downtheroots | MARCH 2015

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

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

((OOC: Memoca is a character with wings for arms, so they've been replaced with Day Gem wings as of this TDM.))

A; FOOD...?!

[First order of business: After horrible limbless trauma and realizing your wing-arms have been replaced by fairy wings, stop trying to use them to fly. Because Memoca is not used to fairy wings at all and only ends up crashing against the tree.

With a big bruise on her forehead indicating her previous attempts at flight, she sits down at the convenient feast... before sticking her tongue out.]

Bleeeh.

[Memoca, be grateful.]

Don'tcha have any meat here?

B; ~~FISH~~ WORMS ARE FRIENDS

[Eventually, she'll decide to give into her stomach and start looking for actual food. Unfortunately, vegetables are still gross, as any twelve year old can agree. So, being literally twelve and a seagull girl, Memoca assesses her options.

She's about two inches tall-- short back home, even shorter now. The glow worms that fly around, providing party lights, range from slighter bigger to a lot smaller.

Memoca begins to creep up on the smaller ones... and pounces on it, knees pinning it down by the wing and fairy wings maneuvering to grab it.]

Gotcha! It's chow time~

[PLEASE DON'T LET HER EAT THE CUTE GLOW WORM IT'S SCREAMING FOR HELP]

C; NICE LEGS DAISY DUKES

Seriously, what is that?

[When you've been transported to a different world and shrunk down to two inches, a sane person would take several steps. These steps probably include 'avoid strange creatures which are larger than me until I am armed'.

Memoca does not appear to be taking this step.]

It can't be that scary. C'mon, come and see it with me!

[DON'T LISTEN TO THE SEAGULL GIRL, HER ADVICE LEADS TO THE BAD ENDING]

[As far as fairies go, Takatora is tall. He's also a man fond of pragmatism, and eating their sources of light and heat is the opposite of that.

Which is why he bends down, grabs Memoca by the back of her top, and physically hauls her off of the screaming glow worm. He's strong enough to dangle her above the floor, which he proceeds to do.]

Hey! Idiot, don't snack on the insects we're depending on.

a;

Are you familiar with the saying 'an old dog learns no new tricks'? That's exactly what this young woman is struggling with right now.

There are large wings sprouting from her back, almost completely obscuring a black rectangular box strapped to her waist - but what would draw the most attention would be firstly the red-coloured coil on one of her arms, and the man with ice-white hair beside her. Not only does he look human, he is also approximately scaled down to three-fourths her size.

"Come on. You're telling me you can't use this thing? We're cut off from the Panopticon, surely...?"

The man shakes his head, his voice fluid but very obviously synthesised, as if through a speaker.

An Accessory is not permitted to utilize a Thorn unless issued a code override.

"Man, I'd have thought you'd be more human, after all this time... Eh, whatever. Can't be fussy with you, now can I?" Wyrden sighs, running a hand through her short red-brown hair. If you look like a decently-strong adult, she'll be addressing you now.

"Hey! Mind giving me a hand over here?"

b;

After some trouble she manages to (wo)manhandle her Accessory up to the second floor, and is now wandering about looking at the houses. What catches her attention the most is the food laid out on the tables - they do smell... positive? Unfamiliar, that is for sure, but her nose is telling her good things about them. People are also eating them, with little to no ill effects.

But she still doesn't know what they are, so - what better way to find out than ask?

If you are eating, she will come up to you with an extremely serious expression - Ramiel shadowing her equally intensely. (He has no wings.)

"What is this... thing?"

c;

It's taken her quite a while to get oriented around the place, and - it is tiring, honestly, especially for a person who was grabbed right in the middle of a mission. And since she is so very used to minimalist efficiency, she just crashes straight onto the floor. Her belongings are in her bag, used as a simple makeshift pillow. Granted, it is an out-of-the-way section of the corridors, but it is on the floor nevertheless.

As usual, Ramiel keeps watch. And by that, he simply stares at her while she sleeps.

