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

neon ( oc )

[hackr]

Izayaka Bars.

( though in his early twenties, neon has been fortunate enough to visit half the world long before he was legal to drink in most of them. while it's hard for him to really buy into the concept of his body going into autopilot during such an important move ( look, his father is the CEO of the most influential media conglomerate, having come up from being the head of their theme parks division. of course neon's known about the secrets of immersive themed entertainment since he was at least five years old. ), he's more than willing to play along for dal's sake since they had been lucky enough to show up together.

the bars seem like a good place to explore while he and dal have gone their separate ways for the day, so pop a squat next to the long-haired and lanky boy perched at the counter. he's probably already in the middle of telling a story over sake. )

Trecherous Thunderstorm.

( considering his stature and the broadness of his shoulders, neon is surprisingly easy to knock over.

he's clutching a frankly useless umbrella, now turned inside out. look, it wasn't like he wasn't prepared even if he hadn't particularly heeded anyone's, not even the weather's, warnings. his curiosity has gotten the better of him and he had been curious about getting a lay of the land.

barely able to see through the rain ( and the hair that's fallen in his eyes, practically glued to his forehead ), he tries to shove his way towards the nearest building, shoulder pressed against the door to try to push it open. )

Ayo, coming through...

🦝

[ if you have any questions or would like to explore other prompts, please dm me at this account. thanks! ]

izakaya!

[lucency]

[ Look, we all know who loves a good story out here. A good story and a drink? That's a truly irresistible combo. That little dragon was right: helping with petals really does pay off.

Belle comes along quietly and perches next to Neon, one of the few open spots at the bar (and she can't blame everyone for having the same idea, especially in this weather), and she's unobtrusive, ordering her respectably large beer and perusing the small menu, because is there anything better than fried food on a rainy day? And she doesn't necessarily mean to listen in, but the person next to her certainly does tell his tale with a certain flair, and — well. Maybe some social time will do her some good.

Once she's had a little more of the beer, though, all bets are off, and all conversations are hers for the taking. She downs another sip and interrupts mid-sentence: ] Are you sure you aren't exaggerating?

[hackr]

( the sake's warm and even if it's the same alcohol content as cold sake, neon tends to feel it more. maybe he shouldn't be divulging so much information to a bunch of strangers, but he's never been especially good at having a filter. )

No freakin' way I'd make this up, ( he scoffs, swirling the clear liquid around in his glass. ) I told my dad to open a teen night club at one of his parks and I inadvertently caused a war between two Youtube hype houses.

( belle would have caught the explanation neon dropped earlier in the conversation. it's okay if she doesn't understand the concept of them because neither does this writer. )

[lucency]

[ The sake certainly does seem to be hitting harder, and she's noticed particularly uproarious laughter from the other patrons, and maybe that's a drink for another time. She's a Craft Gorl™ who can glean some context through her relatively newfound knowledge of the Internet and being nobility. She takes another swig of beer and taps on the bar top excitedly. ]

YouTube! That's — that's the video website, isn't it? [ She is catching up, and we are proud. ] It is useful, and pervasive. Hopefully you weren't caught too much in the crossfire.

[hackr]

Yeah. I'm fine. I can remove myself from most online situations. ( he starts miming typing on a keyboard for some reason as if this is going to convey "hacking" out of context. ) My dad's probably grateful he let me build my own computer when I was, like, nine.

I'm trying to be less of a menace there, anyway, since my boyfriend's building a following there, ( he adds. this is not part of the story, but he somehow can't help himself from dropping this information. ) But he actually does stuff instead of "react" ( clearly annoyed air quotes. ) to videos. He sings.

[lucency]

[ If he didn't have all of this technical expertise, though, would he have really found himself in that situation in the first place? Belle has her doubts, and she squints at him. But music! That sounds delightful! ]

As a strategy? [ Give her a sec, she's still hung up on the whole feuding aspect, as lovely as that sounds. ] For the war?

[hackr]

( one thing about him is that he likes to cause a little chaos behind the scenes. a shit-stirrer, if you will. especially when it comes to the loud, dumb, and entitled - maybe it has something to do with his rich boy guilt. )

What? ( he sputter-chuckles into his drink. ) No, no. He's not involved in the hype houses or any kinda rivalry. He's a Nice Boy. ( young man, really. they're both apparently adults these days. )

[lucency]

Oh.

[ There is absolute genuine relief on her face, because damn, this is such a nice place and it would be a shame to have things go to hell again, like they usually do. We want a chill time, for once. ]

I was worried he was caught in the crossfire.

[ it's fine, we can just use a face character to negotiate in a hostage situation, or something. belle takes a swig of beer to celebrate. ]

[hackr]

( surprisingly, his expression seems to harden at the thought. the moment is fleeting and he immediately replaces it with a toothy grin framed by whisker-esque dimples. )

I wouldn't let that happen to him. He's been through way too much to be bothered by internet beef, you know? I mean, of course you don't know. You've never met him, but he's around.

( he abruptly veers into another conversation lane, lifting his empty sake cup. ) I'm Neon, bee-tee-dub. Neon Song from Seoul.

[lucency]

[ Look, there's a lot she doesn't know, and right now the Internet is an untainted digital sanctuary, truly the information highway. ]

Belle. [ She smiles and lifts her beer glass in return. It's starting to run low, and she is considering her options! ] From Storybrooke. In Maine.

[ And because our girl cannot resist True Love in any capacity: ] You're lucky that you're here together. And it sounds like he's very lucky to have you, too.

[hackr]

Storybrooke? That sounds like a fake town. I mean, I believe you saying you come from Storybrooke, Maine, but it sounds fake.

