Test Drive: May 2019

[keeperoftales]

Test Drive: May 2019—

§ instructions.

Welcome to the Test Drive for Forgotten Tales! This is to help interested players test out their characters in the game's setting and see if the essence they have chosen will actually work in game play. There are a number of prompts that try to touch on the kinds of settings and scenarios the characters may encounter. So here are a few things to keep in mind while on the test drive:

• Feel free to use the current Workshop for help if you need it! Both the Workshop and the Test Drive are required for Registration.
  
  
• Participating on the Test Drive does not guarantee a spot on either Claims or Registration.
  
  
• Check the Character Roster and Essence List to see if your choices are not already taken.
  
  
• Include Character Name and Canon in the subject line, and note somewhere within the toplevel your character's essence. It can be in the subject line if you already know what it is (so ex; Character | Canon | Essence). Side note: You are free to try more than one essence if you're on the fence. Just make sure to note which one you're using for that particular prompt.
  
  
• Players are free to assume their characters have been informed of the very basics so you can skip all that if you'd like.
  
  
• Only the "In the Index" prompts of the Test Drive can be carried over in its entirety, but you can alter the story based ones as "stage play" settings within the Index if you wish to carry over that interaction as well.
  
  
• Don't forget to refer to the Game Info for how the mechanics work.
  
  
• Registration will open May 25. Claims will open May 18.

Most of all, have fun! Feel free to invite those you may think would be interested to participate in the test drive.

---

§ prompts.

¶ I. In the Index. When not out adventuring or playing character roles in stories, the Aspects will have some downtime within the Index, the central hub of the Realm of Stories. Here they can explore the city, read up on other stories, socialize with fellow would-be heroes, learn more about the essence, or even just do nothing at all. Any threads and CR made with "Index" prompts can be carried over into the game.

• A. Out in the City. The city is abuzz with high spirits and renewed hopes as another Book has been restored. Informal celebrations and parties are thrown here and there on the streets, while others prepare for sending help and supplies to help refugees return to their homes. With the threat of the Story Eater and its minions at bay, the daily life of the Index is a peaceful one, but not without its own occasional unexpected surprises.
  
  
  1. Endless Feast. In a city filled with all kinds of storybook characters and magic mixing together, mishaps and chaos are bound to happen. One of them is born from several tables designed to replicate the one said to produce endless amounts of food. Good in theory, especially if it's to be used for impromptu celebrations. However, no one learned from the Porridge Girl and gave the tables a "Stop" command, or specified what kind of food they should produce. From poisoned apples, to running gingerbread men, to curds of whey, and one even managed to conjure a miniature pumpkin carriage. Every type of iconic fairy tale food is appearing from these tables and overflowing the streets, some with a mind of their own. The best way to stop these tables is to the destroy them, but getting there may be the true challenge. Once a table is destroyed the magic will disappear to make the creations lifeless, but until then—good luck.
     
     
  2. Puss in Boots...? Or so they claim to be. It's a cat, all right, and it's wearing boots. But it's copycat, not the real deal, and in fact it's more than one pulling off these heists. One of them isn't even a cat, it's a weasel! Ranging from petty pickpocket theft to robbing jewelry stores in broad daylight, this band of thieves are making bank off the well known kitty's name. Try and catch all of them, but be wary. Not only do these cats have nine lives, but they know magic.
     
     
  3. Wild Magic Carpets. It's a whole new world for many people, and as a courtesy some locals are offering newly arrived Aspects a free tour around the city. Some are using the traditional horse and carriage, but others are offering a more wondrous and fantastic means to give a different point of view via large magic carpets. Enchanted with special magic, the once normal rugs can now hover and fly high into the air, carrying their passengers over the city and even beyond to the edge. It's a great ride—until some carpets decide to have a mind on their own. Hang on tight! Whether they just fly off on their own or decide to race each other, these carpets are showing all the wonders sideways and under.
  
  
• B. Essence Practice. Suddenly inheriting the abilities of another person while losing most of your own at the same time can be quite jarring. Picking a place to test out these newfound powers or even going to the Library to read up on the essence's story may help glean some clues as to what they can do.
  
  
• C. Try Out the Journal. The journals are unique to this world and the sole source of communication for everyone. Feel free to give it a try, either by sending a random message out or even a doodle.

¶ II. Itsy Bitsy Spider. In this classic nursery rhyme, what seems like a simple set of scenes turns out to be a lot more chaotic than expected. Not only will someone be randomly assigned to take on the role of the Spider, but climbing up that spout is going to be a lot harder than one might think. It's an enormous jagged, metal spire, towering several hundreds of feet high. Each "level" has sharp spikes protruding from the sides, and some portions actually spin in varying directions. There may also be some dark, questionable liquid staining the structure, remnants of cobwebs hanging here and there, some acting as netting to break falls. Of course, anyone is free to climb the "spout" for whatever reason, and encouraged. There are a lot of traps and other threats that lurk about, such as Blots and the Erasers.

• A. Climbed Up the Water Spout. Starting from the very bottom, whoever is the Spider will find that they are capable of shooting spider webbing out of the palms of their gloves, and the material is strong enough to act as rope. Perhaps with some assistance they may be able to get through in one piece. Just be careful—there may be traps and spikes randomly shooting out from the sides.
  
  
• B. Down Came the Rain. Higher up near the spout, thunder clouds form and rumble above them. There are various platforms made of rubber, and the reason for it becomes clear when a bolt of lightning strikes the spout structure. The electricity travels several feet up, down, and all over through the metal. Should anyone be caught, it won't be fatal—but it will be quite painful, as if being hit by a taser. Not only will the Spider have to avoid and continue the climb, but some people may be stationed up top with fire hoses, water guns, and water balloons to aim directly at the Spider to knock them off. However, although the rhyme says the Spider is "washed out," it's possible for the Spider to get through. Alternatively, there are mechanized water cannons dropping gallons of water down, and anyone assisting the spider could try and help take them down.
  
  
• C. Taking Out the Pests. Aside from the spout itself, there are other threats that will try to hinder and harm those ascending. Blots and Erasers will take on forms ranging from small to large spiders or large flies that buzz around trying to knock people off. The spiders can be taken care of via close combat, but the flies will need either projectiles or magic if they can't be lured in close.

¶ III. Scene Snippets. The following prompts are various scenes styled similarly to those designed for the campaigns. Two characters are randomly assigned a role and must "act out" the scene. It can be assumed they are given the basics, but they are free to act however they wish. There is no real script or set direction, and they will have full access to their Essence abilities. Roles are not gender limited, so go wild. You are also free to create your own scenes or play within the general setting of the provided stories, even if they are not specified. Everything here is just a "guideline" and characters can act and behave however they would if dumped into the setting.

• A. Little Red Riding Hood. First set in the forest and later at the cottage, the roles assigned are as following: Little Red, The Wolf, The Huntsman. If someone wants to play the Grandmother, that is optional.
  
  
  1. Little Red and the Wolf. On her way to her grandmother's house, Little Red encounters the big bad Wolf! But the Wolf is planning the long con, so instead of trying to eat her immediately, he plans to trick her so that he reaches the Grandmother's house first. Will he be successful? Or will Red see through his ploy? Will the story end before it even begins if Red decides to end the Wolf right then and there!? Either way, Red is going to need some help getting through the forest maze, and the only help she has is the Wolf. Beware of any wolf Blots and Erasers that may lurk around.
     