It's totally not creepy, okay.

Totally.

Right?

Edited 2015-02-28 16:01 (UTC)

[--Ah...

After staring helplessly as her prey flies away, Memoca suddenly begins to thrash in Takatora's grip, wings flapping violently.] Lemme go! Lemme go! What else am I supposed to eat!?

[IF WADDA WAS HERE SHE'D FUCK U UP]

i said chow time

[His grips remains firm for now -- he'll let her down only when he's satisfied that she'll leave the glow worms alone.]

The food that we're provided with. Or if you're that desperate for meat, go hunt an ant.

[They're the size of cats -- kind of -- so that's more than enough protein in his estimation.]

[She continues thrashing, and her own voice is almost reaching a squawking tone. ~~Memoca used Clamor! Lowered defenses of all foes!~~]

Fine, fine, I'll go hunt an ant! Now let me go! Buzzoff!

[She's going to try kicking Takatora. Not that she'll succeed, but hey.]

[Being tall and decently broad, Takatora's a good candidate.]

A hand with what?

[He asks, turning his attention her way. When he actually looks at her and sees her odd coil and non-fairy companion, he cannot help but stare a little.]

Huh? I thought that everybody got a pair of wings.

[His own were icily pale, irredescent, and somewhat jagged in shape.]

[ Oh good, he responded positively. At least this one won't gut her or try to steal her Accessory. ]

Him. [ She indicated Ramiel with a thumb. ] The wing-gems don't work for him, for some reason.

[ Then, she indicates the entrance to the second floor. ] Help me get him up there, will you? I'll think of something to bypass the equipment lock, but I can't just ditch him here.

[ She's actually thinking about her Thorn, but it can be interpreted both ways. ]

[Even if any land, they're extremely low down on his pain threshold. In fact, the sound of her shrill voice hurts way more than her kicks.]

Make sure that you do.

[It seems that he's trusting her this time, since he sets her down a moment later and folds his arms. He'll watch though, just in case.]

[He's normally half the height of humans, but if small characters are shrunk to the same size as human ones, a three-inch white bird seems awful huge. Yuuya's 'wings' barely deserve the name. With shorter feathers and clawed hands like on one of his ancestors, at best they might help him keep his balance. The fuzzy white moth wings are cute, though.]

I seem to recall tales where eating fairy food was a bad thing, but it may be too late.

[That's pretty bizarre, a sentiment which reflects in Takatora's expression. But she is asking for help... he shrugs, then walks over.]

So, you talk for him?

[Weren't they talking a few moments ago? On second thought, looking at her companion closely...]

Wait. What exactly is going on here? Is he...?

[Takatora doesn't even know how to finish that sentence, his mind floundering as much as his words.]

Look -- I'll help, but you need to clarify first.

Real? Sure he is. [ She pats Ramiel's shoulder to affirm it. It feels a bit strange to have him not look her at eye level, though. ] As for human... not really.

[ It's... complicated, at best. Especially after she spoke to one of the Citizens who had a personal experience with half-constructed Accessories... they are much, much more human than they seem. Of course, the higher-ups never talk about it, but Wyrden herself can infer.

Ramiel could have been, and most probably was human. But not anymore. ]

He's more of a robot. You don't have Accessories like him back home, do you?

Edited 2015-02-28 17:11 (UTC)

[Takatora frowns. Not really human isn't entirely divorced from human. He definitely doesn't know what a robot is, and since he cannot hear the nuance of the capital a in Accessories, that particular statement comes across differently to him. A mix of disbelief and repugnance colour his voice.]

A living person is an accessory in your homeland?

[That's a big no right there to her question. He's trying to understand, honestly.]

1;

[She adapts quickly. Always has. The wings are new. For the first few hours, apropos of nothing, she wonders if she's hallucinating. Dreaming or drugged, it doesn't much matter. As far as mental attacks go, it's relatively benign. Nothing to do but shrug and carry on. The mind is a maze, and so long as you keep your head in the game you can find your way out of almost anything.

