test drive meme

[vellamods]

TDM

Hello, and welcome to Vella's TDM! As a reminder, this game is invite-only and open to anyone on the mods' timelines: Coco amplitude , Avery daintily , and/or Amber twistingkage ! Friends of friends are welcome to participate, in case we do end up having slots available (please see the Reserves page for more information) -- however, the mods' Plurk lists will be given priority.

A Mysterious Gift

Good morning! Today’s shaping up to be a bright, sunny day on the island. The weather is balmy but not too hot, and there’s a gentle, cool breeze. It’s as idyllic and perfect as you could want… but there seems to be something being carried by the wind. It won’t take you long to notice because it’s so out of place - it’s bright and colorful and definitely not something normal. It’s a balloon floating towards the island at a leisurely pace, and hanging from the balloon is what looks to be a… wrapped present? It’s a white box with a red ribbon, and it doesn’t seem to be weighing down the balloon at all. How odd...

If you happen to be armed with a slingshot, you can use it to pop the balloon. When the balloon is popped, the present will fall to the ground - but be careful where you’re shooting! There’s a river running through the island, and your gift could easily end up swept away if it falls just above the water… And if you don’t have a slingshot, feel free to get creative! Or you can make one and be ready for the next mysterious package - because there will be one just a few minutes later, drifting along.

Should you choose to unwrap the present, one of two things will happen: Maybe you'll get something small in size but no less valuable: a shiny, pristine crown that looks like it might cost a fortune. Whether or not you take care of it is up to you, but hey, you run this island now! (Not really.) Alternatively, you might get a very large red double sofa; when you unwrap the present, it suddenly springs out and lands with a loud thunk onto the ground. Pray that it doesn't smash your toes! How something so big squeezed inside a box so small is a mystery, but hey...congrats?


Gotta Catch 'em All (cw: Scorpions)

The island has tons of natural resources. There are the apple fruit trees dotted around the island and plenty of flowers that you can see up on the cliffs, but beyond that are the rivers threading through the island and the beaches themselves. They seem to be filled to bursting with fish - you can see their dark shadows in the water clear as day, and the fish seem to come in a variety of sizes. Make yourself a fishing pole and go for it! The fish are not only good for cooking and eating, but you can also sell them off for bells. Or keep them as pets, that’s fine too.

But if you’re not a fan of fishing, there’s still plenty to catch. The island is also completely filled with… Well. Bugs. The island is filled with bugs. Butterflies flutter around, and you can get some bells for selling them off...and don't count out the dragonflies, grasshoppers, and mantises, either! You'll need a bug net to nab these critters, but once they're yours, you're free to do what you'd like with them.

When it gets dark, though, be careful! That’s when scorpions come out, and they’re known for their sting. They're far and few between, but when you find them, try not to panic. If you don't have your net out, they'll leave you alone and stay at the edges of your general vicinity. If you bring your net out, though, they'll raise their legs and shake their tails defensively at you. Get too close too fast, and they'll chase after you. They're fast.


Henry's Quest

Henry the frog has been living on the island with you, and today he has a request! He wants to make some hedges to put around his house (or maybe he just wants to tidy up the island), and for that he needs weeds. Twenty of them, in fact. More is fine, but less is just unacceptable. If you choose to accept the task, he’ll give you a reward for helping him: ten iron nuggets! It’s all he has though, so whether you choose to do this solo or with some friends, you’re only getting ten iron nuggets total. Still, while it’s not exactly a rare resource, it’s certainly a limited one, so you may find the reward enticing. Or perhaps you just want to help him out of sheer kindness. Whatever the reason may be, it’s time to get to work.

The island has plenty of weeds, so it shouldn’t be too hard to pick the ones you need. If someone happens to be plucking in the same spot as you, maybe you can work together! After all, more hands means more weeding, which means you can all make Henry happy even faster.

For those who are less teamwork-oriented, you’re free to do this solo, but where’s the fun in that? … Ah, you’re thinking of hogging all of the nuggets for yourself, aren’t you? Well in that case, maybe you should consider sabotaging the competition...though do you really want to draw the ire of the people you’ll be spending at least the next few weeks with?

(OOC Note: We will not be NPCing Henry on this TDM.)


Winding Down

Another day at the island has come and gone. The night sky is clear and the stars are out -- the perfect way to wind down after a day’s worth of hard work. Someone - maybe you! - has built a campfire on the beach, and it’s as good a time as any to get to know the people you’re living with. You’re stuck here, after all.

Sit around, chat, maybe tell some spooky (or not so spooky) stories. Enjoy yourself! You’ve got many more days ahead of you, but for tonight you can just rest and enjoy the peace of the island you now get to call home.




Taken / FAQ / Locations / Full Nav

Comments

TDM Questions

[vellamods]

Any OOC questions about the TDM can go here!

Lio Fotia | Promare

[turntoashes]

Mysterious Gift

[So. There is something floating up in the sky. Something that Lio is curious about. Problem: Lio is on the ground, is very short, and is also sans slingshot.

But there's a convenient pine tree right there, so what other option is there but to climb the tree and proceed to get stuck at the top. Because of course he would, especially with those cat ears and that cat tail and his relationship with firefighters.

You may find a pine cone chucked at your head if you're passing by.]

Hey. Do you have a ladder?

Questing

[Lio's tail twitches in agitation as he looks around at the veritable garden of weeds that is currently this island. The guy wants twenty weeds? Fine, sure, Lio will happily help him out. But...]

I don't think this is going to help anyone. We need a fire to get ride of all of these weeds.

[Lio no.]

Winding Down

[The second someone mentioned maybe getting a beach bonfire going, Lio volunteered. It's...very different without his powers, but it's still a fire. It's still familiar. He goes around, getting sticks and logs and discarded bits of paper for the fire and soon it's crackling on the beach.

And Lio's just watching it, oddly at peace. A shame it's a boring orange though...]

a

[monstersitter]

Ribbit....

[Because, ow? Lio get your shit together? This woman didn't ask to be assaulted with pinecones....]

[And yet she still wanders over to see just what the ruckus is, and tilts her head curiously to the side. Oh, right, she can talk to people here - ]

You can't jump down?