     
  2. Little Red and the "Grandmother" Wolf. Disguised as the Grandmother, the Wolf waits in bed when Red arrives. From there come the classic, "My what big [ blank ] you have!" lines until finally the Wolf makes his move. Will Red be eaten? Or will the Wolf be the one in trouble?
     
     
  3. The Wolf vs. the Huntsman. If Red hasn't finished off the Wolf herself, it's time for the Huntsman to appear and play the hero. An epic "duel" is expected, but it can be anything from actual combat to rap battles to a game of checkers. Will the Huntsman beat the Wolf and save the day? Or will it be the Wolf who has a happy ending?
  
  
• B. Rapunzel. Set in a high tower, the roles some Aspects will be assigned to are the following: Rapunzel, Mother Gothel, the Prince. Fortunately for Rapunzel, the wig is sturdy and will serve as the rope when needed. As for the tower, it's made of rock bricks that can be climbed, if difficult, but there is a secret back door that can be used if found.
  
  
  1. Rapunzel and the Prince. After living in the tower for most of her life with only Gothel as her mother, Rapunzel will hear someone call to let down her hair. How well the Prince impersonates Gothel is questionable, as well as whether or not Rapunzel lets down her hair. But some way or another, the Prince must find his way up to the top, so get climbing and try to woo her.
     
     
  2. Rapunzel and Gothel. Eventually Gothel will learn of the Prince's visit and how well (or poorly) that went. Will she be angered and cast Rapunzel out after cutting her hair? Or be actually proud of the girl for snagging a potentially rich husband? Will Rapunzel defend herself or plead for forgiveness? It's all up to you!
     
     
  3. Gothel and the Prince. At some point the Prince will meet with Gothel, whether by Gothel tricking him to climb up or the Prince hearing of Rapunzel's distress and making his way up on his own. What sort of encounter will they have, and will the Prince be doomed to lose his eyes from falling to the thorny bushes below? Or will there an alternate Disney ending to this tale?
  
  
• C. Create Your Own! No need to limit to what we provide. If there's a particular story, scene, or even setting that you think would be fun, go for it! You can even use the story your character's essence is from. Other options are any of the scenes and settings from our previous campaigns and side stories.

¶ IV. Mix it up. This is the "wildcard" prompt. Feel free to take any of these prompts and make them more of your own, or pull from an entirely different story. As mentioned you're free to use any of our previous stories or other events. Just have fun with it!

Comments

Eliot Spencer | Leverage | Big Bad Wolf

[likeknives]

A. Puss in Boots...?

[Eliot Spencer knows the greatest thief in the world, and he's a pretty good pickpocket himself, at least, he'd like to think so.

That just makes it infinitely more embarrassing when he pats down his jacket pocket and realizes that the cat that just bumped into him jacked his best knife.

Maybe it's because he's some kinda wolf now, maybe it's because Parker would laugh at him, maybe it's because he's in a bad mood, but he's gonna get that cat and get his knife back.]

Hey! Hey you! Get back here!

[He's running. He's running fast.]

B. Essence Practice.

[Look, he's not gonna lie, this is pretty damn cool. Never in his life would he thought he'd get a chance to be an actual wolf, and wolves are pretty cool to begin with. It could be worse, anyway. He could have the magnificent ability to turn into a fairy-tale pug or something.

There's a big wolf wandering the city, trotting along the streets and trying to get used to the sights and scents and sounds.

He also might steal your lunch. Better keep an eye out if you're not paying attention to that sandwich...]


C. The Wolf vs. the Huntsman.

[This is so stupid. It's doubly stupid because he's already the wolf and all of this is completely unnecessary and can they get this over with already? At least he's not wearing some stupid costume, his ears and the tail oughta be enough anyway.

Eliot glares at the Huntsman. At least they get to 'fight.' That's the only reason he's doing this, so he can punch somebody. That always is the brightest part of his day...]

So any requests? I know some people don't like gettin' hit in the face...

B

[ricebird]

[Sorry, what was that? Kotori can't hear you over how AWESOME her katsu sandwich tastes. Somehow Kotori stumbled across a shop selling BENTO BOXES, of all things, and it's been ages since Kotori's had a good katsu sandwich, eagerly munching into the first half as the other sits in the box, waiting to be devoured. There's even a couple of onigiri (one salmon, one umeboshi) and a cute little salad accompanying it, the box sitting in her lap on top of the cloth it was wrapped in, but otherwise unguarded. And she doesn't look very strong or alert.]

C

[detectiveforhierophant]

[Dojima, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, leather woodsman garb on his body, with a hunting rifle in one hand and an axe in the other, gave the other man a careful look over. Not judging, persay-- Assessing. He didn't like fighting unless absolutely necessary, but considering how this guy was glaring at him, and how his ears and tail were positioned- it didn't seem like they'd get out of this without a brawl.]

...

[Kneeling down, he carefully put the rifle on the ground, and then the axe-- he didn't want to drop it and make it fire accidentally, it didn't look like rifles like these had 'safety' locks like his own revolver did. Getting back up, he dusted his pants off, and returned the other man's intense gaze.]

... Let's go with no punches to the face or 'below the belt'. ...Thighs and legs are free game, just no cheap shots.

[He moved into a stance, carefully watching the other man. So who makes the first move?]

Naomi Kimishima | Trauma Team | Sea Witch

[chatwithdeath]

[Option A-1. Endless Feast]

That book hadn't been the one she normally read to Alyssa, but upon opening it - seeing the words scrawled inside - she supposed it had been her curiosity. Things had quieted after the outbreak, leaving her with not much else to do save for the few crimes the FBI needed her for. Even then, she only found herself often in her off before performing another autopsy.

So, here in the Index she was, a day later after her arrival, ironically dressed in a mermaid gown, and trying to understand what she was bearing witness to.

It's... food.

Overflowing tables, spilling onto the ground, and more constantly appearing. Some of it appeared sentient, others appeared unappetizing, but all of it was becoming a potential health risk. What a hell of a welcome...

Well, she might as well stand aside and see how it was being handled first. She wondered if it could be so simple, but she would see what others would do.

[Option B. Essence Practice]

She hadn't read the story in ages, but it was a refresher on how much of a non-player her Aspect was. Well, not so much non since it was the magic she wove that resulted in the ending. If the Mermaid hadn't tried to change their destiny so drastically, what would the ending be?

No more thinking about that. She stood observing the waves lapping at the shore from the sea, pulling back out and repeating. A lulling pattern that she started to walk into. Nothing had been working on land so she might as well take it out there...

[III: Option A-1. Little Red and the Wolf]

"... Is trading at all possible?"

Look, they could work on getting through the forest maze after she wasn't Little Red. Why in the Realm was she Little Red for this? Blue eyes narrowing, she couldn't stop being Red, could she?

She turned her eyes on the present 'Big Bad Wolf', leering them down.

"Whatever. You, we're going into the woods now. Behave yourself and maybe you'll get fed something. No guarantees that it's Grandmother though."

I literally have the icons for this how can I not reply

[detectiveforhierophant]

"Hey, look, I don't like this either."

Though... really, could you imagine him as little red riding hood?

He held up his hands defensively, taking just a sliight step back from the woman; his ears pinned back and tail low. He wasn't quite cognizant of how his new 'features' were expressing his emotions, but Naomi should get the message loud and clear.

"I don't have any interest in 'eating' Grandma. I'm still myself..."

