TDM #4

[fabulists]

fable test drive meme #4

// away with the fairies

In your land, there may be stories of the Fae taking people away. Perhaps you haven't heard of the Fae at all, or perhaps you are more familiar with them than others. No matter how well acquainted you are with the Fae, everyone around you has experienced the same fate tonight: Being taken by them. Partially, at least. For they did not want to kidnap anyone from their home and take them away from the life they knew. In a small jar of fairy dust, part of your soul was taken in the night and brought to a magical village by the name of Fable.

On arrival, the Fae release you from the jar before waving their magic wands, and materialise this taken little part of you into a brand new you. From here onwards, your new life begins, shared among all sorts of magical creatures. Here, you will be allowed to grow, thrive and enjoy the bounties provided to you by these mysterious and wonderful creatures. In exchange, they ask for a share of the magical fruit that you grow in your garden, donated to their dragon overseer in exchange for rewards. After a briefing on your new life, you understand things as best as you possibly can. Now, it's time to settle into a brand new cottagecore life.

Welcome to Fable.

// arrival

Now that you are a resident of Fable, you have a brand new cottage, a garden, and a few tools to use! There's not an awful lot in your cottage, though: Just a cardboard box, a lamp, a cassette tape and a single bed. Fear not, though! By participating in friendly tasks, your cottage will look great in no time.

Something sparkly catches your attention before you realise it's a message board, advertising an array of tasks for bonus fruit. Did this thing appear out of nowhere just now? That must be the case, since you can swear it wasn't there a second ago. The board may inspire you to go out there and mingle. It seems that the monthly tasks are geared towards friendliness to welcome this new season!

april showers & pretty flowers

// treacherous thunderstorm

Around this time of year, the weather in Fable can certainly get hectic. While magic can only do so much to tidy the remaining fallen leaves off the ground, there's nothing like a doozy of a downpour to really sweep everything fresh and new. With all of the new flowers that have been growing in Fable, a lot of rainwater is certainly needed to give them all a drink. The dragons and storm spirits have been brewing up a torrential downpour scheduled to fall all over Fable and beyond - along with some strong winds. Are you prepared for the occasion?

From cottage to cottage, roof tiles rattle and leaves are swept away. It is advised to not go outside during this storm period, and if you're caught in the rain, to take shelter immediately! If you can't reach your cottage in time, there are other village landmarks to take shelter beneath. The thunder is very loud and the wind is strong enough to knock someone off their feet. It might be best to keep close to people in this weather - going out alone could be very dangerous. And if you're cooped up inside with a friend or a stranger, why not get to know them to pass the time?

It is important to be wary of the lightning. If someone gets struck by lightning, they will not die - but they will experience an injury and a magical feedback loop which swaps their personality! The cure for this problem is rainwater tea - a remedy which is advertised throughout the town's message boards as a precaution for any unlucky residents. The affected person will be lightning charged, causing them to receive an electric shock every time their hands are near water, which will make brewing tea impossible. Someone who has struck will need to rely on another person to brew the tea for them. A lightning-shaped scar will mark the person who got struck wherever they were affected.

After the storm ceases, there may be property damage such as collapsed gates, fallen fences, missing roof tiles and even an injury or two! Oh no! As compensation for enduring such a hearty storm - the realm's overseer, Prism, provides brand new repairing tools to those who had taken damage.

// flowers of kanshi

After enduring such a horrendous downpour, you definitely feel the urge to get out of town. The residents of Fable gossip endlessly about how stunning the cherry blossoms are in Kanshi this time of year, and the fairies practically insist that you go.

Upon arrival, you can see that Kanshi has received quite a beating from the storm. The winds and rain have blown cherry blossom petals all over the place - in the streets, rivers, and they're covering the buildings. You can see all sorts of tiny magical creatures making their best efforts to clean up, part of you wonders why they aren't using magic.

You feel a tap on the shoulder, and realise that it's a tiny sakura dragon sitting perched on you.

"Hi," they say, "I hope it's not too much to ask, but ... could you help us out here?"

You did come here to relax, so you may be a little bit hesitant at first. Still, you'll allow the dragon to continue.

"Kanshi normally has a dusting of petals here and there, but this is just too much for us to deal with on our own. If you help us gather petals, we'll offer you free access to our hot springs and restaurants. We'll even use the petals to craft furniture for you."