She examines nearly everything she comes across, affecting a keen sense of wonder rather than a spy's wandering eye, though the feast catches her attention for several other reasons besides. She's heard her fair share of tall tales about eating in the underworld or a fairy realm, only to find it's a binding contract that has effectively made you a slave. So while she studies the food, she takes none of it, and to anyone that might happen to come up alongside her,]

I'd watch the pomegranates if I were you.

[Her tone is dry, but there's something of a warning in it as well. Wherever this may be, she's betting on it playing for keeps.]

2;

[The bathhouse is... quaint, she supposes. Everything here runs to the same theme, that of a Paton painting. She hasn't dismissed the possibilities of what this place might be, or mean, but for the time being she has nothing to do but wait, and watch. A spider's greatest virtue is its patience, after all.

For now, she's sitting on the edge of hollowed-out rocks meant to imitate a bathtub, still mostly dressed. Her wings spill onto the ground behind her like a bloody oil slick, though every once in a while she'll stretch them or give them cause to flutter. Join her there?]

A; TEARING IT UP

[A leaf tunic certainly covers the body and one's modesty (if one has, in fact, got any modesty to hide), but for some it simply isn't quite good enough. Yoshitsugu has spent most of his life hiding the bottom half of his face with a suitable facecloth; why he does this is mostly a mystery to everyone but himself but regardless of the why, the situation simply must be fixed as soon as possible.]

[Right now he's found a nice, quiet corner where a glow worm is curled up, providing Yoshitsugu with the light he needs to work on the scrap of... something he has acquired. It's clearly not going to be a neat job, judging by the ragged ends already visible, but needs must.]

[The scene is actually very peaceful, and it doesn't seem like there'd be any reason to avoid Yoshitsugu right now... why not sneak a peek?]

B; FLYING SCHOOL

[It doesn't matter how elegant or clever you are; flying is a very new experience and the chances of having a few minor incidents is probably rather high.]

[Did you hear that commotion a few moments ago? Following the sounds to it source will reveal Yoshitsugu sat on the floor, his somewhat dragonfly-like wings shimmering rather prettily.]

[Yep, the strategist had a small mid-flight collision. Nothing too bad; his currently exposed arm reveals quickly darkening bruises and a lot of scratching, but Yoshitsugu does not seem to be in much pain. Instead, he is examining the injuries with something more like curiousity. Get closer and you'll hear him say:]

Interesting.

[...no more, no less. Perhaps someone should check he's actually okay and persuade him to clean those wounds up?]

[ooc: Option A will come with mock curses spoken very seriously...]

Edited (html errors) 2015-02-28 19:31 (UTC)

[It's a bit of a relief to see that, land or sea, some things never change. It's even more of one to see a familiar face. The two are almost enough to offset the more unsettling changes in both location and physique.

Almost, but still, this kind of reunion is...]

I don't think we're supposed to eat those, Memoca.

[... One that comes along with its own worries.]

[Yoshitsugu is alive. Those three words have been a mantra running continuously through Takatora's mind since their reunion. It's difficult to give Yoshitsugu the space he deserves. Takatora knows that he shouldn't hover over Yoshitsugu 24/7 -- he just can't bear the thought of losing Yoshitsugu again. It's a minor miracle that he manages to force himself to back off for a little while each day.

The problem is that then things like this happen.

Takatora can see that Yoshitsugu's injuries are nothing serious, yet a tightness seizes his chest and a pang of fear stabs through his heart. He knows that his overblown reaction is irrational, but he cannot stop himself from feeling it.

He drops to his knees at Yoshitsugu's side. The slight, jerky flutter of his wings is restless.]

Yoshitsugu -- [His voice shouldn't sound thick with worry when he should be exasperated alone; his fingers aren't meant to tremble minutely as he touches Yoshitsugu's wrist.] Let me see what you've managed to do to yourself.