He knew he should, considering the role he had been shoved into. But there was no need to totally play along, right? He wasn't about to attack an old woman or anything, damnit.

Still, he knew-- intriniscally-- how to navigate the forest, and they weren't going to be able to get out of this situation unless they moved on.

"Right... follow me."

He gestured to the left, and began walking towards a path through the trees.

Evora, The Watcher | Pillars of Eternity | The Swan Princess

[soul_cypher]

1B. Essence Practice (CW: scars, possible reference/discussion of whippings)

Some people dream of having wings. Being a bird, and flying away from all their troubles. She'd done that more than once, as a child. But she's never included the inherent problems, that come with having wings. Especially on a body that isn't meant for them.

Clothes have been a challenge. The wings are extra limbs, and require accommodation. And those accommodations meant exposure of things, she's diligently hid, most of her life. She's acquired a cloak, but it's bulky, and obviously. Still she wears it, rain or shine.

Except now, as she draws it off, folding it, and laying it nearly on a bench. For some reason, she feels drawn to the lake. She's never been partial to water before, but since gaining the essence of the Swan Princess, she finds herself coming here often. It's quiet, not a lot of people, or bustle, which she appreciates.

The shirt cuts out nearly all the space across her back, giving the large, heavy wings the room they need, to maneuver. It also shows the mass of old scars, splattered across her back, like a Jackson Pollock painting. They're hard to miss, as she stretches out those wings. But maybe the excessive span, of those new appendages have, might be enough of a distraction.

2B. Down Came the Rain

She's not the spider. But she's here to help them. As the water comes slucing down, the winged woman swooped down, over the "spider", once they moved to a rubber platform.

"Down," she barks, her accent thick, but clear in it's means. Wings arched, she shields them both, the blast of water sliding off feathers made for a water fowl. The force beats at her, but she maintains, deceptively strong, for her slight size.

[deadmentellnotails]

Eizen is extremely grateful for the help, because he is getting really freaking sick of getting washed down, dammit! He ducks under the woman's wings, swearing as the water comes down.

"You okay?"

Daryn, The Watcher | Pillars of Eternity | The Snow Queen

[wildstrike]

¶ I.
b.
While he doesn't struggle to read like he used to, before spending so many years in the Dyrwood, and spending time with people such as Kana and Aloth especially, it's still...it's overwhelming, to be surrounded by so many books. No matter how often he visits libraries like this one, he doubts his awe will ever fully fade, nor his quickness to take advantage of it, devouring as much knowledge as he can.

Starting, naturally, with whatever books he can find of this Snow Queen he takes his power from now, and it's not long before he has a stack of several books and anthologies surrounding him on one of the tables. He gets through each of them slowly, losing track of time as he reads, but eventually he sits back in his seat, thoughtful.

"She was lonely," he says after a moment, less to his companion than to himself, and his face softens in sympathy as he puts the book back down on the table. "I do not think she even realized that she was. I've seen it push people to terrible things, and that boy was lucky to be rescued."

c.
It seems a bit silly that a book is supposed to be sending out messages for him, if he's honest. But after studying it, and finding nothing really suspicious...

Hájo?

His handwriting is...shaky, at best. But hopefully it's still legible to anyone reading it. And after a few moments of waiting, Daryn hunches over the journal, brow furrowed in concentration, and starts to...

Well. He starts to sketch out a messy image of something that looks suspiciously like a wolf. Large, thick furred, and with incredibly long teeth. Without Eskel there to take reference of, he can only hope it's as true to memory as possible.

Particularly the dopey face and the lolling tongue.

That is definitely not the image of a vicious beast.



¶ II.
b.
It started out like something of a game for him. One person climbs up the spout, and the rest of them protect that person. A great way to practice his skills, and get a handle on the powers that his essence offered. How to manipulate it to his needs, how far he could push before the icy grip of frost around his heart became too much.

It was easy enough at first, actually, now that he finally had a new bow in hand. Now that he'd figured out how to properly create and maintain it's form and function, how to fire off sturdy arrows of ice, the inky dark blots that pursued them were simple enough to dispatch. Climbing the spout itself took some work, but Daryn found he could also easily provide useful, if chilly, hand and foot holds as needed. For a time.

It stopped being so simple, higher up. Between trying to fire on those manning the water cannons above and trying to shield his struggling companion from worst of the deluge, Daryn almost doesn't notice the deep rumble of thunder rolling above them. Not until the second crack sounds, raising the hair on the back of his neck, and he looks to the sky, eyes wide in alarm.

"Skyt." He throws the bow across his back and quickly leans over the edge of the rubber platform he'd perched himself on, holding out a cold, calloused hand for the "spider" still climbing below. "Come, you need to get on here, now."

c

[soul_cypher]

Her lips twitch into a small smile, barely there, but often brought on by the one she knows is drawing. The greeting also is a to off.

"Ado, frero." she writes back in a neat, learned script.

"Practicing your artistry?"

weiss schnee | rwby | rapunzel

[schnees]

IA: endless feast
[ this was not what mistral was supposed to look like. not that weiss can recall. and it definitely has something to do with that strange book she encountered just as she hopped onto yang's motorcycle to head off to see ruby again.

she knows this because nobody told her about magic pumpkin vehicles or dancing gingerbread men. and nobody told her that her hair would grow an extra seven feet or so.

as she tries to get away from the crowd to gather her bearings, she winds up stumbling and tripping on her heels. something pulls violently at her hair. she looks back to find that a pumpkin carriage has effectively rolled on top of her hair and is now making its way up her long, newly found locks. ]

Ugh-! Get off of me!

IB: essence practice
[ weiss can be found outside of the city, out in the fields, away from the hustle and bustle of the people. she should be training with her rapier and her dust and her glyphs. instead...she's left with nothing but a bunch of hair and the clothes on her back.

the story of rapunzel talks about how long her hair is, and weiss knows that she now has some innate ability to control its movements. but it's clear she's struggling. she takes in a deep breath to keep herself in check--she knows that the more frustrated she gets, the harder it is to focus. she looks down at a bundle of her hair before pointing to a nearby tree in front of her. ]

I command you to attack! [ ... ] Go!

[ ...nothing. ughh. ] ...Somehow, I feel like this'll be harder than summoning.

Essence Practice

[twilightskey]

[Roxas likes to use the river as a fast travel, whether it be to get to town faster or to get to the sea if he feels like it. But today he notices the girl with long hair, and how she... seems to be struggling with her essence.]

[He watches her from the river for a moment, arms resting on a rock as his tail flicks in the water. He watches her struggle for a moment, before finally deciding to call out.]

Hey! Are you having trouble?

Elma | Xenoblade Chronicles X | Scheherazade

[bladebabysitter]

On a Magic Carpet Ride

"I wish Lin was here. She'd probably take some inspiration from this. Or remember how her Skell flight module development went."

Remarkably calm, Elma pulled herself up to deliver another solid punch to the carpet -- the part she didn't have wrapped around her wrist and locked in a deathgrip. She couldn't get a lot of force into the blow with her legs dangling behind her, whipped about by the breeze as the carpet shot around the city at high speeds.

"I'm not certain my Mim can handle falling impacts as well as it used to," she commented out loud. "Got any ideas?" Whether you're trapped on the carpet that's kidnapped her or swept away on another one in close proximity, she wasn't feeling picky when it came to suggestions.

