APRIL 2015

[thecanopycrew]

Uncertain if this is a game for you? Curious to see how your character would act in it? Testing the waters? Then take them on this Home Tree Test Drive! directions ❀ Don't forget to read the Introduction , our Rules and the F.A.Q ❀ Post with your character with their name and canon in the subject line. ❀ Use the prompt(s) given here or make up your own! ❀ Both prose and comment spam format are welcome. ❀ Tag around! Make friends. Don't be afraid to discuss OOCly while tagging. ❀ The Test Drive Meme can be used for your application's first person sample. ❀ This meme is is considered as OOC and not part of the game's canon. prompt Night of the Fireflies! It is late at night after you have gained your wings, and the tree is surprisingly dark. All the fireflies have gathered outside, flying around the tree in a display of glittering stars. It is almost as if they little critters are dancing with joy to see the new friends joining the Tree. On the first floor's branch, the glow worms have settled, illuminating the whole bark like a shining band of Christmas lights - and they, too, are reveling in the joy of new adventurers. Explore how your new gem works, try put your leaf clothes and join the critters in their dance - or simply watch them imitate the starts in the sky. It's a nice night to meet new friends. Just bring a squirrel fur or two, it's still cold outside.

Night Gem Wing Inspiration ❀ Day Gem Wing Inspiration

Comments

[2wei]

...

[Why did she see this coming? She can't help but look somewhat deadpan for a moment before her expression flickers to something akin to surprise and worry.]

Onii-chan, are you okay?

[onlypath]

I-I'm okay, Illya. I didn't fall over this time at least. [...aw dang it. he'll get help. Shirou's typically stubborn. but this isn't like trying to best the high jump or something]

Every time I lean forward I feel like I'm gonna fall face first.

[2wei]

Well, that's an improvement... [Which is, at a good thing? In Illya's opinion, anyway.]

Try not to lean too much forward though, onii-chan. That's how you end up falling.

[onlypath]

I got that far, but...how am I supposed to fly forward without leaning forward? I feel like I could go straight but I can't balance myself.

[at least he was admitting to it]

[2wei]

It's more like focusing on your wings than anything, I think. Leaning in helps a little, but if you go too far, you'll fall...

[onlypath]

Focusing on my wings... [so fly harder to keep his balance? he closes his eyes this time, and doesn't imagine where he is and only on rolling forward without pushing forward just yet. it's a little hard, but he can feel his body shifting so that he was floating in the air whilst leaning forward. his wings moved quicker in the process, keeping him balanced as if to hold his shift in weight]

... [he opens his eyes and realizes that he's floating a little bit above Illya now, but he doesn't freak out thinking he'll fall on her. he concentrates on this position as he realized that he'd subconciously started moving forward when he closed his eyes] I think I'm getting it.

[2wei]

[Illya's mouth forms a small, surprised circle as she watches him concentrate; it's pretty surprising how he's doing pretty well for his first time, especially now that he's above her.]

That's good, onii-chan! [She beams, clasping her hands together with a huge smile on her lips.]

[onlypath]

[when she smiled up at him the way she did, Shirou seemed lost in thought for a moment or so, his feelings trapped in time as every beat in his heart and mind conjured up another memory. she wasn't the same, and yet she was. she knew him, and yet she didn't know him. to her, he was her brother. to Emiya Shirou, she was a girl he never got the chance to understand before he couldn't save her. he wasn't certain how long this would last, and frankly, if he would ever see her again in his own lifetime.

it wasn't fair. if this was what Illya would have been like if it wasn't for that damn war he'd vowed to put an end to, she didn't deserve the fate she had in his world. she deserved to be happy, to have a family, to have friends, to-]

Thank you, Illya.

[it was too late. a superhero needed to be able to save everyone in the end, and any failures he would shoulder and use to reinforce his resolve and make him stronger. Illya was no different. if she needed him, if she needed her brother, he felt a strong compulsion to protect her. he would save her as many times as she needed so that she could continue to be happy. but why was it so sad at the same time? reality seperated the two, but fantasy drew them here. what an odd turn of events. but...]

