end of the world, and that they should let them have that because they've got a good life here and the only thing telling them the truth would do is ruin their peace.

"...As for magic," he finally gets to the last part, as they enter a small bar, "it will be easier to show you."

He lets go of him, finally, to hold his hands in front of himself as if he's shielding a candle from a flame, but instead, a small clear ball of liquid seems to form between his palms, weaving and amorphous, and then with a quick flick of hand he sends it careening toward Hijikata some nearby asshole with a cigarette who's blatantly missing the ashtray, extinguishing it without them even noticing what happened.

[bigporkenergy]

Galliard nods along to most of what Reiner says. Yes, he knows Gabi; his eyebrows perk up when she's mentioned, but he doesn't interrupt Reiner. He's weirdly glad to hear that she's here, in a way that's very conflicting; if she's here, she's not back home, getting the shit kicked out of her and having to see horror after horror. Whatever this place is, it seems a lot more peaceful than where they came from.

He winces when Reiner confirms where he's from. That means there's a conversation coming that he really, really does not want to have. While their past might be rocky, he's not looking forward to telling Reiner about how balls-up that mission went, and everything, everyone that they lost. He heard all about it from Pieck, and it won't be a pretty discussion.

The reveal that there are Paradis people here goes over a bit better than Reiner might have thought. Galliard simply nods, and keeps walking. An informal ceasefire sounds better than active hostilities, which is about all Galliard can expect, especially if they're all from different times. And Reiner is oddly positioned to be the one to lead it, although Galliard wishes Reiner were a little bit older, a little bit more experienced. The Paradis people are jumpy and unpredictable, and it'll take a strong person to keep them calm.

"One question, then. Is Eren Jaeger here?" That would be a problem. That would be a big problem. The other ones from Paradis all seemed okay enough; Pieck even liked a few of them. But the ringleader is going to be an issue.

apologies, dw ate this notif!

[essenceborn]

Yes, if you lead than I will be able to follow. Please allow me time to adjust.

[ They happen to be an excellent copycat when it comes to activities that don't require a high level of skill or physical fitness, so as long as they get used to the motions and steps, Nen's fairly certain they will be able to keep up.

They reach out to take the offered hand on autopilot even before they've confirmed they'll follow, but that's just a patented Nenonen Trait^TM. They always take hands offered to them. ]

I am Nenonen. Thank you for dancing with me, sir.

[sacredwater]

[Saber freezes in their tracks, amber eyes not leaving the lantern for a few moments longer. Then they tear their eyes away, a hand clenching into a fist.]

I... [They pause, take a breath. They hadn't expected to be interrupted, and they have to compose themself first.] I'm all right. It's done.

[It's hard to tell with their back turned, but they make a motion that looks suspiciously like wiping their eyes with a sleeve, before turning to Diluc.]

Are you here for someone, too?

Pt. 1

[yenice]

[ Done up as a plague doctor as he is, Yenni wasn't sure anyone would approach him for a dance. He's been doing most of that legwork since he decided that yes, dancing to wear out his costume is acceptable. It's putting it to use and helping to wear out its usefulness, so it's two bird with one stone!

Three birds if you now include Callyx doing the legwork for him by inviting him to dance. Yenni perks up behind his mask and nods with vigour. ]

The honour is all mine, sir! Truly! Not many people seem to want to dance with...erm. Me. It's the costume, isn't it? It's so clunky.

[yenice]

[ That's...that's a good response, right? The laughing. It's much better than calling for the city guards (does this place HAVE city guards?) or fixing him with a look of revulsion. That was very much not what he was going for when he said all...that...

But lo and behold, Tsukasa actually extends a hand to him! Despite his phrasing and the bizarre costume he's wearing! Yenni is touched. Literally!! He reaches back out to take that offered hand, eyes bright behind his mask. ]

Yes, let's...! Thank-you! And if I may ask...what do you mean by, "star"?

[yenice]

[ It might not be as fancy, but Yenni senses a kindred (fashion) spirit within nevertheless...! Oddly-dressed costume pals u n i t e. ]

Th-that's not what I meant...! Please, do not disrobe yourself!

[ what has he DONE. Yenni holds up both hands and sputters. ]

[abnormalizes]

Kidding! But you really shouldn't say that kind of thing to a stranger, you know.

[Some people might take offense!]

I don't mind dancing.

[refusesviolence]

That is more than acceptable, my dear sir!