Spider-Mim, Spider-Mim

With one powerful jump, Elma bridged the gap between two massive spikes, catching onto the far one to pull herself up onto it. No sooner did she get her knees up, though, than the whole spike shifted just an inch with an ominous 'click'. A much smaller spike stabbed out, which she dodged by just a hair's breadth by flattening herself on her perch, arms and legs both squeezed tight to keep herself from slipping.

If things weren't bad enough for her, an onslaught of water balloons was plummeting right her way -- and she hadn't noticed them while dealing with the trap!

Let Down Your Hair

By the time the call floated up through the window, Elma had already wrapped the near end of the wig's hair around one of the bedposts, securing it as best she could. How anyone could climb actual hair of any length without inflicting agony on Rapunzel was beyond her, but she supposed realism wasn't doing her any favors here.

"Here you go," she said in a carrying voice, tossing the rest of the wig hair unceremoniously out the window so it could unravel its way down the side.

Nadeshiko/Nagihiko Fujisaki | Shugo Chara | 12 Huntsmen | Spoilers for Shugo Chara

[nadenagi]

Nadeshiko - Endless Feasts

Tables upon tables that made endless magical foods? Nadeshiko clapped her hands, delighted. Yaya-chan would love this, she and Pepe would be giggling over the gingerbread men. Tadase-kun would just adore the golden eggs. Sohma-kun would love any food he got to chase first, and Amu would be giving everything a cool once over while her Charas geeked out for her.

As for Nadeshiko, after enjoying imagining how her friends and favorite toys would react, got moving. The problem seemed to be that in the state the food came out, most of it was utterly inedible. While yes, destroying the tables might stop more food from being produced, that did nothing for the tremendous waste that was already created. There were plenty of people here strong enough to break up the tables. So Nadeshiko was going to help by transforming inedible magic food into a proper picnic, set out on a nearby non-magical table. She laid out the table with a red plaid cloth that matched her capelet and skirt and got to work. Not by magic was this transformation to happen, but by a borrowed kitchen and years of practice at baking and cooking. Feel free to come talk to her in the kitchen as she crushed gingerbread houses for sweet bread crumbs, or on the way to and from the various tables to either set out food, or collect ingredients.


---------------


Nagihiko - Wildcard.

The young boy mostly kept to himself where he could, though he enjoyed watching other people. He... didn't know what to do about his unhatched eggs, or who he was supposed to be. Even without Temari around, it was easier for Nadeshiko. She had years to learn who she was. Nagihiko felt... like he didn't. Never mind that they were both thirteen, some days he felt like a small child again. Alone and unsure who he wanted to be, let alone how to become that someone. He knew those thoughts had given birth to Temari for Nadeshiko long ago. But for him? His blue egg was silent and still. Both eggs, of course, remained well hidden.

But for now he could be mostly found people watching, or with his nose buried in a book, researching these essences, and the threats they might face. Powerless or not, he was determined to find a way to help.

But there was one other place he might be found, and wouldn't be quite so, well, quiet. He found himself a basketball hoop and a ball, and thinking he was all alone, started shooting hoops. This... might be the first smile anyone here has ever seen on his face.

Endless Feasts

[feralhumanity]

[With the utter amount of food everywhere, and most of it being inedible, Red XIII definitely has enough of stepping in piles of wasted food everywhere. Eventually, he has to take a break from destroying the tables to rest in one of the areas where the food onslaught wasn't as strong.]

[This puts him near a table that seems to not be affected by the magic, and he can't help but approach, sniffing curiously.]

For once, the food here smells edible. This isn't a part of the catastrophe, is it?

Rudy Roughnight | Wild ARMS Alter Code:F | The Ugly Duckling

[westernwinds]

I3: it's a whole new world

[The new downy feathers were...very concerning. The thought of flight was still appealing though, which was at least one of the reasons why he'd taken interest in the magic carpets. It was appealing anyway, since the carpet had immediately decided to take him on a wild goose chase. Not only that, but they came much too close to careening into people for Rudy's liking, and he could do little else but shout out a flustered apology.

It wasn't so much that he had consciously decided to bail, but during a hairpin turn down an alleyway he lost his grip and tumbled to the ground, sending him rolling into the street. He sat up with a wince, only to realize he was smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk.]

Um. Sorry. Didn't mean to get in the way.

[Yup. This feathered boy was more concerned with being in the way than his own new scrapes and scratches.]

IIB: can the sun come out now

[Rudy whistled as he looked up at the spire, shielding his eyes from the sun. Not as tall as Ka Dingel, but Ka Dingel wasn't a straight up climb with rotating areas and spikes.

He was about to start climbing up when a stray water balloon that had missed its target above narrowly missed him as well and went splat on the ground. Welp.]

...At least it's just water?

IIIA: more like the big bad puppy

[Behold, one and all: one of the least threatening wolves to have the chance to fill the role. "Big" and "bad" were also not terribly accurate descriptors. The drooping ears very much showed how he felt about the matter.]

Can I show you the way without the part about trying to eat you?

[Surely he wasn't expected to be so literal when filling this role. Right? He glanced at the basket. Whatever smell was coming from there was infinitely more appetizing anyway.]

II-B

[feralhumanity]

[The water balloon comes hurling down and explodes with a splat!. It's just water, but given his vantage point, Red XIII has to shake his head, sending flecks of water out of his fur.]

It's just water, but it will no doubt make our journey harder.

Della Duck | Ducktales 2017 (Spoilers)

[noimpulsecontrol]

A. Wild Magic Carpets
(This prompt uses the idea of her having an Icarus essence, while the rest are intentionally left ambiguous so I can try out anything that may be suggested to me on her workshop post.)

[Della had, of course, been all psyched to try a magic carpet ride... Yes, she can fly on her own with her weird arm-wings, but she's still getting used to that; learning how to stay in the air for extended periods of time.

And if anything, when the carpet starts doing its own thing, that just gets her more excited.]

Whoo!

[It's all fun and games until her carpet crashes into a market stall. Della's sent tumbling to the ground, the carpet flies off without her, and the owner of the stand is not happy with the damage Della's done.]

Hey, it wasn't my fault! That carpet just decided to-!

[The shopkeeper doesn't want to hear it, clearly. Help a duck out?]


B. Try Out the Journal

[Bored one evening, Della decides to crack open the journal and have some fun with that. She can't draw well, but she doodles her family all the same. Somehow, they manage to look more like eggplants with small bodies than ducks.]

That's my family. The little ones are my sons: Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The guy with the hat and cane is my uncle, and that angry-looking one is my brother. None of them really look like that.

[She misses them, but that much is probably rather obvious.]


C. Little Red and the Wolf

This is embarrassing...

[Really, now. She's a grown woman, why is she in the role of some little girl in a cloak? She's not exactly familiar with this fairytale - it doesn't translate well into a world where all animals live side by side without, you know, eating each other - so Della's main focus is getting through the maze with the Wolf's help. Or without it. She doesn't really care, she just wants to start mamking turns.]

Oh, well. Come on, let's go!

[She runs off, taking the first left, and calling behind her:] Are you coming, or not?


D. Wildcard!
(If nothing here strikes your fancy, feel free to go with anything else!)

B

[quackmage]

[Della gets a single word reply.]

Della?

[feralhumanity]

A - Journal
[Though Red XIII has learned to use a cell phone in his own world, and knows how to read written script, he's finding that using the journal is another task entirely. Even though the journal itself seems magically attuned to him, he's finding holding the quill to be rather difficult with his paws. But in the end, he manages a shaky, almost child-like scrawl in the pages of the journal.]

