fablecottage | TDM #1

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!tdm

TDM #1

fable test drive meme #1

// 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 magical creatures from all walks of life. 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, in order for their dragon overseer to reclaim his own magic and find his missing siblings. 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. Fortunately, though, it seems that your kitchen is stocked with ingredients. Enough to make a pie, at least! Most of the village shops are currently closed due to the bad weather, so it seems like socialising with your neighbours might be your best shot at finding something to do.

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. Perhaps the board will urge you to find some fellow people who are in a similar situation as you. The cold weather might inspire you to go fishing in the river canals, have a snowball fight, make warm drinks for people, get active in the kitchen or go sledding!

Or, just ... do whatever you want! This is your magical home now, might as well make the most of it!

snowfolk!

// do you wanna build a snowman?

While wandering through the village, you suddenly hear a voice appear out of nowhere. "Help ..." The voice speaks, rather ominously, which might alarm you. "Turn around ..." It says again, which may send shivers down your spine that aren't related to the cold. "Now, come closer. No, closer. Closer!" Jeez! You know this place is filled with magical creatures, but what on earth is taunting you at the moment? You can't see anything! There's just a Snowman in front of you.

"Hello." Wait, did that Snowman just--? "I am a Snowman." He did. He talked to you.

"I am lonely. Please build me some friends." Well, it's not like you have anything better to do ... "I will give you a reward if you do. Come to me when you have built, and I will give you a reward." Seems simple enough. You almost walk away to get started, until--

"HOLD IT!" He yells, very loudly for a Snowman. "You must use teamwork to build a Snowperson. The best Snowpeople are made with friends. Find a friend and build a Snowperson for me. Thank you."

Well, there you have it! You have been tasked with finding someone to build a Snowperson with. And of course, because these Snowfolk are magic, they're going to be quite particular about how they want to be built. They may berate you and act fussy during the process. You must divide the work between you and your acquaintance in order to complete your Snowperson. Get creative with hats, scarves, shapes, face designs - and whatever else you think the Snowperson should have!

Your final result will produce either an immaculate (or terrible) Snowtyke, Snowboy, Snowmam or Snowman who will reward you both with a random piece of winter furniture and an extra surprise!

Once you both feel satisfied with your Snowperson,
Please reply to this thread here in order to claim the rewards! Have fun!

the aurora ball

// ballad of the northern lights

In Finnish mythology, it is believed that the Northern Lights (Revontulet) are the creation of a fox who runs across the night sky. In Fable, this very same fox is the one responsible for the Northern Lights of their skies - and while he spends a lot of his time away from the realm to decorate the skies of many other places, he returns every Winter for a fantastic show (and incredible party!)

To celebrate his return, Fable's residents gather in Skáld to host a ball and have a big party beneath the lights. And you have been invited! No need to worry about travel - with your magical invitation, you can be poofed there in an instant! In an act of generosity, the Fox of the Northern Lights has temporarily given you a dose of his magic in order for you to join in the fun! While the party is ongoing, you will have a glowing pair of aurora wings which allow flight, a dazzling new outfit, an immunity to the cold, and the ability to create aurora streaks in the sky!

// the aurora ball

The moment you accept the invitation and arrive in Skáld, the magical effects from the Aurora Fox will activate! Shimmering sparkles will envelope you before you find yourself wearing a brand new outfit and accessories for the evening, and they really are very sparkly! Your floating aurora wings spawn behind you in any colour, and just like that, you're ready for the party! Don't worry about the outfit you were wearing prior to this, it has been transported back to your wardrobe in your cottage. With magic, of course!

The party runs for a few days, and it's a lot bigger than you imagined. Just how many mythological creatures are attending? You and the otherwordly attendees will be staying in a nearby wooden lodge that has been upscaled with magic in order to accommodate its large guests. The lodge has spacious rooms, complimentary meals, and even a heated outdoor pool!

The party itself takes place on a mountain adjacent to the lodge with an outdoor ballroom, Troll DJs playing through the night (with both upbeat and slow music), a bonfire, a food buffet and a bar!

Fancy a drink? There are cocktails and mocktails being served all night by the Troll bartenders! Who knew Trolls were so good at mixing drinks? Cocktails and mocktails are exactly the same in taste, except mocktails don't have any alcohol in them. If your character doesn't like to drink, they can still enjoy the tasty beverage without getting drunk!

Regardless of alcohol content, however, each drink will have a funny effect on the person consuming it.
Pink Pixie will make people feel more flirty and sensual, Minty Manticore will make people hyperactive and chatty, Blue Bunyip will give them a case of the blues by inspiring a little bit of sadness, and Purple Pegasus will make them sentimental and emotional.