Frog Girl Koizumi - yes that's her name - Dungeon Nursery

[monstersitter]

A - A Mysterious Gift

[Strange things being carried along by other strange things aren't that unusual in dungeons, quite honestly. They're places of unique circumstances and even more unique creatures that can cause all sorts of strange shenanigans... not even talking about those adventurers trying to get through for a proper afterlife that doesn't suck.]

[So Mrs. Koizumi doesn't really seem that surprised when balloons start floating along, and she even ponders getting one or two herself. If they're useful, they could make a business selling those... Maybe even host a lottery....]

[Perhaps you and her are focused on the same balloon, and she pauses, eyeing her "competition"... Before she opens that big froggy mouth of hers and WELL, THAT SURE IS A TONGUE]

[better get out of the way]

B - Gotta Catch 'Em All

[As a denizen of a place that, on most levels, doesn't see actual natural sunlight e v e r, Mrs. Koizumi is more than happy to be out at night! Maybe you are too, the pair of you running into each other. She seems pretty happy, a net strapped to her back, and she taps your shoulder...]

[Before pointing over at a scorpion that's eyeing the two island residents like it's gonna pick a fight.]

[And that was probably on the route you were gonna take to wherever you were going.]

[She doesn't seem that bothered herself, honestly, but her pointing is a little insistent...]

C - Henry's Quest

[Gotta get that cash money, son.]

[...But no, really. When you marry a raging capitalist bastard and think that's one of his best qualities, your priorities seem to really... shift.]

[After remembering that she can actually speak and communicate with the people on the island - she forgets, occasionally, since not many humans back home could speak Frog or Monster - Mrs. Koizumi approaches someone who looks like they're searching for weeds as well.]

Oh, would you like to know an area where I think there are a lot of weeds? You're getting them for Mr. Henry, aren't you?

D - Winding Down

[...Despite such earlier shenanigans, Mrs. Koizumi seems perfectly happy to bond with everyone at the end of the day. With an armful of sticks, she approaches whoever has been drawn by the presence of a large bonfire.]

Do you like marshmallows?

b

[loreleisan]

[ seo catches the frog girl pointing insistently at something. seo, who does happen to have her net out, looks over and sees said scorpion hissing at her with its tail pointing right at her. seo doesn't seem phased at all.

she walks over towards it casually, and it runs at her -- but then seo bends down and snatches it by the tail,/i> with her own bare hands.

then she turns to koizumi, expression completely deadpan. ]

You wanted this, right?

seo yuzuki / gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun / human

[loreleisan]

a mysterious gift

[ so. guess who has a slingshot and probably shouldn't? this girl right here. nobody should trust seo yuzuki with handling anything that could be potentially dangerous (so anything, really), and her fellow inhabitants are about to learn this the hard way.

seo sees the present floating in the sky, and she already knows what she should use to pop the balloon. she whips out her slingshot and steps back to take aim. except...her technique is so horrid that she ends up shooting someone nearby. it doesn't matter whether you're in front of her, off to the side or behind her -- she will find a way to shoot you in the face, completely unintentionally.

except she doesn't seem to even pay any mind to it. she just looks up at the balloon and tries again. and again. and again. the rocks she's flinging around are going everywhere. please...stop her... ]

henry's quest

[ twenty weeds, huh? she can do that. easy. seo's pulled weeds from her yard before, so she's efficient.

what's proving to the troublesome, though, is that she's actually pulling so hard that some of the grass growing around the weeds is getting ruined and leaving holes in the ground. how does this even happen? well, whatever the reason may be, if she catches someone staring, she'll look over at them: ]

Huh? Do you wanna help?

winding down

[ off in the distance, you hear someone singing. their voice is high, but it's angelic -- straight out of the opera itself. it's beautiful and pleasant on the ears. but when you see the face behind the talent...

it's seo herself. who would've thought that one of the most reckless island residents would have such a peaceful, serene voice?

feel free to listen for a little while, or interrupt her. if you choose the latter, she'll turn to you, expression deadpan: ]

How long have you been staring? [ ...and then, her expression turns into one of genuine concern. huh. wonder what that could be about-- ]

Aren't I too talented?

[ WELP. ]

mysterious gift

[jokedout]

Stop throwing rocks around like a psycho! You'll just get someone hurt.

[Ellie walks up to Seo while attempting to dodge rocks! There are so many rocks. RIP.]

Ugh! One of them got stuck in my shoe. I never thought that would happen but here we are.

adelaide cooke | oc

[transfusionem]

present from above;
[When she sees the balloon, she's a little incredulous at first. It seems too... Fantastical to believe, in a way, and she's not sure she buys it. But...She has to admit she's curious. A slingshot didn't seem all the useful when she was first given one, but... It would be perfect for this!

She lines up her shot, squinting at the bright blue balloon, and let's the stone fly. She nails the balloon, which pops with a loud sound.

That's...followed immediately by a splash, as the package falls into the river.]

...Oh.

[Well. Shit.]

glub;
[Armed with a fishing rod, Adelaide plants herself at the river bed and looks at the water. She can see dark shadows swimming about, and she's Ready for them. Or she hopes she is. She's never actually gone fishing before. She knew kids who fished with their parents when she was younger, but, you know, they had never been friends who invited her along and her parents certainly weren't going to take her fishing. And in her adult years, it didn't...seem like something she wanted to bother with. She had a job! ...And other stuff!

She casts her line, and it's...not an instantaneous thing. The fish doesn't immediately swim towards the bait, which. Okay. Fine. She can do the long game.

The long game is boring, though, so she looks around and thank god she's not alone.]

...So. Nice day, huh?

nugget quest;

Twenty weeds to make a hedge...

[Sounds fake but okay.

Adelaide looks out over the plains, shovel resting on her shoulder. She's not sure she needs it, but... Well. Digging up weeds. She taps it against her shoulder, and begins to wander over to a less populated part of the island.]

What do you think he's going to do with a hedge?

[That question is directed at you, whether you're walking with her or if you're already there. You also have to be questing for Henry, right?]

Like. Just one is a little weird, right?

we need s'mores;
[Adelaide settles down around the fire, watching the flames flicker. It's been a long day, but it's been kind of relaxed. It's always nice to get out of the house, but this is a bit different than her usual excursions.