That's not a bad suggestion. Besides, it would be difficult to enjoy a trip here with petals covering the place. Once you agree to the dragon's request, you are given a fishing net to catch petals on the ground, in the water and in the air.

// sakura springs

Finally! It's time to relax. The sakura dragons were true to their word - in addition to the furniture gifted in exchange for the petals you collected, you have access to all of Kanshi's most favoured attractions!

There are incredible restaurants with shiba inu chefs ready to tailor to your every desire! The dining can be enjoyed in outdoor cafés surrounded by flowers, evening restaurants - and even an izakaya (alcohol & food bar) with food and drink available all night. It seems that the residents of Kanshi are very grateful for all the effort taken to clean up their home. If you want to spend the night here, even, the owners of the ryokan (traditional inns) will be glad to accommodate any guests. There are many beautiful wonders all across Kanshi, but one of the most renowned attractions are the hot springs. These incredible buildings feature indoor pools, outdoor waterways and rivers to bathe in which rejuvenates and uplifts anyone who steps in these waters. It's no wonder that creatures travel from all over just to bathe in them!

For every thread you write, you will receive cherry blossom furniture for your cottage! Feel free to leave a comment here to redeem these once you've written 5 tags in your thread! Since our TDMs are considered game canon, if you choose to app, these rewards will cross over with you when you join the game!

Let's see what the attractions of Kanshi have in store!

The Flower Cafés are sooooo cute! Situated outside, these charming cafés offer spectacular views of Kanshi's flower fields. All of the food and drinks arrive in incredibly charming pastel colours! (Even the savoury stuff!) Enjoying time in the café while surrounded by all of this pollen will cause a flower to bloom in your hair every time you smile! When they sprout, it's a very ticklish sensation - which might make you smile a lot. This ticklish pollen can be treated with a swim. Good thing there's a hot spring nearby!

The Restaurants have no shortage of incredible food! Whether you would like to order off the set menu, a conveyor belt or destroy all-you-can eat, every option is available. The more food you consume, the more you will feel the urge to open up and talk about yourself. Even things you might not normally be so inclined to tell strangers...!

The Izakaya Bars are the perfect spots for any adults who love good food and good alcohol. There are no innocuous effects from the food and drink ... apart from the house special - cherry plum sake! It is everyone's favourite drink in Kanshi and all-time best seller. Consuming the sake will cause any of the following effects: giggles, excessive compliments, tingly sensations, increased stamina and the urge to overshare your thoughts.

The Hot Springs are beloved by all of Kanshi's locals and beyond. These huge, towering buildings are crafted with wood and feature private indoor pools, outdoor waterfall pools and smaller pools which are connected by streams. In order to allow guests to bathe in peace, the mythological & animal villagers of Kanshi have granted their guests from Fable to have an area all to themselves. They have also provided care packages to the guests! They contain a variety of scented bath salts to choose from. Each salt type has an (undisclosed) effect once in use. The Rose Scented Salts will make someone feel warm, friendly and affectionate. The Vanilla Bean Salts will make someone feel confident and talkative. Their mood will also be enhanced - whether it's a happy kind or melancholic kind. And the Warming Lavender Salts, surprisingly, will give someone the tail and ears of an animal!

over the rainbow

// a rainsplosion

You were likely more than aware of the intense storm that happened earlier. Just when you figure that everything is settled, you are interrupted by a group of frantic fairies flittering through Fable's village.

"Quick! Quick! Come with us! You've gotta see it!"

See what, exactly? Once you have the opportunity, you ask these excitable fae why they're in such a hurry.

"There's gonna be an explosion! A magic explosion!" ... Is that even safe?

"You know the storm? The huge storm? Well - a lot of it was magic, you know! The storm spirits created something magnificent to tidy up winter and blow everything away. And then the dragons and unicorns got involved, and they all started playing in the clouds and had a magic fight! This one cloud is so full of magic - it's going to explode! You've got to come and see it! Nothing bad will happen ... we think! But if it does, we'll fix the problem right up with our magic! Promise!"

Can you really trust the fairies to keep their promise...? But a magical explosion does sound pretty cool. Perhaps against your better judgement, you agree to go.