[At least he has a stash of hand towels in his coat.]

[ Wyrden's response comes more as confusion. She hears Takatora's words exactly as they are, so she chalks it up to some cultural thing. Maybe. ]

It's what the higher-ups call them. [ Her surprise is more muted than his, and she says this with a slight shrug. ] We don't get much of a choice. The Accessories watch us and ensure we don't disobey rules. They also give us missions we need to do. Though we're cut off from the Panopticon's network right now, it's probably why he's so quiet.

[ It might sound strange to him, but to her it's just a fact of life. ]

He's not a person, just looks like one. It's some design plan thing, so they can monitor us more... [ well ] effectively.

[ If Takatora pays attention, he would notice that Ramiel literally never takes his eyes off her. ]

[Network to his knowledge implies a literal network of people, another misinterpretation. He looks between Wyrden and Ramiel for a long moment. The complete lack of blinking confirms her assertion that Ramiel really isn't a person. Uncanny.]

You want to keep the spy that restricted your freedom close? Why not escape him while you have the chance?

[It's her call in the end, but he's really struggling to understand her perspective.]

[When Memoca is set on the ground, she visibly ruffles her feathers (feathers...? more like hair) and shivers, glaring up at Takatora.

After some grumbling (and internal 'why is he the one in charge'), Memoca starts walking off.

And she looks back.

And continues walking.

And looks back.]

Jeez, I'm not gonna eat the glowy ones, okay? Stop watching!

[GO AWAY]

[F-fine, she's let the damn bug fly. Though, Memoca isn't actually turned off by this series of events.

Her head turns almost immediately at that voice-- because there's no mistaking it. They were just in the dark room Sal sealed them in, and she was blacked out, but now--]

Wadda! You're heeeere!

[She's still hungry, but that's okay. Memoca will begin to flutter (flutter!) over before slamming Wadanohara with a hug.]

A. Faerie Feast

[ The tree might be nice, the wings might be lovely, but a kidnapping is still a kidnapping all the same. The good Princess Toadstool may be used to them, but being shrunk and turning into a little faerie? Not usually on the menu. While she has been keeping a slightly suspicious eye around for whoever looks nefarious enough to have organized such a feat, she's still happy to meet and greet with the new people. After all, it's not often she meets so many new faces, and the feast is actually quite tempting looking. Flittering her sparkling pink wings, she'll sit down next to a hapless character and offer the most charming smile this side of Toad Town has to offer. ]

Are you enjoying yourself?

[ Daintily, she'll pick up a breadcrumb of walnut bread and look it over. It's definitely... interesting, but hey, when in Rome. It definitely smells better than whatever Bowser's goons cook up for her! ]

B. Rest and Relaxation

[ Sometime after the party, the good princess retreats to a little nook in the wall, looking out of one of the windows and at the beautiful scenery. A glow worm has snuggled up to her, and she's gently patting its head as she contemplates the precariousness of her situation. What is there to be done? She supposes she could just fly away, but that doesn't make her the right size. The Overthere probably doesn't ship out their magic growing apples to just anyone, either...

With a soft sigh, she starts to close her eyes. Somehow, she hopes her wishes still make it up to the starry sky, because she could definitely use a way home right about now. ]

[ So you really do see a bright light when you go - one mystery solved he can't tell anyone else about. The air smells sweet, and faintly of fruit, and there's - bark? This is a tree. ]

[ The next hour, suffice to say, has a lot of cursing and stumbling about in an attempt to get his bearings. A few branches take the brunt of it, but are otherwise undamaged. He's got a heartbeat, and a pair of wings, and he's hungry but the food is suspicious. The ice caked on his fingers gets dusted off, and by the time he reaches the bathhouse he's significantly more composed, but no less unsettled. ]

Mornin'. You just get here too?

[ He gives her a tight smile - hey, she's pretty. ]

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Page 1 of 23

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