downtheroots | MARCH 2015

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 very first 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

Welcome to the Faerie Feast!

After your have gained your wings, you are met by a feast on the second floor with all that the forest can offer you. Tables and chairs are set up everywhere along the walkway between the houses, allowing the new visitors to meet and greet - or try to hide in the corners and eat berries all by themselves.

Try your new wings to be the first to grab those delicious crumbs of walnut bread? Or say hi to your party lights, courtesy of some excited glow worms and flies that just want to be your best friends.

Explore how your new gem works, try put your leaf clothes or decide to head further into the tree, seeing just what kind of place your have stumbled into. Maybe you will even get a glimpse of those hairy legs on the fourth floor?

Night Gem Wing Inspiration ❀ Day Gem Wing Inspiration

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Wings? Wings? Nah bro, Chora's been climbing around as much as she can because this wings business is kooky and...She's also pretty tired at this point. Even with a height advantage and extreme muscles, she's only mortal.

Which is why she's so interested when she spots Wyrden and Ramiel. Good idea, that. Sleep on the floor. Why not? If all that happens is that some kind of cute waif of a guy stares at you the entire time, she can dig it.
But maybe there's something going on here too; clearly, the only way to find out is by squatting beside the Accessory, eyes narrowing as she too joins in on the staring.]

...One way to pass time. [And she just keeps staring.]

[ It takes a while, but eventually Ramiel starts speaking. The Accessory's voice is fluid, but very obviously synthesised. ]

Rest capacity fulfilled. Body functions optimal.

[ The android stands, an eeriely smooth motion - while Wyrden opens her eyes and yawns. And then her eyes fall onto Chora. While her expression doesn't change, she sits up a lot more quickly than usual. ]

What're you doing here?

[Fake voice, huh? The only thing that could come close to that kind of thing in Eorzea is...Is anything from those douches in Garlemald, really. Garlean technology is the closest thing to robots that they have, and so Chora instinctively stands in time with Ramiel.

She's about to rap on his head, start pulling on his ears and stuff like that to see if he's got fake skin (because if so they are getting way too sneaky for it to be good) when she realises that Sleeping Beauty's up as well.
...Huh. So that's what he'd been on about.]

Wondering if spot is good for sleeping, perhaps. Seems like there is queue. [She shrugs, before squatting again and cupping a hand around her mouth. This one's meant for you, Wyrden.] Or perhaps you have admirer; was also trying to see what might have attracted him. All so very mysterious, you two are.

[ Admirer? Mysterious?

... oh, people keep finding Ramiel weird. Accessories aren't common, apparently. ] He's not an admirer. [ Not saying that she didn't have any, but famous sinner's life, man. ] He's my Accessory. Some kind of robot assistant.

[ She's already learned the value of not giving the truth about Accessories' natures to everyone she meets. They tend to freak out, or worse. ]

Are you tired? I'm awake now, you can sleep here if you want to.

[SO HE IS A GOSHDARN ROBOT. That's enough reason for her to tense up a little, eyes narrowing and smile becoming sharp.]

Robot...Magitek, then. That looks realistic. Talks, has skin and hair. [Yeah, revealing the true nature of an Accessory probably wouldn't matter much; when you're a Final Fantasy character, everything is bad and wrong and evil when it's not magic.

Honestly? If it hadn't been for the past day or so wherein everything has been weird and obviously otherworldly? She'd probably be attempting to rip Ramiel's head clean off. She's fought vanguards before, what's one little man-shaped robot gonna do? That's enough inner monologue, though; she's going to stay blandly normal until given reason to act otherwise.] Ah, tired...Yes, a little. Not enough for sleep, yet; was scouting out places for tonight or later, when climbing gets too much.

Only if was comfortable sleeping for you. Depends on your evaluation on floor's comfort, I suppose.

He looks just like a human. [ Except tinier. For some reason. Usually he'd be taller than her. It's a bit strange that he can't look her directly at eye level anymore. ] He's quiet, though. Not a problem.

[ Probably. She can notice Chora's tension, but again doesn't comment on it. ]

Eh, I crash anywhere suitable. Can't be picky. [ Especially since her usual bed was literally a slab of steel. ]

Scarily so. Very good technology; long as he behaves, is no problem what he looks like. [She forces a smile, but it only lasts a few seconds if even that; faking emotion has never been her strong suit. Better to simply distract herself from the idea of Garlean infiltration.]
Ah! Know this feeling; comes with part and parcel of adventuring, really. On job collecting hide? Sleep in grass. Trying to find ore? Sleep in sand, ensure do not get covered in sandstorm. At least keeps the mind and body healthy, or something--

Wait! [Suddenly, the pieces come together (at least in a manner that she can rationalise things and stop being a grumpy shit). With a snap of her fingers, Chora points excitedly at Ramiel and practically hops on the spot.] Retainer! He is...Is retainer! Yes? Like my Pha'e!

[Well, not quite given that Retainers are actual people who simply take on simple fetch quests and look after gear and money instead of being creepy surveillance bots, but...Whatever. She seems happy with her answer, anyway.]

[ Well, that... Ramiel is behaving now, but there could be problems. Mostly he exists to watch her, and she's not likely to break any of his rules anytime soon, but when it came to other people...

It's good to hear that this lady shares her own sentiments about work, though. Some of the others here are too pampered. She isn't too confident about the use of the word 'retainer', but it seems kind of similar, so why not. ]

Yeah, something like that. He helps me when I go out onto the field. [ Fighting together, dismantling Abductors, and reviving each other when one of them sustained fatal damage. All in a day's work. ]

Are you an outdoors person too?

['Something like that' doesn't exactly inspire the most confidence, but Chora knows well enough to leave Wyrden at that; she'll just keep an eye on Ramiel, given that the idea of man-shaped magitek is something horrifying to her. But not worth starting arguments or causing trouble over, not when she has a chance to brag and discuss the business instead!]

Aha, knew were adventuring type; is something behind your eyes. Not civilian, must do tough things for living! [Aw, she's actually really excited about being right about a thing.] Yes-- Well, is part of job. Adventuring is not glamorous, 'course; end up wearing same clothes for days on end if is hard job, crawling with mites. Disgusting, but needs be done so I do.

[She stops there, eyebrows furrowing slightly as if she has to sift something out from her muddle of thoughts.] ...Still enjoy scenery, 'course; even Gridania is pretty, even if is full of loathsome people and trees. Hard to beat getting paid to kill crabs on white sands of Costa de Sol, though; nothing beats home.

So? What about you? Favourite territories or part of job?

[ That much she agrees with. Even if they come from vastly different worlds, the need to work for a living is something they share in common. ]

Heh... well. From what I've seen, my world's pretty barren. [ This she says with a tilt of her head. ] We don't have a lot of resources to go around, so most of us go out to scavenge or fight. Other communities often try to steal our things, as well as our important people, so it's up to us to fend them off.

[ It's honestly a glossed-over version of events, but she doesn't feel quite comfortable sharing the full story. ]

I go out to the field to fight, mostly. There are these things called Abductors, see. They're huge, easily ten people tall. What they do is break open our walls and steal our food. So my job is to make sure they don't.

[ It makes her sound like a guard, more than anything else. ]

MARCH 2015

c, from one protag to another

i'm amazed

as you should be gosh

she's so GOLDEN

i'm so glad you think so i worry about her a lot tbh

i like people with alt perspectives including her

huhu thank you eon-san i aim to make her weirdo chaotic neutral 8']

she is.... wyrden is close too

it's so fun to play with the idea of 'protags' not being heroic sorts isn't it :3c

YESS we need more of these unconventional protags