She crosses her arms, resting them on her knees.]

So...

[Hm.]

Know any good stories?

glub

[loreleisan]

[ she's not alone, sure, but do you really want to be in the same vicinity as seo....who is standing in the river, trying to catch fish with her hands.

she's jabbing at the water, trying to get a hold of a rather large fish, but it's swimming away rather quickly.

seo runs towards it, in the direction of adelaide's fishing spot, potentially chasing away any other fish that might have taken the bait. ]

yuri "yurippe" nakamura | angel beats!

[leadthebeats]

▶ option i: mysterious gift

[ To be honest - it's pretty strange to be on an island of all places after supposed 'reincarnation', but it's fine.

Although when she does see the gift, there's a dilemma.

She doesn't have anything to actually shoot it down with -

So naturally, she turns to the nearest person with a brimming smile playing on her lips. ]

Excuse me! You wouldn't happen to know where I could find something to shoot that balloon down, would you? Something like a gun would suffice, or even a knife.

[ Why is she not asking for a slingshot. ]

▶ option ii: gotta catch 'em all

[ Yuri herself is no stranger to being out in the late hours of the evening and this is honestly no exception. Although when she does see the scorpions, she can't help but go - 'oh'.

It's not even out of surprise, either -

After all, when you've been dead for the last few hundred years or so, you kind of see it all, really.

Which is why she's keeping her distance, patting the shoulder of someone who actually does have a net almost shamelessly. ]

I'll be counting on you to catch the scorpion.

▶ option wildcard

[ Want to play something else entirely different? Hit me up! ]

a

[loreleisan]

Huh?

[ she blinks a few times. ]

Oh, maybe a knife would do. I don't have one, but are you going to throw it to pop the balloon?

[ NO.. ]

Mira Delacroix | original

[philoxenia]

a mysterious gift.

[ Listen... she's an actual animal now. This is the least weird thing that's happened. What she isn't used to is the slingshot, so it takes her a few tries to actually get it... but when she does, hell yes she's going to open that present.

What she isn't expecting is to get... a sofa. What. For a moment, she looks vaguely distressed, as if she's trying and failing to figure out how this is even possible, but you know what. This is fine. It's fine. She just can't think too hard about it. At least she has something to sit on, but... ]

... How do I get this to my house?

gotta catch 'em all.

[ During the day? Hell yeah she's loving this. The butterflies are a little tricky sometimes, especially the more vibrant ones, but she's getting better and better as she catches more and more. It's nice to feel like she's improving, since she's not sure she has many other talents here-- ah, an agrias butterfly. There's no time to dwell when there's a pretty butterfly to catch!

... At night, though, she isn't like. Expecting to have to catch bugs. It's one of those nights when she can't sleep, so she takes a walk, and when movement catches her eye--

Oh my god. It's a scorpion. She freezes, absolutely paralyzed with terror, and it doesn't even occur to her to pull out her net. Please help. ]

wild card.

[ hit me with a starter or let me know if there's something you want to do! ]

[transfusionem]

Well...

[Adelaide is here to help!]

Did you try to couch it?

[She is not helping!]

Zeke von Genbu, BRINGER OF CHAOS | Xenoblade Chronicles 2

[thezekeinator]

Mysterious Gift

Oh look! For some reason there's a red double sofa just lying in the middle of the path. At an awkward angle, no less -- as if there were a large object, like a rock or a stump, beneath it. Also it was quivering, like the object beneath it were trying to move!

Also, there's one twitching hand stuck out from beneath it. And a faint moan of pain.

What a weird sight.


Gotta Catch 'Em All

Look. Zeke von Genbu, Bringer of Chaos, was not incompetent, nor inept. To judge by the bottles clattering about his person, full of bugs of all sorts from a hard day's work, he's successfully accomplished a great deal of hunting and netting to earn himself some bells this day.

He just also happened to be running, net in hand, from a swarm of scorpions that were clattering after him at top speed, tails raised to strike the moment his steps faltered. Which they had not, so far, though how long would that last in the deepening dusk falling over these fields was anyone's guess.

"Why meeeeeeee?!"

Not inept, nor incompetent. But Zeke von Genbu was, after all incredibly unlucky.

(Did we mention he was a shoebill stork? Yeaaaah.)


Winding Down

[Plopped on the beach, not far from the fire, Zeke rests with his feather-hands folded behind his head, looking up at the sky above. The light of the fire blots out most of the stars, but he isn't looking at them anyway.]

I can't help but wonder if this is a true, real island, or just a quiescent Titan.

Winding Down

[turntoashes]

A Titan?

[Lio flops down next to the guy with some kind of roasted fish-on-a-stick in hand.]

Tressa Colzione | Octopath Traveler | OTA

[eyeformoney]

A - A Mysterious Gift

[It's a gradual process, getting used to life on this strange island. The peacefulness helped a lot, but even so, Tressa has been itching for some excitement, something new, something...

Well, maybe not exactly like balloons carrying gifts across the sky, but it's a start!

Maybe you're walking by a tree and hear it rustling - if you look up, you'll see Tressa, having pulled herself up into the branches to get a closer shot with...a very makeshift bow with an even more makeshift arrow. Seriously, can that thing even take down a balloon? You're about to find out, as an arrow is set loose and...arcs wide, missing the balloon and package entirely.]

Darn it...

[Tressa notches another one, lets it fly...it hits the package, jostling the present's trajectory and sets it higher up on the wind current.]

Darn it!

[Oh my Gods, does she try]

B - Gotta Catch 'Em All

Step right up, folks! Hungry for a fresh catch of the day? Have I got the deal for you!

[Looks like Tressa's set up shop along the riverside, quite literally. There's a campfire nearby with freshly caught black bass roasting on sticks, and a crafted stall with "TRESSA'S" painted across the base. While the area smells literally fishy, it's clear that each roasted bass she has for sale is clean, and it does look fairly delicious. Growing up in a coastal town has its benefits.]

I'm offering each of these for fifty bells! You don't have to catch it yourself, I've got plenty to spare!

[Seriously, this is the only thing she's been getting from the river, and the resale is a pittance. Doing something helpful and industrious is much more fun.]