On the mountainside, you see it - a huge looming storm cloud flickering with rainbow colours and streaks of lightning. There are a few dragons flying nearby, with a heavy layer of anticipation in the air. You can hear laughter from the creatures, which might reassure you that you aren't in any real danger. And then--

The cloud EXPLODES with a fantastic BOOM!

You have to admit - it does look pretty incredible! Just as you take a moment to admire the rainbow explosion, the magical shockwaves blast out and phase through you which causes an immediate effect...! Uh oh?!

Depending on which colour of the magical rainbow blast hits you, a different effect will occur:

Being hit with the colour Red will cause you to kiss the person you see next! Oh, my!

Being hit with the colour Orange will transform you into a merperson! Which is great, except ... you can't see any water around here! Maybe someone can carry you to water.

Being hit with the colour Yellow will give you an animal ears and tail of your choice. So cute! But you also feel the urge to follow the instincts and behaviours of said animal to some degree, too.

Being hit with the colour Green will summon enemies for you to fight! Yikes! From the shadows, monsters manifested out of your worst fears will come to life before trying to attack you - you've been given a weapon to defend yourself, but it would be better if you battled them with another person!

Being hit with the colour Blue will make you spontaneously burst into tears. It seems like nothing can stop you from crying, either - but comfort from another will ease the pain.

Being hit with the colour Purple will cause all of your inner thoughts to hover above your head in a thought bubble. Let's hope you aren't thinking of anything too strange at the moment ...

In a standard fairytale way, all effects end at midnight. Those cheeky fairies didn't keep their promise after all!

Welcome to Fable's fourth TDM!
We're excited to have you here, and hope you enjoy the prompts!
To familiarise yourself with the setting, please take a look at the arrivals & premise page!
We would also appreciate it if you could have a look at the rules as well.
As a general note, the TDMs are considered game canon!
Which means all rewards for fruit & furniture can be used in the game if you apply!

New arrivals have a cottage, a network device, the clothes on their back and a single item from home.
To view the locations, NPCs and more information about the game, please visit our full navigation!

If you have any questions that you have not seen answered in the FAQ, please ask in the FAQ post. Thank you!

(CODE)

Comments

Kwon Dal ( Original )

[secretlives]

( A 💰 Treacherous Thunderstorm )

[ Dal is still not over the fact that he’s somehow in some grand magical hallucination. Did his plane to the States crash? At least Neon is here with him — even if this is all in his head.

Okay, he knows it’s not in his head but thinking like it is helps him process all the crazy things and the reality bending revelations that an experience like this brings.

That being said, Dal is left far from his cottage when the storm starts and at first he’s not too worried as he starts to head in the direction of his new home but then the wind really picks up. The thunder actually seems to vibrate through him and the lightning strikes have him catching his breath, hair almost standing on ends.

Being that he can barely stay upright against the wind he trudges to the closest cottage door and knocks loudly — just so it can be heard over the storm. ]

( B 💰 Sakura Springs )

( 1 - Flower Cafes )

[ Dal is more than happy to settle into one of the cafes and get himself some teas and pastries. Probably more than he should have. It smells nice and looks like something out of some game that he never really had time to play (or well, didn’t make time to play that is).

Before long he’s starting to feel ticklish sensations all over his head — he’s apt to smiling a lot to start with. He starts patting his head, his face scrunching up in confusion — at least he gets a small reprieve from more popping up, right? ]

( 2 - The Hot Springs + Lavender Salts )

[ The hot springs were also a temptation that Dal is happy to give into and he looks through the care package he’d been given, selecting the Lavender. He starts in a small area with the salt and after a few ducking under the water and relaxing the ticklish sensation and the petals are no longer an issue. He runs his fingers through his hair —

Well, the solution couldn’t just be simple could it? No, he’s now sporting fennec fox ears and a tail.

Maybe he’s not as bothered by this as he should be… hopefully he gets a chance to show a certain someone. In any case, he does make his way to one of the outdoor waterfall pools, to enjoy the sound along with a swim.

And maybe he’ll look weird but he definitely keeps rubbing his ears periodically. ]

( C 💰 A Rainsplosion - Green )
cw: mentions of homophobia, abuse by a parent definitely will come up.

[ At first, Dal is fascinated by the cloud that explodes and all the colors blasting out but they come closer and then a green patch shoots through Dal.