I'm glad I got to meet you. [he said it with a gentle smile, a smile that he knew that she deserved, no matter where she came from]

[2wei]

Eh..?

[There was a strange look on Illya's face, her bright red eyes widening in sheer surprise. Why was he thanking her? She hadn't done anything worthy of such thanks, and she could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest as her cheeks flared up.

With a shake of her head, she manages to speak up, her voice low and slightly nervous at first]

No, you don't need to thank me, onii-chan! I... [The words were caught in her throat. He was different after all, so she couldn't say them. She feels like she's about to cry-- his words seemed to hurt her, somehow. Was it because he said it in the past tense? Because she was dead in his world? Even so, she just smiles in return; it's a soft, innocent, childlike smile that's almost infectious.] I didn't really do anything, really.

[onlypath]

[he calmly shook his head, that soft smile that he likely wouldn't see again in his own world being committed to his memory. he would press onwards with no regrets. it was sad, but he would take this sadness with him. he wouldn't regret it, but he had to learn from it. if he doubted himself, he didn't have what it took to make things right in the future.

this path wasn't wrong- it never would be wrong. even if it was impossible, it was smiles like hers and the end that were so beautiful that he couldn't help but ask himself, "why should I stop?" borrowed or not, it was his means in life, through others he would owe it to himself in the end. moving back until he was in front of her again, he dropped to the ground with a satisfied sigh, ready to move on]

Is there anyone else that you know here, Illya?

[2wei]

[When he asks the question, she shakes her head quickly in response. There wasn't anybody that she knew... or rather, people from her own world here.]

Everyone's from a different world. What about you, onii-chan?

[onlypath]

No one yet. To be honest, you're the first person I've seen. So there's people from all sorts of different realities...

[was there another version of him out there? hey-!]

Maybe your Shirou is here somewhere!

[2wei]

You think so?

[There's a trace of doubt in her expression, but she then realizes--]

Ah, but if we look for him, I can't show him my magic! [Priorities.]

[onlypath]

Eh? Why not?

[2wei]

B-- Because! Onii-chan doesn't know about magic, and, and!

[SCREECHING TO A HALT] It's... kind of embarrassing to make him see me in this.

[Not that it's not embarrassing now]

[onlypath]

What? I never knew about anything about magic or what you do in your world?

[yes, yes, Illya. we all know that you're the next big loli thing in the world of magical girls but leave it to Emiya Shirou to forget about that kinda detail]

[2wei]

Nothing. [Good going, Emiya Shirou.]

I didn't know about magic until recently, too.

[onlypath]

Oh... Well...how are we going to explain me if I come face to face with him?

[2wei]

...

[Oh, right] Th-- There's that rumor about how there's always another person that looks exactly like you in the world!

[onlypath]

I heard about that... But I probably sound the same as him too. You look and sound just like the Illya from my world.

[2wei]

Then... we'll figure something out! Ruby! [Her Kaleidostick's just been chilling out for the most part, watching them panic and have their emotional stuff done, but once it's called, it just laughs before suggesting that maybe they could dye Shirou's hair.]

Wha-- we can't do that! Maybe if we just do something, we can get out of this problem!

[onlypath]

[is it bad that the first thing Shirou thinks when Ruby suggests dying his hair that it be white? unlike her Shirou, that was something he'd probably have to deal with after constant use of his magecraft]

Or we could just...you know...tell him if we see him. It's gonna be hard to explain fairy wings and living in a tree in the first place.

[2wei]

... I guess we can do that. [But now she's worried that she might have two big brothers worrying for her safety because she has magic.]

[onlypath]

[it sounded like he had such a normal life in her world... did the disaster that befell Fuyuki in his time never occur?]

Hopefully we won't have to worry about that though, and we can go home somehow.

[2wei]

Yeah! [Eyes brimming with determination, Illya clenches her hands into tight, balled fists, smiling brightly as she swings her hands over her head.]

Maybe we can find a way to go home... and a reason why we're here.