This may be a problem

B - Essence Practice
[He may be without his Materia in this world, but coming here has granted him some new abilities to test out. Although, given the nature of one of his abilities, Red XIII heads out into the forest, to test out the new 'languages' he seems to implicitly know.]

[He could be found out in the forest, sitting in front of various creatures; birds, rabbits, squirrels, even a fox or two. And strangely enough, he seems to be in deep conversation with whatever animal he's talking to.]

So not only would the town be in danger should the Erasers come, but all of the creatures in this forest as well. I see now why you would be so concerned.

C - Little Red and the Wolf
[It's of little to surprise for Red XIII to be given the role of the Wolf in this story; he is, after all, physically built for such a role. But as Red Riding Hood makes her way through the forest, it becomes clear that the maze-like forest is teeming with Blots and Erasers. When a wolf-shaped Eraser lunges to attack, it's Red XIII who emerges with a snarl, taking the eraser out in a quick flurry of snarls and teeth.]

[Once the Eraser is subdued, the 'Wolf' will turn to 'Red Riding Hood'.]

I know we still have a story to play out, but it might be best if we stick together for this portion.

Android 21 | Dragon Ball FighterZ | Victor Frankenstein

[100stringcheeses]

[ a - essence practice ]


[ 21's not quite sure if there's anything for her to practice or learn in terms of her Essence, however she is quite interested in knowing what she's no longer capable of doing. The auburn-haired woman stands in the outskirts of a nearby forest, wearing a lab coat and seeming to be acting a little ... weird.

She spreads her arms, as if expecting to be lifted up, but nothing happens. She stops and takes notes.

She suddenly thrusts her hand out, palm-first, toward a tree ... but once more, nothing happens. Again, she stops and takes notes.

With a moment to ponder, she suddenly slams her fist into the same tree, and this time something actually goes down. The tree is lifted somewhat, tilting back from the force, while 21 has to yank her hand out of it.

After taking a moment to shake her hand off and remove a few splinters, she's right back to taking notes and mumbling to herself. ]

Interesting ... Perhaps there's a reason ...


[ b - endless feast ]


[ Endless food sounds like a dream to 21! Some of these things looked absolutely delicious, but at the same time, there was an equal amount of food that was ... clearly not meant to be eaten. And did one of them seriously just create a little pumpkin carriage? It'd be kind of cute if it wasn't slowly becoming more and more of a chaotic situation.

Even with her abilities being limited here due to her Essence, she knows she could still smash the tables with brute strength. She definitely could! ... But instead, 21 ends up staring sadly at the tables. ]

Do we ... Do we know for certain that there's no way to fix these? Surely there's no need to break something some useful if there's a chance, right?

[ It's endless food! She WANTS that ... ]


[ c - wildcard ]


[ go for whatever tbh, i'm good with it ]

B

[feralhumanity]

As far as I know, there is no other way to stop this. As useful as all this food may be, if we don't stop it, the whole town may be covered by food. And that's not even including the inedible things.

[Not to mention most of those inedible foods smelled awful, especially to his sensitive nose.]

Darkwing Duck | Darkwing Duck (1991) | The Scarlet Pimpernel

[terrorwhatflaps]

In The Index: Essence Practice

He got pretty lucky, all things considered. He still has a cape, and a mask, and gets to go out and save people from injustice. He could have been Pinocchio or Little Jack Horner or something, after all. But the change in weaponry is taking some getting used to. His trusty gas gun is gone, replaced by a fencing rapier with a shining silver scabbard, and a short poniard.

Today finds him fencing with ... a tree.

"En garde, you dastardly deciduate!" He cries, springing forward in a passable lunge. The tip of the foil pierces the bark and ... sticks fast. Bracing one webbed foot on the trunk, he tries to pull his weapon free, and overcompensates, sending himself flying backwards, beak over bottom. Is he going to bowl straight into you? Narrowly miss you? Knock over something important to you? Or will you just point and laugh? Whichever happens, it's an inconvenience to at least one soul involved.

Itsy Bitsy Spider: Down Came The Rain

The gloves took a little finagling, but eventually Darkwing starts making decent headway on the climb. "It's a good thing I bought Gosalyn all those Spider-Guy comics," he mutters, setting up another strand with a shot from his glove. As he climbs, he notices the platforms, but doesn't bother with them. The sooner he gets this done, after all, the sooner the story will be finished, and he'll be showered with accolades and maybe one of those sweet, sweet Index parties.

Showered being the operative word, as suddenly a "helpful" soul up above blasts him with a fire hose. He lets out a stream of bubbling, babbling protest, losing his grip on the thread, but managing to snag one of those ignored platforms on the way down.

"HEY! CUT IT OUT UP THERE!"

practice

[rokubro]

Rokurou just happened to be nearby when he hears the sounds of someone...he assumes practicing. Not unusual, trees make for great targets. Planning on just taking a curious look before continuing on his way, the daemon makes his way towards the sound and...stops.

...Huh, looks like another duck. Well his form is—okay, yeah, it could use a lot of work, but he clearly has spirit! And a fancy vocabulary. So he just leans against another tree, watching in some amusement before the rapier gets stuck in a tree. When Darkwing ends up bowling right over to him, Rokurou quickly steps to the side to avoid him. Unfortunately, this might mean that the poor duck is about to roll right into it, but he may be lucky and roll over it inst—oh wait that's a large root there, huh. Regardless of how it ends, Rokurou will be looking over him.

"Ouch—you okay there?"

Oswald | Odin Sphere Leifthrasir | The Beast

[ashadowofhope]

[I.A-1]

[He's trying to learn more about the Index - really, he is - but it isn't his fault there's enchanted food and furniture rampant everywhere. It's madness and he really, really doesn't want to be involved in it.]

[He also does not enjoy being accidentally hit by food either.]

[If people wanted tables destroyed, that was efficiently being done now by an almost formless beast, his massive claws making quick work while crunching fangs only bite and splinter, but not devour. Should he not be stopped, there won't be anymore tables left for the feast.]

[I.B]

[There's no humor in finding out your temperament could result in becoming a destructive monster. At least before, he more voluntarily took on that role by choice, sacrificing himself to that curse for strength.]

[He didn't like the fact curled horns protruded from his hair either. He couldn't guise the truth of his Aspect, but he would have to learn how to control it. If it was his anger than he had to control his rage - learn to keep down his normal reflects.]

[That's why he spaced himself from the town - sat in the forest to listen and breathe.]

[II.B-3]

[Though not the Spider himself, Oswald was assisting the Spider almost passively in the beginning. When the worse traps begin, that's when he ascends to help, quite familiar with tall tower climbs and even fighting.]

[When the Blots and Erasers make their appearance, he was at them without hesitating, hands partially turned to claws in order to rip. Flies that are out of reach were met with projectiles, spent traps torn apart as Oswald threw the pieces to guard the path.]

Keep going...!

[IV. Mix It Up]

[OOC: Wildcard, go for it.]

I.A.-1

[hatesviolence]

[Shizuo was also not really feeling the whole magical endless feast that was going on here, and his own temper was rising a bit from having to deal with it. But he's been managing—until he hears the shouts and the sound of tables being destroyed.]

The hell...

[His initial anger toward the situation on pause, he looks over to the source and is a bit surprised to see some kind of beast going all out on the tables. Sure, he may have also destroyed one or two to help stop the flow, but not like that.]