The enemies that soon form are all in the same shape of a regular man in a suit, sneering at Dal in disgust. Dal’s not even noticed the weapon he’s been given and he’s a bit paralyzed at the sight of the figure. ]

Dad…

( D 💰 Wildcard )

[ Open to anything else too! Willing to switch styles/tenses and the like. Feel free to hit me up on plurk poetanarchy or discord at poetanarchy#7331 ]

A

[silentscout]

[Lalli is tempted not to answer, because he's not expecting guests. But it is storming out, maybe whoever is knocking loudly at the door is a cat trying to escape the rain? Unlikely, but the possibility is not zero. So Lalli goes over and opens the door, peering out into the pouring rain.

Dal has about two seconds to run in before the door gets shut in his face. Go boy goooo!]

[secretlives]

[ Dal isn't sure if he should enter with the other not saying or doing anything past opening the door but he takes the open door as an invitation in the end because there's a boom of thunder that scares him into running forward. He's soaked and quickly bows to the stranger. ]

Thank you... I uh... it started kind of suddenly.

[silentscout]

Mmm. They do that sometimes.

[Unfortunately Lalli has nothing to offer in terms of actual comfort. He only has the starting equipment, and he is not eager to give any of that up. They can stand for now, until the storm is over.]

Bring an umbrella with you from now on.

[secretlives]

[ Dal doesn't expect much. He's just grateful for shelter from the storm. ]

Thank you for helping me this time. I'll try to have an umbrella next time.

[hackr]

( as if summoned by a horny demon ( the demon being himself ), he had gone in search of dal after splitting up for a moment. maybe it wasn't the wisest to split up so soon, but neon had rice on the mind while dal had gone in search of pastries.

still very much fully clothed in ripped black jeans and striped shirt, two fingers hooked into the heels of the sneakers he'd taken off, he had come to redeem his care package but not before doing a little exploring himself, wanting to scope out the ideal spot for relaxation. ( as if his adult life hadn't been venturing to different cities and resorts before getting back together with his boyfriend. )

through the water, it's easy to spot dal, though neon doesn't immediately see what's changed about him. he scoffs as soon as his head's above water, ) And you didn't invite me?

[secretlives]

[ Dal perks up when he hears Neon's voice and well he's excited to see him, the ears sort of twitching on their own as he moves closer to Neon. ]

You were in search of food. I knew you were going to be a while and you'd find your way eventually.

[hackr]

​​(​ neon clutches his chest and stumbles backward as if dal has cut him deep with his comment. ​)

And miss seeing you shirtless? ​​(​ but wait – he forms a peace sign with two fingers and angles them at his head to mimic cat or fox ears. ​) Wearing a fancy costume?

[secretlives]

[ Dal rolls his eyes and splashes water toward him, biting his lip and he reaches up to touch his ear, blushing a little. ]

Uh, not exactly.

[hackr]

Are you shitting me?

( he drops to a squat at the edge of the rock, reaching out to him. ) Lemme feel.

[secretlives]

[ Dal rolls his eyes but he moves closer, splashing him again but he's close enough for Neon to get a feel of his new ears. ]

There's a tail too.

[hackr]

( he takes the tip of the ear between his fingers, feeling the damp, wet fur. neon has to marvel at it, how it moves and how naturally it seems to flare out from beneath dal's hair. it suits him, in a way, and he hadn't expected it. a dumb grin forms on his face. )

Did someone curse you? Like, what happened?

This won't last forever, will it?

[secretlives]

[ It sort of flicks as the other touches it, it feels weird and ticklish but nice too. Neon really shouldn't be surprised that Dal likes this. ]

I think maybe it was the salt...?

[ He considers the question. ]

But I don't know how long it lasts.

[hackr]

You're so cute. Maybe it goes away with True Love's Kiss.

( neon pulls a face, sticking his tongue out. ) Guess I shouldn't kiss you, huh! ( he waggles his eyebrows before pulling away to grip the back of his shirt to pull it over his head in one swift motion. )

I wanna play. Is the salt still here? I wanna see what I get.

[secretlives]

You'd rather have me with ears and tail than kiss me?

[ Dal pouts at Neon even as he watches him pull his shirt off. He nods. ]

I used the lavender kind.

[hackr]

( neon laughs, a little evil. ) Doesn't mean we can't do other stuff, babe.