C - Henry's Quest

It just doesn't feel like a fair trade...

[Pick some weeds and get some of those iron nuggs? Sounds like the best sort of deal, if you ask me! But if you ask Tressa, you'll find her gently trying to convince Henry to, uh. To "up his price".]

There's weeds all over, and you can collect so many so quickly. Are you sure you don't need anything else? I can't just take ten whole pieces of iron for weeds...

[She's going to ruin it for all of you if she manages to convince Henry of the worth of his nuggs. You, uh, may want to stop her? Definitely stop her, this is too honest and earnest to be beneficial to anyone but Henry.]

D - Winding Down

[The sky here is incredible.

It's like being on the road in Orsterra all over again, camping in the Coastlands and settling around a campfire with the friends she'd made. The deep darkness of the night pinpricked by stars after a cozy sunset and the pink-orange melting beyond the horizon has put her in a contemplative mood, and she lays back in the sand with her merchant's cap clutched over her chest, taking in the view.]

I guess it's not so bad, to be here. [Is she talking to you? Yes, she's turned to look at you, if you're sitting nearby.] Something tells me we could've ended up somewhere a lot worse than a deserted island with animal-people. Even if it's weird.

[Agree with such an optimistic sentiment? Or do you disagree and have been waiting for a chance to vent to someone? Tressa's got open ears!]

C

[monstersitter]

[Oh girl. Oh baby. No.]

[Someone clearly has to stop this from happening, because it's already a pretty good deal as it is.... Frog Girl decides to take a step in.]

Excuse me, dear? I'm so sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping you could help me with somethnig...

[look at this sweet frog lady with a handkerchief headband. You couldn't refuse her, could you, Tressa?]

Scintilla Caminus/Warrior of Light | FFXIV | 5.x spoilers

[lightsmith]

[a; a mysterious gift]

[Sitting comfortably in the branches of a tree was one local cat, tail swaying as she carefully aimed a slingshot at a drifting balloon. Her aim was skilled, and sure enough when she fired the slingshot, the balloon popped easily...]

[Dropping a present right on some unsuspecting passerby's head.]

Oh--sorry!

[b; gotta catch 'em all]

[Unfortunately, she'd never had much talent for fishing. The attempt was there, sure--but she was just a little too fidgety, or reeled in too soon, or just sneezed at the wrong time and scared the fish off entirely. Patience and passivity just weren't her thing at all, and it was starting to show.]

[c; winding down]

[All in all, though...it really wasn't too bad. Putting together a campfire was something she could do without issue, stretching out on the sand next to it with arms folded behind her head Under unfamiliar stars in (another) unfamiliar world--really not something she expected to get used to, but there was little she could do about it.]

a;

[transfusionem]

[Oh, she is not expecting that. Thankfully the impact isn't too bad, though it does stun Adelaide for a moment.]

It's okay!

[She calls up to the cat, before turning to look at the present which has toppled to the ground.]

I can't blame you for that.

Bucky Barnes | MCU

[cryogenics]

A Mysterious Gift

[Somehow, becoming half animal was only one of the weirdest things that had happened to Bucky. He could live with the white wolf ears poking up out of his hair though, and even the long fluffy tail and digitigrade legs with literal paws in place of his feet.

Worse things had happened to him.

The balloon certainly was mysterious, and he didn't have a slingshot, but he had a rock, and that was almost as good, right? Especially when he threw it with his metal arm, nailing the balloon and effectively popping it.

Luckily, the present landed on the ground and not in the river, and he headed over to unwrap it and see what was inside. He figured that whatever it was was small enough to easily carry home. What he didn't expect was for a sofa to suddenly pop out of the box, causing him to quickly jump back.]

Well, that's something you don't see every day.

[How was he supposed to get this home? Clearly the answer was to start dragging it, because he was still strong enough to, but it would've gone a lot faster with two people to actually carry it.]

Gotta Catch 'em All

[Instead of fishing or even catching bugs, Bucky was contently gathering apples from the trees, a basket slung over one arm while he worked.

It wasn't quite like tending to goats had been, but it was good, simple work, and it put him at ease. So at ease, apparently, that a butterfly fluttered its way over and landed in his hair, like he was some sort of prince of the forest.]

Questing for Weeds

[Turning twenty weeds into a hedge sounded an awful lot like bullshit. But Bucky also had literal wolf ears, so he was willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt here. At least if nothing else, this place would be a little cleaner after pulling a bunch of weeds.

He was accumulating a pile of weeds next to him as he worked, down on his hands and knees because it was a hell of a lot faster than getting up and down every time, considering how many weeds there were.

Sitting back and looking up when someone came near, he said:]

Are you pulling weeds, too?

Winding Down

[It had been a long day, but fruitful, and he was content with the amount of work he'd accomplished. Settling down on the beach with a campfire to watch the stars, he invited anyone over who looked like they were considering joining him.]

I've got marshmallows if you've got sticks.

[No really, he had a bag of marshmallows with him. He was also more than capable of getting some sticks himself if necessary, no pressure.]

gotta catch 'em all;

[transfusionem]

[Adelaide has her net in one hand, resting on her shoulder as she canvasses the island. She's been having a go at it, getting bugs of all sorts and packing them away for... Well. She wasn't really sure. Selling them off for bells (which...is a hell of a name for a currency, in her opinion) just seemed cruel, and catching them seemed to just...generate terrariums for them so.

She's keeping them, for now.

She catches sight of Bucky, gathering apples, and her curiosity is piqued as she makes her way over to his side.]

Whatcha planning on making?

Chris Redfield | Resident Evil

[starsenal]

Mysterious Gifts
[A slingshot was not Chris' first choice, not by a long shot, but it was better than nothing. Barely. It makes him miss having Sheva at his back with the dragunov but more important it's another reminder of all of the gear he doesn't have.

It's just a balloon, Redfield.

His aim is just as good with a slingshot as it was with his Lightning Hawk, though, and it turns out his paranoia is... useful, at least. Because lifting the lid off that box with a stick makes sure the couch that bursts out of it doesn't take out his shins, but it does leave him staring, dumbfounded, at it.]

Are you shitting me?