Welcome to Fable's first 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)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[While Tsubaki was gathering her bearings of Fable, she chanced upon a scene she was not expecting to see. Three sparrowlings and a familiar cat digging into the frosty ground. At first, she thought she must be seeing things, but no. He was still there. Approaching him slowly...]

Dare I ask what you're doing?

[Giving him a playful smile, she was relieved to see somebody she knew here.]

[Ah-HAH! There you are, you little devils. He was wrist-deep in the chilly mud when a voice caught his ears. They pricked upright before he looked up, his look nothing short of owlish astonishment. Of all the people to catch him digging in the mud, adding to the smudges on his pants and hastily-rolled sleeves-]

T-Tsubaki! This is-

[The bird children were digging and enjoying playing in the mud more than their intended task of looking for food. G'raha sat up and nearly reached for his head to scratch it sheepishly, but saw how muck-ridden it was.]

I'm... looking for worms.

[To bake into a pie. What a life he leads right now. But after his alarmed response, his answer sounded so matter-of-fact, one may think he'd have lost his mind.]

[She couldn't help that tiny laugh from escaping her lips. What a sight he was. Sorry G'raha. He looked like he was at end's rope here. Rolling up her own sleeves (it would not do to get mud over silk. Never mind that her dress was bound to... You know what? It doesn't matter. She could wash it out later. She's worn other such clothing in fights before, what harm could mud do to it?]

I would ask for what purpose but I... have an idea of why.

[Glancing to the bird children having a good time playing.]

Well, nothing for it. Where would you like me to search?

[He was tremendously relieved she understood. But he also had no idea of about half the weird nonsense the Warrior had to endure, and a majority of it made digging for worms seem like paradise in comparison. Tell him about the day you needed to rub salamander oil on a Manderville sometime.]

Oh, no no- Worry not about getting your hands dirty! I think we have this area covered. Are you confident in the kitchen, perhaps? The children sounded excited about the prospect of a pie, but I wouldn't know the first thing about making the shell... Lyna's nameday cake and your baskets number about the extent of my knowledge.

[That sad, sad cake. She insisted it was delicious and to this day he wasn't sure if she was simply being kind or if he did manage to pull it off. It tasted alright, he thought!]

[If only he knew the obsurdity she sometimes faced. She would rather not talk about that. That man has tainted enough of her time as is. And yet she had a hard time saying, "No." to him for some reason.

A pie, huh? Sadly, she did not have a lot of experience in the kitchen. Only enough to get her by in her days in Kugane. That mention made a lot of sense given what she knew of him. He tended not to eat the best and sandwiches were fairly easy to make. Baskets she appreciated by all means. They were thoughtful and put her mind at ease during her time in the First when she felt overall stressed.]

I'm sorry to say that my knowledge in the kitchen is only limited to getting by myself.

[Strangely enough more than he did anyway. She had at least made simple foods like soups and noodle dishes during her younger years.]

A pie doesn't seem terribly difficult though. I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.

[When you hail from a city that focused more on quick nutrition at the sacrifice of flavor, you tend to learn to ignore the basics and delve further into your studies. It was a good way to forget the taste of what you put in your body. ...Sorry, body.]

I see. Well, worry not: Surely between two minds, we can put together something that is serviceable. Less muddy.

[Forgive him this: He bent again to gather up a sizely handful of earthworms. In this world, it seemed they came in a rainbow of colors, and he placed them in the waiting bucket with the rest. Bird kids hopped over in their sparrow fashion and added to the bucket.]

...But no less potentially stomach-turning.

[Tsubaki would be lying if she said she didn't rely on quick, easy meals as a teenager trying to make end's meet in Kugane, but at some point you still needed substance that didn't go down like a brick in your stomach. Something she may have to try to change while they were here over time.]

The stomach wants what it wants I suppose. I just wonder how the pie will turn out with that... special ingredient.

[Well, there's only one way to find out.]

[He had a small shudder. Special indeed. He stood and gathered up the bucket. He looked out to the children.]

Alright, you did a great job as my fellow treasure hunters! What say we enjoy our spoils? Let's head inside now, and be sure to wash up! I'll be checking wings and claws.

[The birds giggled and hurried to the cottage, racing each other. G'raha turned a helpless smile and shrug to his companion.]

...I couldn't help agreeing to aid Mrs. Sparrow. I dare say Lyna was more energetic than those three combined.

Shall we?