( at the further discussion of his beloved, neon perks up a little ( a lot ) and he - giggles? neon seems almost shocked that such a sound has come out of him, higher-pitched compared to the regular timbre of his voice. )

We're still kinda coming out of the woods together. Go figure we end up here instead of where we were going. What's it like in Storybrooke? ( neon takes a sharp conversational left. )

[lucency]

[ She's about to ask about the whole "woods" bit — because she knows her way through them, metaphorically — as she finishes her beer and orders her own vessel of sake. Belle looks at him, shakes her head. ]

It's a small town. [ That's basically fake, yeah, but she'll probably get to that later. ] Great food, though — and the first time I'd ever had iced tea. [ Absolutely life changing, she will never forget that caffeine rush!!! She pauses for a moment, and the sake arrives as she says: ] Truth be told, this place isn't terribly different from where I was born.

[hackr]

Yeaaaah, good choice! ( neon doesn't typically get The Flush when he drinks, but this one is clearly doing a number on him even if he isn't swaying or stumbling anywhere. he definitely feels good and would encourage anyone to get on his level. )

Yo, you'd never had iced tea before? Where did you grow up -- ( excuse him while he struggles to think of a fictional fantasy world for a second. ) -- Hyrule? ( neon, you know this lady probably doesn't know what that is. he grins sheepishly. )

No, really, I'm curious.

thunderstorm;

[veardant]

[ the building he has chosen is, in fact, the avidya apothecary.

it's quite cozy inside, warm despite the chill of the storm outside, and the air is thick with the scent of herbs, flowers, and spices, with a sharp medicinal tang. there's another scent wafting as well - that of freshly baked bread. the owner of the establishment is currently ducked beneath the counter, only his tall furred ears visible. ]

Yes, yes, feel free to come out of the rain. Tea?

[hackr]

Hey, oh, sh-- cool.

( it's not his most graceful entrance, no, but he's a little flustered after stubbornly getting caught outside and also seeing a pair of ears talking to him from behind a counter. which is silly considering everything else he's seen - and the fact that someone trusts him enough to grow plants? for some kind of profit? crazysauce.

he has the sense to shake out his hair like a dog might before fully stepping inside to close the door behind him, heaving a great sigh. )

Yo. Cool place. Warm place, actually. Which tea is your favorite?

[veardant]

[ the owner of the tall ears soon stands, surveying his new, damp companion with brown-green eyes, perceptive and sharp. ]

My favorite? You might as well ask me to choose my favorite star.

[ this guy has a LOT of tea, here. ]

But I suppose herbal floral blends would be among my favorites, if I had to choose.

[ bending over, he fetches a towel from behind the counter, and tosses it forward. catch! ]

[hackr]

( in his head, he had hoped that would look a lot cooler, but the best neon can do is stumble forward and try to snatch the towel mid-air so he can get to drying himself off, which is the bigger priority here, anyway. ( it doesn't matter how handsome he is, he still does look like a wet dog. ) )

Thanks. ( he scrubs at his face and ruffles the towel over his hair to start. )

You got anything, uhh, rose? ( he doesn't know much about tea, but rose sounds like a decent pick. )

[veardant]

Rose? Yes, I do.

[ he has several rose varieties, in fact, so tighnari is soon disappearing behind the counter, and into a small kitchenette - though he's still within earshot, given his tail is visible through the doorframe. ]

Sweetened?

[hackr]

( when he feels somewhat suitably dry, he shuffles further into the shop, able to look around now that his hair has been swept back from his face, shaggy bangs flat against the top of his head. it's a pretty, charming place. definitely the kind of place that might make for a good date outing in the future. )

Sweetened? Hell yeah. Sugar, or honey, or whatever - I'm not that picky. Thanks!

I'm Neon, also. I just got here.

[veardant]

[ a quick nod, and tighnari plucks a jar of honey down from the shelf above him. ]

You've come at an interesting time. Storms this powerful are unusual.

[ april showers are one thing, but this? well, at least tighnari is used to rain, even if the headsplitting thunder is not ideal for him. the kettle is soon whistling, and he takes it from the fire, carefully pouring. ]

But it's good to meet you, Neon. My name is Tighnari, I own this shop.

[hackr]

I haven't felt a storm like that in a while. Probably not since I visited the Philippines.

( he finds a seat for himself and plops down, slumping dramatically as if he can't believe the ordeal he's just been through despite bringing it upon himself. )

Cool to meet you. Have you been here for long? What's it like usually?

[veardant]

The Philippines? A place in your world, I take it.

[ tighnari is not aware!! while the tea steeps, he steps back out and leans on the counter. ]

It's usually relatively peaceful. Relatively. Little celebrations are quite common, and the fae are very active, but most of what they do is relatively harmless.

[hackr]

Ah? Yeah, shoot – fish out of water stuff. ( he laughs amiably, shaking his head. ) It's a tropical island with a lotta summer storms. Kinda scary like that beast outside, but no such magic.

It's probably obvious, or not, this is my first time encountering fae and magic and stuff. ( and suddenly, ) That smells good.

[veardant]

Oh? There are similar creatures where I am from, and though I don't prefer the word magic, I'm not unfamiliar with similar phenomena as well. [ he smiles. ] It'll be ready soon. The tea, I mean.

[hackr]

Not magic? What's your homeworld like? I know that's a huge ass question, but mine doesn't have anything fun like here. I mean, there's computers and stuff, but that's different.

( he gives a little salute at the tea, wrapping the towel tighter around his wet shoulders. the warmth here is comforting, but every time he shifts his position, he's reminded that he's currently half-soaked. )