Gotta Catch 'Em All
[Collecting bugs and fish was so mundane it was bizarre but years of BSAA training made his reflexes perfect for it. Of course, then scorpions scuttle out of hiding and Chris is on the defense. The little critters might be fast but then, so were lickers. There was one benefit to the strange changes here (changes that made him nauseous and unsettled, waiting for them to continue morphing them all into some sort of horrific mutated undead) and that was that he didn't have to rely on the rubber soles and hardened leather of boots for protection but could, instead, trust in... well, the thick bony layers of hooves now. Hooves made it even easier to crush the arthropods if he could coax the damn things away from the soft sand of the beach.

If he happened to see anyone else foolish enough to be out at night, he was quick to get their attention, trying to keep any of the more dangerous fauna focused on himself. Of course the new addition of thick ram's horns limited his peripheral vision in ways that made him nervous.]

Watch out! Stay back, they're fast.

Winding Down
[Sitting around a campfire on the beach of a tropical island. God but isn't that the dream? It's hard for him, though. Relaxing, unwinding, believing there's somewhere safe enough to do those things in the world still. He can't help thinking of Claire, of how much something like this would mean to her, how pleased she would be.

He should be more... involved. He knows that. Once upon a time he'd have been all over this opportunity. Sitting around joking with Barry and Jill and- at least a dozen ghosts from his past. But that's all they were now, ghosts, most of them. Jill though... where was she now? Had they finally gotten her to safety only for him to vanish on her this time.

Dwelling on it would not help at all so he shakes his head, pushing the thoughts away, getting up and moving closer to the fire, dropping down to sit beside someone that doesn't seem to be actively engaged in a conversation with another, two bottles of soda in hand, holding one out with a sheepish -ha!- smile.]

Hey... kinda weird, isn't it?

winding down;

[transfusionem]

[The woman takes the bottle, smiling back. Orange ears have sprouted from her black hair, and a black, fluffy tail with a white tip is waving behind her. She seems to be...taking things well, all things considered.]

What, showing up on deserted islands with new parts isn't something that happens to you every day?

[She grins at him, cheeky.]

...Yeah, it's a little odd.

Deirdre | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

[diadora]

A Mysterious Gift

[Deirdre is no stranger to living a life in the forest, so if anything, she's actually been adapting quite well to the living conditions of this island. Gathering comes naturally to Deirdre even without magic, and she's been able to make quite a few things with a little help, and she's got a slingshot out when she spies a present up above.]

Oh...what is this?

[Well, Deirdre wants to find out! So she's going to line up a good shot...aiming steadily, despite her waifish constitution, she takes aim and--!

...

Well, there goes the present into the river.]

Ah--! Oh no, how could this have happened...?

[Well, this is a bummer. Or well. It would be a bummer for anyone but the feral forest woman, because even if she's got her goddamn shaman robes on--]

No--I will not allow this. I will retrieve it...!

[Deirdre dives into the river after the present!! Because surely this isn't going to be a terrible idea.]

Henry's Quest

[Weed pulling, huh...well, Deirdre can't say that she's ever had a problem with such things, but she's never thought of making hedges with them before. It's honestly quaint?

So you can find Deirdre over here pulling up some weeds. She's taking it pretty slow, gathering them up in her arms while she does so, but she will look at anyone coming over with a smile.]

Have you come to take care of the weeds as well? Feel free to join me...I would not mind the company.

[She's pretty softspoken, but if nothing else, Deirdre means it. Let's get them weeds for the little frog friend!!]

Winding Down

[Consider this a wildcard option!! Deirdre's probably going to be sitting by the fire at the beach, or maybe will even come up to talk, but this is more of an open-ended thing so go nuts tbh.]

winding down

[redbellion]

[ oh, hey. it's the girl who dove into the river for her present -- he saw her earlier while helping mira out with her couch, so he couldn't really help. at least she seems to be in one piece.

when she comes to sit by the campfire, keith glances over at her after he swallows down a piece of fish he'd cooked. ]

So... Did you ever get that present?

Nyactis Lucis Caelum | FFXV

[noctolepsy]

Mysterious Gift

[You know, for once it would just be nice for something in this place to make sense. Waking up with new appendages is one thing, but Noct is pretty sure that a floating present shouldn't really be possible.

He swears he's entered some sort of video game world.

Still, curiousity is ebbing away at him and yet, he is without a slingshot and access to his armiger and powers has somehow been sealed. So the cat looks for the next best thing, picks up a nearby rock and chucks it at the balloon.

Unfortunately, his aim is off and the rock goes plummeting to the ground right on someone's head.]

...Aw crap.

Gotta Catch 'em All

[Now this is way more his speed. Crafting together a flimsy fishing rod wasn't terribly hard all things considered, and with that Noctis has camped out a little spot on the pier. His cat ears twitching every few minutes, he's focused pretty solely on the water, the bobber and his prey's shadow.]

Come on... almost there...

[CHOMP. The bobber submerges and Noctis's pulls back on the rod. It feels heavy and big and puts up a worthy fight, but to the winner goes the fish...

A very long fish. The Oarfish bursts into the air as Noctis stumbles backward on the pier, completely unprepared and letting out a cat-like yelp as the extremely long fish lands right on top of him.]

Li... little help?

Winding Down

[You'd think he'd be used to camping by now. He does know how to put up a tent, but even back home, Gladio took care of the fire and Ignis handled the cooking. Sure, he's watched them work (sometimes... on occasion and when he paid attention), but that doesn't mean that Noctis know how to start a fire.

So instead, he curls up at someone else's campfire when they're not around or looking. And he's already fast asleep, tail and ears twitching as he snoozes.]

gotta catch 'em all

[loreleisan]

[ she sees noctis totally eat it, and she seems a little concerned. she runs over to him and...manages to pick up the oarfish. it's heavy, but it's in her hands, and she's carrying it.

...except she's walking off with it, now, and she pauses right at the spot where the pier meets the sand. ]

Thank you for the food!

[ and she's...WALKING OFF.... ]

Meow-les Edgeworth | Ace Attorney

[turnaboutson]

A-1. you should see me in a crown

You wouldn't think it to look at him - or really, to know him - but Miles Edgeworth had been a little bit of a mischief-maker in his early years. Well, sort of. He was usually the one holding his friends back from getting into too much trouble, but Larry had taught him how to use a slingshot, and after a little bit of practice, he discovered that it was much like riding a bike. And thankfully, nothing like handling a gun.