[He gestured after her, and headed for the cottage himself. His interior was just as simply furnished as the others, but he seemed to have taken the time to adorn the walls with interesting tidbits he'd found while foraging. He had also already started a collection of books traded for his assistance... which was a kinder way of saying he'd bent over backwards doing chores for kindly woodland creatures for reading material.]

[She couldn't help but smile tenderly as she watched how he spoke with the children. He had raised Lyna, after all, so it wasn't a shock. Even so, seeing how well he worked with the small bird children was heartwarming. No wonder Lyna turned out so well.]

She was able to beat the enthusiasm of these children combined? You must have had your work cut out for you. You did well for a being a single father.

[She has to tease him a little bit, after all. Following the children in, she made sure that her heels were not full of mud before entering his cottage. It would be rude to track in someone's home, after all.]

You wouldn't know that, seeing the stoic woman in the First's present day, would you? But she was a very curious and energetic child.

[The single father remark brought a laugh. To see her change from that hopeless, frightened, muddy child to someone who had shelter, food and thrived among people who showed her so much love...]

Well...! As they say, 'it takes a village to raise a child'. I had many very helpful hands and advice from the people of the Crystarium. I couldn't possibly claim all the credit.

[He stuck his tongue out in focus as he used his tail to close the door behind them, holding his muddy hands before him until he could make for the sink and wash up. It wasn't the first, nor would it be the last day he had dirt under his fingernails, but he was certain he never wanted to dig for earthworms again.]

That aside, make yourself at home. I need but a moment to conduct the inspection and... try to pass inspection myself.

I would not. I bet she was really cute when she was young. She sounds like it, anyway.

[Judging from how he spoke with her before they hurried back to the Crystal Tower and from this alone.]

Of course.

[Nodding as she let him do his thing. She observed his walls, taking note of the specimens as well as the already small collection of books he had.]

You sure don't waste time, do you?

She truly was, but if she caught wind that I'd said that, she will find a way to traverse the sea of stars and end me.

[Hmm, the dirt was REALLY in there. Thankfully, he'd been smart enough to trade for a little brush for just such occasions in his more-frequent gardening endeavors.

His ears twitched before he turned his head. He smirked briefly.]

You caught me. I enjoy a good read! The tree will be a while to grow and the world seems peaceful. Why not take advantage of the down time?

It beats reorganizing the maps and scrolls of the Annex for the... twelfth time now, I believe?

I would like to think if she could do that, it would be well worth it.

[Tsubaki would love to see her again, but the sentiment was more for G'raha than anything.]

By the Twelve... How much did you guys have to go through? Well, full glad am I to have the time to do something that doesn't involve saving the world for a change.

So... Did you pass? [The inspection she means.]

Edited 2023-01-23 03:17 (UTC)

[By the Twelve, he would love it. He would be too busy staring in disbelief and sheer relief, missing the entire point of the lecture of embarrassment that would be inflicted upon him.

To answer the question, he sighed and hung his head.]

...Too many, my friend. Too many. I will spare you the full number.

[He shut off the faucet and shook off his hands. That's the ticket, getting the use of your limbs again after trying not to spread mud on the doorknobs and goodness knows what else. Upon straightening up, he scrutinized them.]

I... appear to have passed. [A flash of a fanged grin her way. Best change the subject from scroll and map hell.]

I'd be a sorry inspector if I couldn't pass my own test, would I not? This just leaves the little ones.

[And washing the... worms. The longer he could put that off, the better.]

Well, while you do that, I can start working on cleaning the worms.

[May as well multitask while they could. Taking the bucket of worms to the kitchen, she looked for another bowl to put the clean ones in. There were far worse things she could be doing, at least. Like baking a worm pie.

Oh wait.]

Oh, n-nono, I wouldn't have... you...!

[Well, there she went anyway. The prior bravado had melted to a momentary panic as she set to a degrading task he was perfectly capable of doing himself to save her the trouble...!

But the little birds had bounced over and were clamoring for his attention. He needed to conduct his inspection like he'd promised and possibly be quick enough to divert Tsubaki from THIS TERRIBLE THING SHE VOLUNTEERED TO DO. ~~Though, he was concerned when Feo Ul once told him of the awful things she kept in her bags and... he was -worried-...~~]

Er- yes! Let's see, wings out, please.

[He couldn't let them go scot-free, the wings had to be clean. One passed, the other... okay, the third needed to get a bit of dirt from a couple of flight feathers, and messy tangled feathers were ones that wouldn't allow her to fly one day. The child opted to peck at it rather than wash again. Since the mud was drying and would crumble, G'raha would let it go just this once. Everyone ate a little mud at some point in their lives.