Hey! [Now concerned about someone getting caught in the beast(?)'s rampage, he rushes over.]

Ryotaro Dojima | Persona 4 (Golden) | King Arthur

[detectiveforhierophant]

A. 2 - Puss in Boots...?

"Stop right there! You're under arrest!"

Old habits die hard, but even if it involved magical cats (and a weasel) in boots, it wasn't going to stop Dojima from doing his damn job.

Though, he was still getting used to the whole 'riding a horse' thing. Dogs he could understand, cats were alright, but horses were a completely different beast.

All the same. Around the corner closest to you, two cats and a weasel come dashing by, and followed right behind by a man on a white horse, wearing what looked like ornate armor, a cloak with a circulate on his head. Relying on his essence instinct, he leaned down as the horse closed on the thieves, and managed to grab one of the cats by the scruff of it's neck with a yowl of discontentment.

Having caught the culprit, Dojima used his free hand to pull on the reins, getting the horse to slow to a trot while he... was left holding a screeching, yowling cat that definitely would scratch his eyes out if he let it get close to him.

...So he was trapped on his horse, angry cat in hand and unable to get down.

Do you help?

->Yes
->No

B. Essense Practice.

Now, Dojima had done Kendo before. He wasn't great at it compared to other things (track, martial arts) but he did have some basic knowledge.

The knowledge he found in his mind now, however, was something else entirely. Western swordplay with one of their broadswords was something else entirely, and he was left with this odd feeling of 'knowing' it but lacking the muscle memory to use it easily.

And so, in a quiet part of town, you could find him practicing, a beautiful, ornate sword held with both hands, his eyes focused as he practiced swinging it. It was somewhere between practiced skill and rookie energy, and it annoyed him to no end, but...

If he was going to be any use in this world, he needed to get a handle over one of the few powers he'd been given, right? The quicker they solved this 'eraser' issue, the faster they could go home... and he could get back to Inaba.

III. Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

"...You have GOT to be kidding me."

Well, that certainly was Ryotaro Dojima in a floofy dress (that definitely didn't hide his obviously hairy legs), a long red hooded cloak, and a basket filled with sweets and bread, and what appeared to be a bottle of wine. His free hand was trying, desperately, to pull the dress further down to try and deal with how BREEZY things were, but to no avail.

"You couldn't have made me the huntsman?!"

III -- because the irony

[rokubro]

And here was a fun twist, one that would soon be revealed as Rokurou, dressed in the wolf costume, just gives Dojima a wry grin.

"Hey, you don't look that bad." That was a lie. It was bad. Really bad. But he would try to not make the older man feel any worse than he did already. "Funny thing is, I am the Huntsman of this story, but looks like I'm playing Wolf instead. It's a weird feeling." Mostly caused by his essence.

Godzilla | Amaterasu

[titanus_gojira]

A. The Wolf vs. The Huntsman
[Godzilla is no stranger to an all out brawl, so this seem like a suitable task for him to handle. How did he figure out what the task was? Who knows, but he's aware that someone is in trouble. Despite his tall stature, he's rather good at hunting and getting the jump on someone. Better watch out whoever you are wolf, a long scaly tail will suddenly appear, swinging through the trees to slow you down.]

B. Rapunzel and the Prince
[This is...not quite what the King of Monsters is used to. Protecting a planet from world ending monsters is one thing, but now he has to pay attention to the little fleshlings? What's also discomforting is how much...bigger everything is compared to himself now. It be easy just to knock off this tower's roof and get the flesh in distress that way. But now the tower is taller than himself...

He snorts, letting out a low irritable growl. Smashing the tower isn't an option with the pup still inside, so it's time to dig his claws into the tower wall and climb it. He's not being very subtle about it, as it sounds like someone hitting the tower with a sledgehammer each time his claws dig into the stone. In their place though, vines will start to grow out from the broken stone, maintaining the tower's support and himself as he climbs higher.]

C. I sleep
[When this world doesn't require his service, one might be lucky to spot the kaiju outside of his cave and resting in the sand. The home he had been given was on a remote island just offshore from the beach, with a Shinto gate built at the cave's entrance. The dorsals on his back shimmered in the sunlight, as he gathers energy for the next confrontation. If someone were to come to visit him, he will not raise a claw at them, unless they visibly present themselves as a threat.]

Keith | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Little Red Riding Hood

[tempredmental]

{OOC: Workshop Link}

I. In the Index
A. Out in the City
1. Endless Feast

[Keith was still getting used to wearing a long cloak, so he kept getting it caught on things. But, however frustrated as that seemed to make him, he was refusing to take it off. For some reason, he felt very attached to it, so he wasn't letting it go any time soon.

Regardless of his cloak, though, he was still attempting to get familiar with his surroundings. The tables full of food actually looked pretty tempting, but that's when he realized something was off. They just kept... producing... more and more... on top of other plates, falling on the ground... It was a mess. Keith frowned, noticing that some of the food seemed to be... moving. He yelped as a particularly aggressive gingerbread man came charging at him with a candy cane sword, jabbing him in ankle.]

What the quiznak?

=====

I. In the Index
B. Essence Practice

[A few basics, nothing fancy. Keith didn't know a lot about fairy tales, but he was pretty sure there weren't any special powers that came along with being Little Red Riding Hood. That said, he was finding a few things that were coming in useful the more he worked with things.

For example, any time he was hungry, he found that the basket he'd woken up with had food in it. Usually a baked good like bread or cookies or something along those lines. Nothing fancy, but enough to sustain him for a while.

The other thing was that, when he pulled the hood up on his cloak, people seemed to notice him less. He was pretty sure he wasn't invisible, but this did make sneaking around unnoticed much easier. He stalked about town, listening in and trying to find out anything more that he could... just to have that information handy.]

=====

II. Itsy Bitsy Spider
C. Taking Out the Pests

[He wasn't the spider, but that was fine by him. Climbing the spire was tiring, though, and trying to fight and knock off enemies was quite the challenge, especially without his normal weapons. Keith was doing his best, though, until the rain started. He hadn't been paying attention, and - ZAAAP!

He felt every muscle in his being seize up in response, pain coursing his through his body, and then he dropped... thankfully to a platform not far below him, but it was rough all the same. He groaned, gingerly shifting in an attempt to get moving again before he was attacked.]

II.C.

[ricebird]

[Kotori isn't the spider either (probably for the best, since she's definitely not the athletic kind), but she's at least coming along to make sure everyone gets up okay. And for lunch breaks, lunch breaks are important, especially on a long climb like this. It also doesn't hurt that the food her donabe pot makes also has some mild healing properties since the last story.

But then she sees one of the newer essences get shocked and fall onto the platform she's trying to hoist herself onto. The thud is more than enough to hurry, and she scrambles up onto the platform to run over to him.]

Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!

Princess Rosella | King's Quest | Atalanta

[iv_rosella]

Essence practice

It's been a while since she's fired a bow. She has a bit of a not terribly fond memory of the last time she fired one. But this one feels so right, so perfect, in her hand. It draws smooth, like an extension of her own arm, so easy and graceful.

She lets loose the arrow, and it flies to the target, just a simple bulls-eye, she'd hung up on a tree. It's too far to see how the arrow lands, but she'll look later. Now she draws another, and fires again. And again. After six, she finally goes to see her results, and her long legs cross the distance in a near blur.

"Oh."