When he hears the quiet telltale whooshing of a balloon overhead, he digs the slingshot out of his pocket, looks up, and looses. It's a direct hit, and the balloon pops, sending the attached present hurtling to the ground. What's in it? What's in the box?

Miles turns the crown over in his hands kitty paws before giving in to the childish impulse to put it on his head. Then he looks at his reflection in the nearby pond. You know...for a cat, I don't look bad.

A-2. couch? ouch.

His next hit isn't so lucky. When he opens the box, instead of a crown, there's a poof, and--

--"NGHOOOOH!"

Guess who's trapped under a sofa.

B. it was a sting operation!

Hiss!

Miles' tail lashes. The scorpion lowers its claws, and he inches forwards.

Hiss!

Stop. Go. Red light. Green light. Red light. Green light.

Almost there. He's almost in striking range.

Sure would be a shame if someone interrupted this standoff and aggroed the scorpion, huh?

a-2

[transfusionem]

There's something to be said about stumbling onto a couch and finding a cat underneath it. Cats are usually comfortable under couches, in Adelaide's experience, but cats aren't usually as big as Edgeworth.

There's a brief pause as Adelaide stares down at him, completely unhelpfully. "...So, Wicked Witch, present got the best of you, huh?"

dimitri, fire emblem: three houses

[boarhunt]

▐ A MYSTERIOUS GIFT

[ Dimitri has been living an odd life here on the island so far... First, he was nervous about being away from Fodlan, but there's no use fretting when he can instead work on learning more about this foreign land and find a way back. This place is. Peculiar. With a variety of beastmen, then there's its strange yet strong pull to strip them of their abilities. Dimitri notices how he doesn't break things nearly as easier before... And his crest laying dormant.

It's nice. He likes this. He also likes the genuine peace of island life. However, it's still full of surprises, considering his blue eyes land on a floating present tied to a balloon hovering overhead. Curious. ]

I should be able to knock it down with a rock. [ He may not have superhuman strength, but he's still strong. ] Do you think you can catch it?

[ They can try this before making a slingshot. ]

▐ GOTTA CATCH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM

[ An activity that reminds him of home!! Dimitri is fishing at the pier by the shore, sitting on the stool and enjoying the sunlight—just kidding, he doesn't like the heat, so he's wearing a straw hat and it looks funny considering he's wearing an eyepatch.

Everything is going well! He caught a couple of ocean fish and it's in his... This thing is called a cooler? But now something with a dorsal fin latches onto his line and here begins the struggle. Dimitri grips onto his fishing pole, thinking he still has the Blaiddyd crest's strength, but he may need a little bit of help? ]

▐ PULL WEEDS EVERY DAY

[ Some things don't change. Dimitri is on weed duty for—not his professor—a frog resident to make hedges. Twenty weeds for one hedge.

It makes him consider something as he pulls out weeds on his side. ]

This place has an interesting branch of magic. With only a handful of weeds, you can craft hedges. [ There is a Misunderstanding, but who wouldn't be impressed by such resourcefulness? ] Have you any thoughts?

▐ SPOOKY, SPOOKY GHOST STORIES

[ You can just use this as my wildcard prompt to ask him anything. Dimitri is very much enjoying the clear skies and trying out the tradition of wishing upon a star.

Otherwise, it's time to share some stories. Specifically, spooky stories as some of the islanders have put it. Stroking his chin, he closes his eyes and thinks about it. ]

I do have some stories... [ Those from what he heard as a child, then the ones that Mercedes loves telling in their classroom. ] Unfortunately, I'm far from a great storyteller.

pull weeds every day;

[transfusionem]

I wouldn't call it strange.

[There's a woman not too far from Dimitri, gathering her own fine selection of weeds for Henry.]

Magic can do all sorts of things, and plants can be easily manipulated if a witch is skilled enough.

[Magic, it seems, is something she's taken in stride.]

Espresso the Palico | Monster Hunter World OC

[purrfectdisaster]

1. Emperor's New Clothes? (Mysterious Gift)

A slingshot? Now that was something the Palico knew how to use! She scampered after the balloon on all fours, briefly, though once Espresso thought she had a good bead on it, she stood on her back paws, took aim, and--POP!

"Yes! You'd be so proud of me, meowster--you know, if you were here." Only a brief chuff of laughter escaped her as she moved up to see what she'd gotten.

"Oooh, shiny!" she exclaimed, before placing the crown right between her ears. Purrfect.


2.Gotta Catch 'Em All

The Palico's whiskers quivered and her tail twitched with excitement. She could...catch her own fish? And she didn't have to wait for baitbugs to be found, or for the canteen to cook them? She could do it herself?? (That might be a problem, Espresso isn't a canteen cat, she doesn't know how to cook!)

Espresso's not going to let that brief problem get her down, though. She finds a tree branch and crafts a fishing rod out of it, then settles herself down near the closest stream to wait for a bite...

mysterious gift

[rupturingheaven]

"It looks good on you."

Byleth was just passing by, her own gift tucked under her arm, but she had to comment when she saw the Palico in the crown.

Ashe Ubert | Fire Emblem Three Houses

[freckledarcher]

[ A) A Mysterious Gift]

[Ashe looked up when he saw the shadow of the floating present flying by. He wondered how it was able to float by, though he would think about that later he wanted that present now. He grabbed the slingshot he made and moved to get into position. It wasn't a bow, but he was sure the concept was the same. He waited until it got into his view then let it go. He grinned when the present hit the ground. Yes! He still could aim even in this new world. Ashe walked over and opened the present when he quickly stepped back when a red double sofa appeared. Well, he didn't expect that.

It was a very nice red sofa, yet he ran into a problem. Where would he put it? Ashe took a seat on the grass as he stared at the sofa.]

Now how do I move this...

[ B) Gotta Catch Them All]

[Ashe groaned as he lost another fish. How come this continued to happen? He only managed to catch two sea bass since he started which would be good for dinner, he just wanted to catch one more, yet every time he did he lost it! How does someone fish? He knew how to prepare the fish and cook it with no problem. Catching a fish is much harder than he thought. He took a breath to calm down before he cast his line at the shadow again. He waited for the tug on the line when he pulled on it and lost the fish again. Ashe sighed as he took a seat down on the sand then looked over at the fish next to him.]