...

What? It's the truth.]

Ah- Tsubaki, please...! Allow me!

Edited 2023-01-23 05:22 (UTC)

[Tsubaki has had to do far worse things than cleaning worms. The Warrior of Light was there to help in dire situations, but people also liked to pawn off their small busywork to her sometimes. The type that she had issues saying no to due to disappointing them or just being dragged in anyway. Rolling up her sleeves, she started to clean them off. She hadn't gotten too far when G'raha called out to her. She rolled her eyes lightly but offered a soft expression nonetheless.]

Only after you've attended to your duties, ser. I'll not have you skimp out on doing a job well done on my account.

[Silly boy. She'd be fine.]

My- ...Yes. Of course.

["Skimp"... ah. He deflated slightly. This was for the bit of mud, wasn't it? That was unbecoming of him, that was for certain. But no more! He set his jaw and went to get that last bit of mud off the little girl's wing.]

Alright, you now pass. If you'd be so kind, please help your brothers set the table.

[He stood upright as what were rowdy little sparrow kids were gathering plateware and setting the table G'raha was relieved was big enough. He went for the pie crust ingredients to line them upon the counter. Back to the task at hand, seeing as he wasn't on worm-wash duty:]

...I think making small individual pies for each of them would cut the bake time, and prevent any argument about portion sizes being bigger for some than others.

[He thought briefly of being small, hunched behind a building and quickly eating something in his hands. But that wasn't a great memory... intrusive thoughts never liked playing fair.]

I think that's a great idea, but do we have enough ingredients for that?

[She saw that slight flicker of expression, pausing her work to turn to him.]

Is something amiss?

[His gaze lifted briefly, but was back on the task with a shake of his head. He went for a butter knife and went to start cutting the butter.]

Oh! No, no. All is well. I was reminded of something from... long ago. Living among my tribe as a child was a lesson in ensuring equality. Less arguing among the children when nobody got something bigger than the others', things like that.

[Tsubaki was silent for a moment, looking at him thoughtfully. They had been through a lot together thus far, but she knew nothing of his childhood beyond what he told her about Sharlayan. Honestly though? She had no room to talk. She intentionally kept from talking about her own past more than necessary. How could she begin to mention such a thing, when she went through lengths to avoid talking about her own?

Honestly, just going back to her village willingly after the Scions "disbanded" was hard enough. Even after everything, they still weren't happy with her coming by.

Looking back to the worms to finish washing them off...]

Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear you had to learn the hard way. But the children now are better for it.

[He smiled at her, if briefly.]

What's in the past has passed. I am a man grown, and have seen fit to continually honor the chance they gave me. The adventures I've had since and the people I've met... I will forever treasure them. And you.

[He paused, quietly cleared his throat and went to get the bowl for the flour.]

Well, in any case... think nothing of it.

[It was a good thing she was facing away from him while cleaning the worms because she lingered on that last bit for a little longer than she should have. Lightly clearing her own voice.]

It may not be the adventure I promised, and certainly not Ishgard, but we can think of this vacation as an adventure of sorts. And we have all the time in the world to check everything out. I say we take advantage of this respite.

[With the worms finished, she set the bucket of dirt off to the side and washed away any remaining mud. Once done, she set the fresh bowl of worms near him.]

But first, we have some hungry children to feed. What would you like me to do next?

[He relaxed. That was nice to see: She of all people needed the most rest out of all of them. He grabbed a book and opened it to a pie recipe.]

Well, let's see here... "cut the fat into the flour until a coarse meal forms. Add only enough cold water until you have a cohesive dough."

Ahh, I think I remember that much- I tried my hands at scones for a tea party Lyna wished to have when she had a 'fancy princess party' phase. ...Another secret you must never divulge outside of this room for the sake of my life, of course.

[He clapped his hands together to clear off the flour before he went to seek a couple of forks for said fat-cutting. He set those on the counter.]

What sort of spices do you think would go good with the, er, choice of meat?

[Tsubaki was learning more and more about Lyna today. Things that she had no doubt that she'd be embarrassed about hearing he talked. Lyna really sounded like a cute child.]

How long did this Fancy Princess phase last, pray tell? [She even had a princess phase, huh?] Your secrets are safe with me.

Hm... That is... [Huh...] do birds normally eat spices? What would they even like? I guess we could ask them what they'd want it to taste like. I'd rather we get it right the first time and make it to their liking.

Arduous indeed

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