Her arrows are clustered tightly, perfectly fitted around each other, in the bulls-eye center. Not a single one damaged, but not even a smidgen of space between them. That's new.

Wolf vs. Huntsman (either role)

"It's funny, my father used to tell me this story. He found Little Red's basket, and her grandmother's stolen soup."

She stands there, telling this little story, partly to stall. This part needs to be addressed, for the story to be complete, she knows. But there should be a way to resolve it without the...traditional violence, surely.

"There was a wolf, but he never really had to do anything about it."

[skyofreality]

Sora has his own Essence to practice. Thankfully it doesn't involve a bow and arrow but instead two sets of guns. He's not terrible at using weapons of this nature seeing as how one of his Keyblades does change into similar weapons, but practice never hurt anyone.

When he comes upon someone else doing target practice, he stands back to watch for a minute. She's good. All of her arrows having not only hit the target but straight in the middle.

He approaches, casually putting both hands behind his head. "You're pretty good. Maybe I should be taking lessons from you."

Sora | Kingdom Hearts | The Boy of the Red Twilight Sky

[skyofreality]

C. Journal

[ So Sora is used to carrying around a journal, though normally Jiminy is the one who does all the writing and information gathering. This one is definitely all his. Makes sense considering he'd been alone upon entering this world. His Gummi Phone isn't connecting to anyone so either it's broken or Sora is further from his worlds than he thought.

He might as well try out this journal. It's said this is also a form of communication. Sora's handwriting isn't the greatest, sorry about that. ]

Hiya everyone! I'm Sora and brand new to this world. Um, sort of. Looking around it kind of feels like a bunch of other worlds I've visited all put into one. Oh, right... I probably shouldn't have written that! World order and all that. Donald's gonna be mad at me.

How do I erase ink? Never mind, I'll just scratch it out. [ And scratch it out he does because who would think the other end would act as an eraser. ]

Anyway, it's nice to meet you all. Or it will be once we've actually met. I'm glad to be here to help you all out on fixing these stories.

IIB

[ While the Spider costume is new and a little cumbersome, Sora has a hint of nostaglia trying to get up a straight, flat surface with a storm brewing overhead. Not to mention dodging various attacks from above. He looks up with a grin. ]

Okay, I've got this. Just like in Olympus when trying to get past that earth Titan. Can't be all that different.

[ And here he goes, running straight up the water spout without using the web shooters provided. ]

IIIB-1

[ Suddenly Sora is looking just like Rapunzel, complete with the long hair she'd had when he had first met her. The tower looks different from the one he got a glimpse of except for the single fact that there appears to be one way in and out - the window.

When Sora moves to peer out the window, he trips over the length of his wig hair. Luckily he lands facedown in a pile of the blonde locks so damage is at a minimum. He lifts his head. ]

Rapunzel made it look so easy to have all of this hair. She even used it to fight with! I can't even walk without tripping over it.

C

[ricebird]

[At first Kotori is excited to see a communication from a new Aspect... but then she sees the name. And her heart freezes. She hopes, HOPES this is another Sora- that's not too unusual a name, right?- not the one that Roxas is a part of, the one he more or less sacrificed his life to bring back, for as much as she understands it. But she reads the rest of the message. "I'm glad to be here to help you all out on fixing these stories."

"I hated him, because he took everything from me. But, I found out that between the two of us, he's the one who has to be the hero. He makes a good other."

It IS that Sora...

A few more breaths (maybe a quick message to Roxas, to confirm he's still here and alive)... and then she begins to write, the reply labeled as being from "Sweet Porridge Girl | Kotori Iida".]

It's nice to meet you too, Sora. I'm Iida Kotori. Have you found where you're supposed to live yet?

Hunk | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Winnie-The-Pooh

[holdthemtogether]

(ooc: Workshop Link!)

Endless Feast
[This is totally something Hunk is interested in - or so he thinks, until he gets to the feast he's been told about. What a mess!]

Aw, man! Okay, first step is clean up.

[It's the early food goo disaster all over again, but from watching others he gathers that they're trying to get closer to the tables to destroy them. Unfortunately, as he starts to fight his way through, the pumpkin carriage - apparently sentient - starts making efforts to run him down. Hunk dodges out of the way, but not so gracefully, landing on the ground at someone's feet.]

Ugh.


Journal
Okay, I signed up for this, I know. But I'm not totally sure about some of this Essence stuff. Teddy bear ears? Really? I shouldn't even be able to hear with plush ears. This place is weird, but I mean, I guess I'm getting pretty used to weird stuff, by now.

Still, teddy bear ears? And there was something else that was a problem, but I can't remember what...

Journal

[iv_rosella]

[This reply has very fancy, flowing handwriting.]

Are you not very used to magic, then?

Katie "Pidge" Holt | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Mulan

[pidgeypidge]

(OOC workshop is here. Also, I'll match whichever format~)

Endless Feast

While the promise of unlimited food is generally too good to pass up, Pidge has started to second guess the logic behind that as soon as she's set eyes on the scene in front of her. Instead of the abundant buffet she was initially picturing, the reality of this is much more chaotic. And entirely something she's seen before, if in a different format.

"What is happening!"

There's no malfunctioning ship to blame this on, and standing here gaping isn't going to solve anything. The short red-brown lapine ears atop her head are on full alert, and after a moment of watching the others present, Pidge decides she's had enough. Jian in hand, she begins to fight her way toward the wayward tables. Deflecting attacks is the name of the game, and things are happening so fast that she doesn't really have time to ponder when and where she's acquired this ability - or the jian for that matter. Probably has something to do with the reason she's here.

After a moment or two, that pumpkin carriage veers around and goes racing toward her, but she's still moving. It's harder to hit a moving target, after all.

Magic Carpet Ride

It's an impulsive decision that has her agreeing to take this little tour. Granted, by this point, Pidge's sense of adventure greatly outweighs her sense of self-preservation. And the thought of seeing everything the city has to offer via magic carpet is just too amazing to pass up. If nothing else, it'll be a fun story for later.

So there's exactly zero hesitation as she mounts the flying carpet and gets a good handhold. Barely a moment later, the carpet is off, and Pidge is too wrapped up in the excitement of actually flying to pay much attention to the rapidly passing scenery.

At least she seems to be having fun!

Dear Diary

[Her handwriting probably leaves a lot to be desired. Oops.]

Wow. It's been a while since I did this. I think the last time I kept a diary was right after my dad and brother went missing.

But anyway! Is anyone else loving this as much as I am? Sure, it's pretty weird, but it could always be worse!

And the bunny ears aren't terrible...

Endless Feast

[westernwinds]

[ Moving target or no, seeing that people needed to fight them off to begin with was still cause for alarm! Not having his ARM made things a little tricky, and he hadn't completely adapted to his essence, but the alternative was standing by and doing nothing. He had never been very good at that even when that was the better option.

What he did next was best described as covering fire in the form of knives shaped like feathers. Luckily, his aim was one of his strong points. If nothing else, he could pin down the smaller ones with them. ]

Are you alright?

Crona | Soul Eater | Kerberos

[desertedsoul]

I-B

There's a sound like a pop, and the lanky teenager that had been standing there a moment before is suddenly a knee-high dog... with three heads. The three heads seem to struggle to work together, bumping into each other or biting the other's ears, and there's another pop and the teenager is back, sitting on the ground.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with being a dog or having three heads! Just one would be bad enough!" Comes a soft and whining voice. The kid is clearly struggling, here, and there also appears to be a snake coming up out of a hole in the back of the kid's clothes. It's shiny and black and darts it's tongue out as it looks around as if bored.