( well, neon is eager to throw all caution to the wind as he tosses his shoes and shirt aside before going in search for more lavender salt now that he knows what it is. with a cheshire grin, he returns to sprinkle the salt in his own corner of the springs and takes a tentative step in before totally submerging himself in the hot water.

well, here goes nothing. )

[secretlives]

[ Dal pouts, even still but he relaxes in the water as he watches his boyfriend go for the salt. So predictable.

He holds his breath and waits a moment for the other to come bac up from the hot water.

It would be a lie if he's not hoping for raccoon. It'd just be funny. ]

[hackr]

( he tests the waters, literally and figuratively, sprinkling in the salt and dipping a foot in first before totally submerging himself. it feels good and, more importantly, it feels ... kind of like what he expected magic to feel like. muscles seem to relax and maybe whatever inhibitions were left have dissipated as well. he lets the bubbles subside before he opens his eyes and tries to find dal's form underwater to swim toward him.

and, just as they both wished, he slowly emerges ears first, black and white fur blending into his shaggy dark hair and white highlights. )

[secretlives]

[ Dal makes a noise when Neon swims toward him and he’s half expecting him to tug him under the water but instead…

His eyes widen and then he laughs, a giggle really before he’s immediately reaching out to touch the ears. ]

You really are a trash panda.

[hackr]

Yeah, well, I'm your trash, so tough cookies for you.

( he blows a raspberry at dal, letting him play with his ears for a moment before pulling away. he just wants to get himself onto a flat rock surface he can perch upon to examine his tail. it's soft, not too thick, with grey and black wings. he laughs because he doesn't know how else to respond to such a ridiculous thing. )

This feels weird. Lemme see yours.

[secretlives]

One man's trash is another man's treasure or whatever.

[ Neon's definitely anything but actual trash. He swims to the edge and then at the other's words he's climbing out of the water too. Even wet, it's clear that the fox tail is pretty fluffy as he sits down beside him, his tail instinctively shaking to try and get the water off. ]

Like it?

C; cw: death mentions

[dancinglight]

[Tsubaki had a similar run in of her own as the green blasts them both, but not at all for the same reasons. She hadn't even noticed her company at first as figures of her own showed up. Wearing mid-length yukatas, a couple stood before her. Except something was very wrong. They were clearly injured beyond repair and she cursed under her breath that she did not have any particular way of Healing it up. Her chakrams had appeared in her hands, but she didn't do anything with them.]

This is your fault. If you had only listened to us... If you had only stayed in the village and not left like we told you... We might have still been alive.

No... I... I didn't mean for this to happen....

You're going to end up alone. Are you really okay with watching everyone die around you for your sake?

N... No! Stop it!

[Throwing her chakrams down, she raised her hands to her temple, shaking her head as if to shake their image away. It was finally that moment that she realized she wasn't alone. Someone else was going through their own trauma. Deciding to try to ignore her own visions, she collected her chakrams and approached the boy cautiously.]

Are you okay?

[Focusing someone else was better than dealing with her own trauma.]

[secretlives]

[ It’s hard for Dal to notice anything outside of his father’s menacing stance, the way he taunts him and the memories of what had happened before he had left the final time fresh, it really hadn’t so long ago. He’ll feel guilty later for being so wrapped up in his own trauma to not notice what’s going on around him, that the person that comes to him, that asks him if he’s okay had their own experience too just now.

What is he supposed to do? How can he make him go away. He can’t really be here… he can’t… ]

No…

[ His father always made him scared, weak, paralyzed.

Neon would probably be so pissed if he saw this now. ]

[dancinglight]

[He does not need to feel guilty over it. After all, it was hard to face your fears sometimes. And rather than facing her own, she decided to ignore her own to help someone else instead. It was possibly a win-win, but either way, she'd have to face it head-on. Forgive her reach as she placed her hands on his shoulders, decidedly repositioning herself in front of him where his dad stood to try to help block it out.]

I don't know who this man is or... who you are for that matter... But he's not really here.

[She has no verification on that. But it's better than nothing.]

Take a deep breath and exhale. Everything will be okay.

[secretlives]

[ They say that this figure of his father isn’t real, but he looks so real. His father doesn’t have to say anything to paralyze him like this. Just the look of contempt is enough. He’s going to come for him again. It’s never going to be over. ]

I can’t.

[ He’s panicking, heart racing and he can’t quite manage the deep breath just yet. ]

He’s never going to leave me alone.