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

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.

[lucency]

[ Look, she's trying. Belle doesn't normally succumb to peer pressure, but she also will not be threatened with a fantastic time. First swig of sake might be heavy, but she makes it happen.

The video game reference goes so far over her head that, yeah, it doesn't even register. She earnestly shakes her head. ] The Enchanted Forest. [ A beat. Her eyes dart. She doesn't normally disclose that, but nothing fills an awkward pause like another drink!!! ] I mean, it's not a literal forest. Not all of it, anyway. It's another world, like this one. Well — a similar concept, at least.

Refrigerators didn't exist, for starters.

[hackr]

( yeaaahhhhhh, neon lifts his glass in toast to her as belle dives into the sake. )

It's called "The Enchanted Forest?" ( if he wasn't so keen so consume every bit of this bottle in front of him, he would have done a spit take. ) And there's magic and shit? Instead of refrigerators?

( he leans back, looking at her suspiciously. ) You do look kind of like a princess, though, so, with the - ( he waves his hand around his head, circling itm ) - the hair and everything. I'll believe you upfront.

[lucency]

That's not what we called it when we lived there. [ She gives him the side-eye, but it's mainly an attempt to save face, because she straight up doesn't remember what her kingdom was called anymore. It's fine. It's normal. ] But, all things considered, I think I'll take the refrigerators. At least in Storybrooke — or, the area surrounding it, at least – magical contracts aren't a valid negotiation tactic.

[ She's about to thank him for his validation of her status when —hold up. She gasps, meaning to gently place her palms on the bar top, but the energy from the drink has her slamming them a bit loudly. ] And deep fryers! Is there food here? Do you have a menu?

[hackr]

Magical contracts in Storybrooke.

( neon knows he doesn't really have a leg to stand on to judge since they're currently sitting in a fairy world currently. he opens his mouth to crack a joke until belle's slammed her hand on the counter and makes even neon jump in his seat.

he seal claps in appreciation. ) Fuck yeah! Something fried for the lady!!

[lucency]

What are those? [ Belle, on tiptoes, cranes her neck over the bar, full-on pointing at someone across it, taking a bite of an exceptionally gooey mozzarella stick. What a time to be alive. She gasps, practically hopping back to level footing and turning back to Neon: ] Should we split something!?

[ ur splitting something ]

[hackr]

I don't think I got a choice here, ( neon straight up guffaws, slapping his hand against the bartop a few times, even though none of it is immediately funny since the two of them seem to be matching volume. but in their defense, half the bar seems to be at this level of energy too. his laughter subsides eventually when he almost slides out of his seat. )

I need chicken. Fried!

[lucency]

[ Earnestly: ] You're a genius.

[ fr, why didn't she think of that? On tiptoe, Belle waves toward the poor bartender they're victimizing (as if they needed the attention) and adds: ] And that. The cheese.

[ Satisfied with herself, Belle smiles and perches gently back on her stool. And then, because she has to be inclusive: ] Your partner. Is he joining? Does he want anything?

[hackr]

Yeah, cheese. Gamsahamnida...

( well, at least neon still has some of his manners after barking out a demand just a second ago. at the mention of partner, which for some reason makes him giggle like a schoolgirl while showing off the little whiskers that form when he laughs, he shakes his head. )

He - Dal - said he wanted to check out some stuff. I'll see him later and if the chicken's good, I'll deffo bring him back here. He's also hard to miss because he's the prettiest damn guy here, ( no offense to the other pretty guys in the area, but maybe a little offense. ) He's got white blond hair and his eyes make him look like a little fox.

[lucency]

[ The way she beams, though! She hasn't even met Dal, and she would already protect him with her life. Neon, too, but that was decided with the agreement to share food. Belle takes another drink of sake, and something strikes her. ]

It feels like everyone has animal features here! [ Whether he was literal or not, it doesn't matter. ] Is it the fae, or...?

[hackr]

Dal? I mean he's a human guy, as am I.

( he leans in, eyes going wide like he's divulging a huge secret. even if his voice is actually just at a regular volume. ) There's some dudes here who come from a land where, like, everybody's got animal parts. Like tails and shit. That's definitely not my Earth.

[lucency]

Really?

[ She also leans in, absolutely ready for the hot goss, and even if that information isn't super surprising, it still hits her like it's the first time she's heard anything of the sort. ]

Where I'm from, [ She offers a pointed glance as she takes another drink. ] most people don't have ears. Or tails, for that matter. But! Dwarves do hatch from eggs. And my best friend was a werewolf.

[ Shit, red alert, too far. Belle's eyes widen and she shakes her head, because Ruby would absolutely not be cool with that. ] Sorry — you should forget I told you that.

[hackr]

( despite the fact that neon's given a misinterpretation of what's actually been said to him, he seems to fully believe it, nodding with wide eyes. but then belle drops another bomb, and he actually gasps. )

How the hell am I supposed to forget you just said that? That's cool as shit! Even the dwarf thing... I mean, that's weird as fuck - like, I don't wanna think about how that happens - but still cool.

( he might be frowning a little. his world is so boring compared to everyone else's! )

[lucency]

[ So solemnly: ] I haven't researched it. I don't intend to.

[ And then there's a massive, freshly-steaming platter of food that's placed before them, and it's very easy to believe that Belle has never looked happier in her entire life. ]

Here! Have some! [ This was never up for debate, but ok. ] Thank you for keeping me company.