I-C

Taking a break from all of that nonsense, Crona turns instead to the strange magic journal. It's a fascinating object, and the tabs are carefully explored. So many empty pages! Things are so strangely quiet now, without Ragnarok shouting all the time, and it has Crona on edge almost more than the demon sword's constant bullying. Crona feels lonely. So... they turn to the "send notes" tab. And stare at it for awhile. And eventually put the quill to the paper.

My name is Crona.

III-B-1

"I don't really know why I'm supposed to be the prince, I don't really seem like a princely type." But here Crona is, standing at the base of this tower, wearing some kind of costume, and supposedly playing the role of prince for this particular story. Who talked them into this?

Crona takes a deep breath and rubs a cheek. This is going to be uncomfortable... but it's for a good cause. A few awkward pigeon-toed steps are taken toward the tower.

"Um... Rapunzel? Please... help me climb the tower?"

That isn't the right line, is it? Oh well.

I-C

[noimpulsecontrol]

Hey there, Crona! My name is Della.

[Della takes a second to look at the sender's name once more.]

Your essence is Kerberos, huh? That's really cool! I've got Icarus, myself, and there's at least one other person with an essence from the ancient Greek lore here.

Scrooge McDuck | DuckTales 1987/Disney comics | Captain Ahab

[moneymatters]

I-A2 - Puss In Boots...?
If there was one thing Scrooge McDuck hated more than anything else, it was a thief. To make your money through hard work is one thing, to steal it from others is a whole other kind of evil. So once a call went up of be-booted cats (or otherwise) making off with heists, Scrooge saw fit to arm himself well.

While he was still working on being able to tap into his Essence (and wouldn't harpoons be a little much anyway?), he still had plenty of methods to defend himself with. Just had to put himself in the right place at the right time, and- aha! There goes one of the slippery critters now. Hardly slowed down at all by his peg leg, Scrooge raced to cross paths with it, reaching out with his cane to trip it up.

"Ah! Got you now!" Or he did, at least until the cat responded with a blast of magic that flinched Scrooge back and let the thief get away. Reeling some, he coughed in the wake of the flare, waving a hand to get rid of the dumb cloud of smoke that'd been left. Intercept the thief? Check on the old duck? Better yet, help him join the chase. Either way, this isn't a job for one person, even if that person is Scrooge McDuck.


I-C - Try out the Journal
This was hardly the first magical book he'd ever come across, but this was the first one that'd been in wide supply. Still, he had to admit that it seemed to be put together well, appearing as a ship journal you might find during the Golden Age of Sail. The medallion, decorated with waves, got an interested eye to it too, and once he heard what all the journal could do, why not test it out? His question is a simple one, but depending on the answers he gets, this could go interesting places.

Who's been here the longest? If you haven't been, what do you think of all of this?


IV - Wildcard (with a little Essence Practice)
It had been a long time since he'd last read this story. He certainly remembered it from his youth, and its presence went right along with the existing whispers of dangerous whales and other terrors that came with sweeping the Atlantic in ships. And while he knew that, even now, he wasn't living it, something about this whole thing weighed heavily on his mind.

Perhaps it was the physical changes it'd wrought on him, most notably the peg leg. That had been a struggle to learn how to walk with at first, and even now he had a particular "step clunk" gait that anyone could tell from a mile away. And while there were smaller changes like more to his existing facial hair and an old tattered-but-sturdy overcoat he could wear, he had to admit that the peg leg weighed most heavily on his mind. And looking at it, noting it was made of whalebone as it was in the book, he had to wonder if his obsession over it was his own, or his Essence's...?

Either way, there was new skills to be had. Scrooge had found a quiet corner to practice in, the overcoat shrugged off and the sleeves of his normal coat pushed up past his elbows. A makeshift target had been set up several yards away, waiting. He took in a long, deep breath, held it several seconds, then let it out slowly. One hand reached out and, with a crack like lightning breaking over the ocean, a roped harpoon appeared in his hand. He narrowed his eyes, feeling the skill flow through him; already adept at sea, everything focused intensely, coming with it the fury of the raging waves. He twisted his body back and raised the weapon, staring at the target to the exclusion of everything else, even unaware that he was being watched. Wrenching himself back around he hurled the harpoon with all his might; it sailed across the space and landed deep in the target with a loud, solid sound. This was followed up by a triumphant one from Scrooge-

Right before he, having been left balanced on the peg leg, lost said balance. One mini-hop and then he bodily hit the dirt. He laid there a moment, then pushed himself up with an angry spit, muttering to himself. Where's that dang rope- ah, there it is. He brushed himself off and followed the rope, coiling it along his arm, until he reached the target and could pull the harpoon out.


True Wildcard
((OOC: Got another idea? Tag away, or hit me up at zumidotexe for plotting! Also, will respond to either prose or brackets, whichever you prefer~ ))

I-A2

[skyofreality]

There's a familiar figure and voice calling out that has Sora's attention pretty much instantly. He turned just in time to see Scrooge get hit with a blast of magic, mouth gaping open that someone would attack the duck in the first place.

"Scrooge!" Sora's feet carry him to Scrooge's side. "Are you okay?" Not for one minute does the boy think that the duck may not recognize him. While catching the thief is important, he wanted to make sure that Scrooge was okay too.

Fortunately he can sort of do both as in a flash of light, he summoned one of his gunblades to his hand. It shot off a blast of water at the cat, hoping to knock it off-balance at least.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Miraculous Ladybug | Cinderella

[luckyspots]

I. Pawblem Child

[This was like the third time she'd gotten lost already-- this is a lot to get used to. Paris was big but she'd had her whole life to learn those streets. Here, she's lucky if she doesn't find herself going in a circle. Because of that she's made eye contact with a fair number of alleys. It's just her luck that brings her face to face with our Puss in Boots imposter running down the alleyway carrying what looks to be someone's bag.]

...I know I didn't just see that.

[Yet she can rub her eyes a million times and-- she definitely just saw that. A cat. Wearing boots. Running off with someone's stuff no less! A cat with a penchant for petty burglary is just something she cannot abide by. Powers or no, she can't just sit by while it takes off.]

Hey! Get back here!

[Marinette isn't bad on her feet when she's focused. It tries, but it can't outrun her. Eventually the two come to a standstill.]

I don't have time to play with you kitty-- just drop the bag and no one has to get hurt.

[Unfortunately she doesn't know it knows magic and she might have just bitten off more than she can chew.]

II. Study Session

[A deep, heavy sigh fills the library. It's a nice essence-- and the story isn't a bad one. No, if anything it would be fantastic under normal circumstances. It's incredibly romantic and has a good ending after all. She only wishes hers could be as lovely and grand. But it brings forth one terribly painful reminder.]

Who cares about being a princess if my prince isn't even here to see it?

[That's not the only worry on her mind but it's hard for it not to be the first when this essence is basically throwing romance in her face?]

[ricebird]

[Kotori was coming by the library to do more recipe research, passing by the fairy tales when she hears that sigh. She can't make out the words, and usually she's a bit too shy to approach someone she doesn't know. Even now she debates whether she should mind her own business...

...... Ah to heck with it. Gingerly she walks up over to the slumped girl, only a couple of years younger than Kotori, maybe.]

Um... excuse me, is everything okay...?