Maybe having two fish tonight is good enough...

[ C) Winding Down]

[Ashe placed his hands in his hoodie pockets on his way towards the bonfire on the beach. He spent so much time trying to get fish for dinner and a few bugs to sell that he didn't take time out to really get to know everyone. He took a seat as he watched the fire. It was a really nice island with such beautiful scenery. He may have dozed off a little in front of the fire. He couldn't help it, it was really peaceful. Ashe woke up and rubbed his eyes.]

Whoops, sorry didn't mean to fall asleep. How was your day?

Gotta Catch Them All

[rupturingheaven]

... If it's any consolation, you're better at this than Alois.

[sup, Ashe, it's the professor. Seems like she's been fishing as well, with a... considerably larger haul.]

I could share what I caught with you if you'd like.

Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV | 5.0 Spoilers Beware

[flareforthedramatic]

Mysterious Gifts

[The tall man is not like most who are using those nice little slingshots to hit the presents out of the sky. No no, this man instead decided to spend his time taking a well deserved nap in one of the various trees on the island. It's peaceful and quiet and away from any of the other noisy residents, just how he likes it.

That is until he is awoken by one of said presents smacking him in the face. Emet-Selch grunts from out of his slumber and stares at the accursed thing. Rolling his eyes, curiosity gets to the better of him and he unwraps the package. Who knows, maybe it'll keep him not so bored. Unfortunately, what pops out is a big old red couch and it falls right onto the ground with a thud. Were you standing by when it dropped? Did it nearly clock you one?]

Terribly sorry. I did not notice your presence here.

[Read 'I didn't see you and I give zero fucks about your well being'.]


Winding Down

[Even with the campfire roaring, Emet-Selch tends to stay away from the group. Why? Because he likes to watch. Even without all his powers, he manages to stay silent and inconspicuous mostly. Do you spot him? Do you dare try to engage?]

winding down;

[transfusionem]

[It's inevitable, when someone is hanging outside of the group, someone is going to notice and try to engage. Some people are just antisocial. Adelaide knows this. She's well aware she'll likely be rebuffed if she says he should join the group.

But, still, she can't just leave things well enough alone.]

Having a good time?

Piers | Pokemon | Badger

[obstagoodboy]

Mysterious Gift

[So Piers hadn't expected a couch to pop out of the gift he managed to shoot down. It made no logical sense and he's from a world that already makes no logical sense.

But he had been trying to shoot it down for awhile so screw it, this might as well happen.

Aka he's literally napping on it. In the middle of the grass where he opened it]

lololol pokemon prompt

[... you'd think a pokemon character would be down for all this critter catching. And that in itself isn't an issue.

It's the mass-selling part that's making him frown]

You got any clue what those blokes use 'em for?

Winding Down

[He's not big on socializing but the campfire is nice and he's not COMPLETELY unwilling to make friends. In fact, Piers has a guitar out and is playing for everyone! And he's really good.

Just call him KK Badger!]

CATCH EM CATCH EM

[transfusionem]

I mean...

[She tilts her head, orange ears flicking on the top of her head.]

I don't really know what a raccoon would do with a bug. Most things eat fish, though.

Steve Burnside | Resident Evil

[more_reliable]

Mysterious Gift
[Steve completely misses the fact that there's a box attached to the first balloon. He just sees a bright red target, whoops loudly, and races after the sling shot he'd found earlier. He pops it in one shot. That first one was a test shot.

It's not until the box splashes into the water that he realizes he lost out on a prize.]

Awww shit!

[There's another one not too long after and he's quick to pop that one in a better location. The crown he gets from it is kinda cute. But it reminds him of the gaudy over the top decor in the mansion, of Alfred's maniacal laughter, of suits of armor and other things that make his stomach twist in knots. At first, he just kicks it into the sand. Eventually he's made a little dude out of sticks stuck in the sand and has propped the crown on top of it.]

You'll never escape, peasants~ [He titters in a high falsetto before pulling back on the slingshot and letting a rock fly, clanging off the metal of the crown and cheering when it goes flying into the forest on the first hit.]

YEAH!?!? WELL TAKE THAT YOU FUCKING FREAK!!

Winding down 1.0
[Campfires, beaches, starry nights outside. It's the best vacation of his fucking life. It's so much easier to appreciate this kinda thing with no parents and after being so close to dying. He flops back on the sand with a loud, exaggerated sigh, crossing his arms beneath his head.]

Oh yeah, this is the life~

Winding Down 2.0 [CW: body horror, transformations, mind control(ish), canon-typical trauma]
[He can still think. That's what he keeps telling himself. If he can still think then it's not the virus, it's still him. Sort of. Isn't it?

It's easier to pretend in the dim light that his skin isn't tinted green, that there's no scales clinging to his arms and face in patches. That his eyes are not a bright scarlet that nearly glows with the reflection of the fire. He still has his hair, so like... that's cool? But there's more of him that's lizard than he's comfortable with and all he can think of is losing control, that screaming, violent rage that blotted out all else. The way he almost hurt Claire.

It wasn't safe for him to be around these people, he was a monster.

He shifted, further from the fire, creeping back near the tree line, scared and disgusted. With himself more than anything else. If someone wanted to approach him then... he'd curl tighter in on himself, for once looking as young as he is. But he wouldn't actively move away. He can't help looking, though, slitted gaze flickering up, curious, then quickly looking away before anyone can see too much of what he is.]


((Can't decide if I want to traumatize him and make him a lizard or let him be happy(er) and human so 2 options!))

winding down 2

[monstersitter]

[It may not help that the person approaching him is definitely full frog, from the strange shape of her body to her eyes. She walks on all fours, is the same size as a small person, and is wearing clothes... but that may not help.]

[But she is carrying some sticks, and a bag of marshmallows.]

Hello. Do you like marshmallows? You look like you could use something to warm you up.

Sasuke Uchiha | Naruto | cat humanoid

[beginanew]

A gift?