[ Starting with one was better than not even having the chance to talk to any of them, though nobody at all would be surprised on where Callyx started with his questions here. ]

Seeing as you are of a draconic nature, is your life span longer than a human's? Do you age at a different rate than they do?

[refusesviolence]

[ For the most part, Callyx wasn't the discriminatory type so when he'd seen someone on their own without a partner? He'd felt inclined to come ask them to dance, irregardless of the costume they wore this evening.

So once he got that agreement, he held a hand out for the other to take. ]

People shouldn't be so quick to dismiss someone just because of their costume. If they do, they won't be able to get to know the person wearing it.

[ Yeah. That's mostly just his natural charisma. It just kind of happens on it's own. ]

[sacredwater]

[They don't seem to notice the comparative lack of enthusiasm, rooting through the bowl to peer at all the brightly-coloured wrappers with gusto.]

I was mostly only familar with konpeito before coming here, but there are all kinds of interesting candies, aren't there?

[sacredwater]

You can call me Saber. [After putting some distance between them, to give Iris a fair start:] Ready?

[Saber doesn't draw their sword, keeping it in its unusual waved sheath as they run towards Iris, aiming a swing for her torso. They aren't using their Servant abilities yet, first wanting to test what Iris is capable of.]

[peacefulreploid]

[Iris gasped as she summoned a black katana to her side, blocking the slash. She didn’t think they would be that fast.]

So close…!

[And she’ll lift up her foot to kick them back.]

[sacredwater]

[An impassable wall of water is thrown up between them to block the punch, before it drops and Saber strikes back with a curved blade, roughly the length of an uchigatana. They aim the slash upward with a cut that seems to have the force of the wind behind it, not interested in holding back too much against a Servant.]

[hometown]

Of all the questions Galliard could have asked, that isn't the one Reiner expects.

Maybe Reiner should've anticipated it. Galliard must know about Eren's Titan, and the fact that Eren possesses the Coordinate. He must know that the mission to reclaim it fails, even if Reiner himself remains fuzzy on the details. Still, Reiner didn't expect to have to tackle the issue of Eren quite so quickly.

It's an unpleasant reminder of circumstances back home. Of the fact that the fragile, unnamed thing that he and Eren have here is just that: something they have here. Stolen time.

"Yeah, Eren is here," Reiner says, no venom coloring Eren's name. "We're not fighting."

A colossal understatement. But Reiner really doesn't know how to explain his relationship with Eren. What would he say? We've been fucking since I got here, and sometimes we go on dates…? Somehow, he doesn't think Porco would take that well.

"He's…" Reiner starts to say, then trails off, brow furrowing. A moment later, he tries again. "Most of us were pulled here straight from our world. We didn't have any choice. Eren is different. He went somewhere else before coming here; he chose to leave our world and go to that other one. Whatever happens in the future, I don't think Eren wants any part of it."

Revealing how very little Reiner knows about said future, his ignorance maintained through the actions of himself and others, a combination of steps both deliberate and unconscious.

light a candle (touches u gently with new oc account)

[cerasister]

[ Cherry stands a polite distance away from Yenni, a candle of her own held delicately in her hands as she waits her turn. She hadn't intended on saying anything - they were in a public space, but that could've been a private moment - but she's genuinely intrigued by his words.

Or, well. The true, reflexive reaction is that she wants to fight against his words. As a devout follower of The Guardian with both a bleeding heart and a martyr complex much bigger than herself, the thought of thanking death settles uneasily in her stomach. But she'll go with "intrigued" instead, for the sake of keeping the peace and remaining respectful. ]

My! I've never heard a prayer quite like that before. [ Still maintaining her distance, she steps over to where he can see her. Either she hasn't been here long, or hasn't bothered to find something other than a formal ballgown to wear, but either way. The hem of her gown is dirty from all the walking around she's done, but she makes no indication that it bothers her. ] I don't want to be a bother, but would you mind if I asked a few questions?

2

[colchismagecraft]

[If it weren't for the soft glow that now covered the witches' form, she'd blend perfectly into the shadows as she also followed her lantern downstream. The two boats- her's and Saber's- brushed past one another, but neither were overturned, and both continued their path along the dark river.

Caster spared a glance to Saber, then. A ripple of alertness suddenly running up her back as she recognised them for what they were.]

...So, another Servant, hm?

[Was this one of Chaldea's? From Moon Cell? Or somewhere else entirely.]

who said romance is dead

[wingbound]

[ It's... odd. The smile is odd, the way the stranger's hand seems to be trying to comfort him is odd. He'd never trust a smile without seeing the person's eyebrows eyes, and yet something tells him it's genuine. ]

And here you are, back for more. You must enjoy pain.

[ Is he judging? Maybe a teensy bit. There might be something fondly exasperated in it too, though. ]

[ Levi is not a dancer at all, but he's nimble on his feet from years of fighting. His movements are somewhere between a bit too rigid and a bit too sharp, looking more like he's trying to avoid punches or trip wires than to be elegant, and it's clearly taking him quite a bit of effort even so, but with some guidance from his companion it ends up mostly workable. So while his steps look like anything but a dance, he does not, in fact, step on the other man at any point (so far). ]

It's as enjoyable as trying to suck a shit back in.

[ So, you know, uncomfortable and straining but preferable to the alternatives! He's also making no motion to stop or get away, so there's that. He's probably just stressed from trying not to look stupid in something he's never done before and exaggerating a little bit. (Probably.) ]

Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga/Brotherhood) | Summer | New Character, but already in game

[heartofmetal]

Arrival/Hologram

[Ed, a guy dressed in white due to only just arriving, is watching the hologram and making mental notes of what he learns. Without his usual outfit anyone can clearly see his metallic left leg and right arm (what's up with not giving people shoes?!).

Once the hologram ends, Ed really has more questions than he has answers and he frowns, looking over at the nearest person there is.]

Did it feel like the hologram was lacking in information or was that just me?

[He's someone who wants all the information he can get and honestly, Olwen left him wanting a lot more. At least they could do is do proper briefing and not just "Sorry we kidnapped you, you've got powers now."]

Welcome Center

[After a quick visit to his new room and changing into the clothes he had, Ed decides to make his way into the Welcome Center. If he's going to start finding information, he might as well start at the place offering its help with that. Once he'd be done with this place, he'd head for the guilds and the library for sure.

If he's stuck in this place, he might as well get all the information he can get before figuring out what to do and possibly finding a way back. He was in the middle of something important, after all.]


Light a Candle for You 1

[Lighting candles to honor the dead? Immediately several names pop into his mind; people they've lost on the way. People he would never forget. He doesn't exactly believe in the afterlife (though ghosts did seem to be a thing here, so he supposed he had to adapt) but he sees no harm in remembering those people.

He finds lanterns, starting with one he closes his eyes for a moment, focusing his thoughts before lighting the flame on the candle. He lets go of the lantern, watching it rise to the skies.

How many more of these lanterns would he have to light after their journey finally ends? How many more after that? Will there ever be an end to loss?

Ed continues to look up, at the several other lanterns rising with the one he let go.]


Light a Candle for You 2

[There's a crowd forming around Ed in Blossomcrown park as he has started making craft ghosts - with the power of alchemy. He puts his hands together before touching the materials he has in front of him - a blue lightning like light surrounding them before his creations are complete.

Unfortunately, Ed's sense of style is... unique. So the ghosts are all looking rather punk-styled with skulls, chains and spikes all over them. Some even have a mohawk of sorts?]

Pretty impressive, right? I'm sure the ghosts will come floating to these!

II

[mysophobic]

[ Yenni no. Yenni, please?! Shigeru just startles and makes an 'eep' sort of noise at the question posed to him. Although Shigeru looks around and then points to himself in confusion as he gives a small, awkward, smile?? Shigeru is dressed rather nicely with a very iconic looking mask. His eyes behind the mask look confused and there's also some red creeping out over his cheeks... ]

Until they-they fall apart?! [ So NAKED?! ] We-we only just met!!

[ Sorry this is just how Shigeru is. ]

Welcome Center 1/2 or 3 or whatever

[nomorewaiting]

[Winry just happens to walk from the kitchen when someone walks in... She beams a smile at him before she even looks who she is talking to.]

Welcom--!

2/2 I guess, then you can pawsibly get the happy to see him reaction next

[nomorewaiting]

. . .

[She stops both walking and talking as soon as she sees him there.

Did she fall asleep? This must be just another dream or soon to be nightmare, right?

Or maybe it's a ghost or something playing a trick on her, it's some kind of a ghost season right now... Maybe she is just imagining things or whatever. It's been months. It kind of takes her time to realize, that he is actually really real even if showing up out of nowhere whenever Winry least expects it is so, so typical of him.]

. . . Ed?