[Sasuke had just gotten to this place, and immediately decided to find a spot to rest, eating an apple as he laid against the tree trunk. His ears flicker and he looks up, finding a balloon. Where did a balloon come from? He stares at it for a few moments, and then decides, ok, he's gonna get that balloon.

He walks under it, the thing moving slowly, and starts picking upon as many small stones as he can carry in his pockets. He walks a bit faster and throws a few well aimed stones until the balloon pops. The gift box it was carrying hits him on the head, and he hisses, covering the spot with his hands. He sighs, grabbing the box and opening it. Only to find a crown. Why was there a crown floating on the sky?

Also, what can he do with a crown... Besides wear it?

And so he puts it on, the thing contrasting with his hair, and slightly heavy. He's looking at the thing on his head as he walks, and of course walks into someone. Damn shiny things.]

.... Sorry.

Gotta catch... A few Sea bass.

I hate fishing.

[He's been trying to catch something for what feels like hours now, but all he seems to get are sea bass. Just a bunch of Sea bass. No matter what spot he tries to go to, there's a sea bass. No matter what kind of technique he uses while throwing the bait, sea bass. He stares and glares at the water? SEA BASS.

He has then laying around him too, as he sits in a spot on the sand, trying to fish. There's a little, very little, space between two of the sea bass, and so he uses that to move around. Sighing, he casts his rod again, and waits.]

[Time to rest.]

[He sits by the campfire, slightly wary of the people around him. He feels naked without his weapons. He still has the rinnegan on his left eye but he can't seem to be able to activate it. Good thing it's covered by his hair or it would freak out people.

So he sits, roasting an apple on a stick, and pouting when said stick breaks and falls into the fire. Well, time to get another one. He takes an apple from his pocket and looks around for a stronger stick, finding nothing.

Sasuke shimmies over to the person beside him, not really looking at them but asking nonetheless.]

Do you have anything I could use to roast an apple?

time to rest

[rupturingheaven]

[Perhaps fortunately for him, the person beside him has been roasting a few apples herself.]

Here.

[She's got a number of particularly sturdy sticks sitting next to her, one of which she offers to him with a smile.]

Byleth Eisner | Fire Emblem Three Houses

[rupturingheaven]

A Mysterious Gift
[Byleth, now with feline ears and tail, has had quite the misadventure today. Starting with a few failures to get some of these odd floating presents, to putting together a slingshot, and... more of these gifts than she'd like to admit having been swept away by the river, she's finally gotten her hands on one! Time to crack this thing ope--

Thunk.

... Huh, well, that... sure is a couch? This. This just happened. Alrighty then.]

Gotta Catch Them All!
[Fishing! Something Byleth's quite familiar with. Honestly, one's probably more likely to run across the professor here than anywhere else. As of right now, she's managed quite the haul. Once she's finished up and is heading back... if she runs into someone who seems particularly frustrated with not catching much, she pauses.]

Not having a lot of luck, I take it?

Winding Down
[The fire's nice. Byleth's as quiet as ever as she sits in front of it, a pile of sticks at her side. Her focus isn't really on the people around her, but rather on the fish and apples she's roasting. Some of these are for herself, certainly, but a passerby might find themselves being offered some of the food.]

Gotta Catch

[monstersitter]

Oh, I'm afraid not.

[The frog sitting along the riverbank sighs.]

It's been a while since I've gone fishing... There weren't many opportunities in my home floor, and then I got married... [Frog Girl finally looks up, and her eyes widen.] Oh my, but you must be quite the expert.

campfire

[rupturingheaven]

I don't have any.

[... It's a little blunt, but Byleth doesn't particularly seem to care, being much more focused on what she's doing. Not that roasting fish and apples requires quite so much focus, but it's got her full attention. Once one of the items seems to be done to her satisfaction, she silently offers it.]

Milla Maxwell | Tales of Xillia

[gohomeivar]

A Mysterious Gift
[Milla has adjusted to the idea that she's now here on this deserted island. Does that mean she likes it? Not at all. She's got important things to do and all she can do is hope that Muzét could handle things without her. It did concern her considering how fragile she was at the moment. Instead, she's now focused on this balloon carrying a present.

Luckily she'd found a slingshot, so shooting it down wasn't a problem.]

A present? I wonder why it was flying around like that...?

[Time to open it up. What she didn't expect was a small present to hold something as big as a double sofa. How was that even possible? She managed to avoid being crushed thanks to her fast reflexes, but now she had a large sofa to deal with.]

Huh... I guess my house did need more furniture...

[Well, time to try to drag it to her house since she's too stubborn to ask for help.]

Gotta Catch 'em All

[Milla hasn't really tried fishing before, but those apples look juicy and delicious. For anyone out and about, they might see that the apple trees seem.... particularly bare for some reason. While gathering fruit, she noticed a scorpion nearby, not particularly threatened by it. She simply ignored it for the time being, but the scorpion doesn't seem to be leaving.]

Do you need something? I'm busy, so leave me alone.

[She has no net on her, so this could be... interesting.]

Winding Down

[Milla was never one for getting to know people initially. Her travels with Jude and everyone else had opened her up a little, but in a brand new location where she really didn't know anyone, she opted out of going out her way to talk to the other people that were stuck here along with her.

Instead she found herself on a hillside, lying down on the grass while watching the sky. With the spirit climes throughout Rieze Maxia the sky was always a bit different in each place. Seeing the sky so clear and full stars was oddly peaceful. Anyone is free to come join her.]

Pick your poison
[Feel free to pick your own prompts! I'm byefelicia on Plurk if you have any questions.]

( mysterious gift )

[sunspark]

[ Is it really Milla if she's not stubbornly refusing to compromise on her decisions? Jude has no real horse in the couch-collecting race, in large part because he's already found two and barely even knows what to do with one.

No longer hunting down balloons means he can keep his focus on the ground, which means that when a certain someone with a highly distinctive and difficult to mistake mass of blond hair walks by... ]

Milla...?

[ It's gotta be her. Jude's ears (he has cat ears now, despite being a dog person) tilt forward and... it's really her, isn't it? It has to be. ]

Milla!

[ Once he calls out to her for real, there's no hesitation. He completely forgets about whatever it was he was just doing and goes tearing across the field. ]