TDM #2

[fabulists]

fable test drive meme #2

// 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. 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. It seems that the monthly tasks are geared towards togetherness due to this being the month of love!

love is in the air

// an arrow through the heart

When the 14th of February rolls around in Fable, every creature across the realm seems to be full of love! The villages all across the realm have many loved-themed attractions for the occasion. There are Fae folk giving away cookies in the streets, mysterious Cherubs flying around with bows and arrows that might make you suspicious, and a general sense of happiness and warmth can be felt all around.

Of course, Valentine's day is for more than the love shared between romantic couples, though! All kinds of love are celebrated on this day - platonic love, familial love, romantic love, and every other kind in between. To celebrate this romantic holiday, the Fae have poofed some attractions up into Fable including an outdoor café, a magical carousel and an evening firework show! When the fireworks explode, they explode into hearts! Isn't that sweet?

// merry-go-round

In Fable's town square, a magical carousel has appeared! As you take a closer look, you notice that the wooden horses seem to be alive...?! If you stare and linger for too long, the Fae may pester you to go and ride it! If you succumb to the wishes of the Fae (or decide to ride it out of your own accord), everything will seem to be pretty normal to start. The horses move up and down while music plays, giving a pretty novel carousel ride experience.

Then, suddenly, the horse you are riding will turn around to look at you...!? And then say: "Seems the two of you are getting along just great! Now, we'll take you on a date!" Uh, what!? Before you can ask questions, you realise that the horse you are riding has detached from the carousel, and it is now taking you to a new location with the person next to you to set you up on a date! Both you and the person riding the horse adjacent to you will be taken on a fun date spot by both of these horses. It seems to be far out of Fable, too! The horses will take the two of you for a fun time out in Kanshi! Known for its famous flower gardens and pink foliage, it makes for a wonderful date spot. Once the carousel horses deliver you, they tell you they'll come and pick you up...! On one condition. The condition is that you must either play 20 questions, truth or dare, go out for a meal or make flower crowns for each other. Simply whistle to call the horses back afterwards. Have fun!

// complimentary candy

Care for some candy? Although, you're pretty sure these are cookies ... In any case, there are several fairies flying around Fable with trays filled with complimentary candies! Upon first glance, they just look like a regular plain heart, but once they're picked up, they will tell you something you really need to hear right now. Something to warm you from the inside out!

Once you consume one of these candies, you won't be able to resist complimenting other people as well. The more you eat, the more compliments you'll give!

Uh oh, there's trouble in the air ... Mischievous Faerie Cherubs may shoot you in the heart with an arrow today! You won't feel it, but the momentum of being struck might make you wobble a little.

Red arrows will give you strong feelings of lust. Oh, my. When did everyone here get so attractive...? You feel like you're on fire. Better go somewhere private if things get heated between you and another.

Yellow arrows will make you feel like sunshine today! If you're usually a grumpy grump, you find yourself filled with inexplicable joy. It's probably contagious!

Pink arrows will fill you with so much love for the people you care about. It's like the holiday spirit of Valentine's has hit you full force! You really want to do something to show someone you care about them.

White arrows will give you a case of the hiccups that can only be cured with a kiss! You know the cure, but nobody else does (unless they've been affected too.) What will you do?

viva festivale!

// a feather hunting festival!

After a fun time on the 14th, you feel as though the Fae must be all partied out by now during February. Surely they can't still be partying this month? Wrong! They certainly are! You awaken one morning to discover that music is playing in the distance. If you feel intrigued enough to go and investigate, you will notice multicolour paper decorations lining the streets along with lots of bunting.

Any questions you may have will be answered very swiftly when a peacock bursts out of nowhere, wildly shaking his feathers! "WELCOME TO FESTIVALE!" He says, and before you can open your mouth to speak, he continues:

"One and TWO! Three and FOUR! Your hips! They do not move! They do not hear the music! They do not DANCE! Dancing is not done with your feet, but with your HEART!"

You still don't follow.

"Your heart cannot DANCE while you are lonely! Therefore, you must complete my scavenger hunt to make some friends! You must team up to find the magical feathers I have hidden! Bring the feathers to me, I will reward you with furniture! And you will reward yourself with friendship!"

Okay, you think you get it now. After reading the peacock's directions presented on a wooden sign, you are given the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt! What's there to lose, especially if there are prizes to be won?

Each feather will appear when participating in a different activity!
The activity involves gathering a material and doing something fun together in Fable's locations!
The material seems to be relevant to the type of furniture you want, too ...

Red feathers can be found when collecting stardust in Qijue! In order to assist with this task, a little bit of magic will temporarily give you feathered wings! Once you have gathered stardust from the sky and swapped a meaningful story, a red feather will appear! This feather can be swapped for a random piece of star furniture and its DIY recipe!

Green feathers can be found while gathering glowing moss in Limerick! In order to assist with this task, a little bit of magic will temporarily transform you into a tiny fairy with a moss pouch! Once you have gathered moss and danced together, a green feather will appear! This feather can be swapped for a random piece of moss furniture and its DIY recipe!

Blue feathers can be found when diving for seashells in Villanelle! In order to assist with this task, a little bit of magic will temporarily transform you into a mermaid! Once you have gathered some pretty seashells and played two truths and a lie, a blue feather will appear! This feather can be swapped for a random piece of mermaid furniture and its DIY recipe!

Purple feathers can be found while gathering blossom petals in Kanshi! In order to assist with this task, a little bit of magic will temporarily give you fairy wings! Once you have filled a basket with petals and shared an ice cream, a purple feather will appear! This feather can be swapped for a random piece of cherry blossom furniture! and its DIY recipe!

Once you have hit 5 comments each in your thread (10 comments total), you will be eligible to redeem your furniture and recipe! This is to guarantee the prize in case threads get dropped or fall incomplete. Reply here to do so!

Welcome to Fable's second 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

[schmoozing]

[He has to

what?]

I don't mean to be rude, but...

[He just wants to make sure he heard her right. Did she just say he had to kiss her? His mind races back towards when they'd arrived, how they'd ended up in the pool and shared such a close, intimate moment together.

He remembers how much he liked it, how right it felt to have himself slotted against her lips and...]

...i-is there a different way of doing it? It would feel inappropriate to put myself upon you like-

[His next words are cut off by another hiccup from Ayaka, getting the feeling that her answer was going to be no. There is no other way. He can already feel his face starting to flush red thinking about it.]

[frostblooms]

[ Ah. His reaction is beyond reasonable; the kiss they had shared when they first arrived was, after all, also the work of magic, wasn't it? To say nothing of the words that had passed between them in those moments, as well... She's sure that they were simply not in their right mights. And so to ask him to kiss her like this is improper, another breach of the unspoken boundaries between herself and Thoma, and guilt lances through her. ]

It's... The only way that I know of— hic... Mister Tighnari had overheard faeries speaking of this - hic - some time ago at Villanelle...

[ Her hands finally drop down to her sides, but so too does her gaze fall away from him, unable to look Thoma in the eyes. How could she suggest such a thing... ]

...I'm - hic - sorry, Thoma. Perhaps we should - hic - pursue a different solution...

[schmoozing]

[When Ayaka looks away from him, he can feel a burning in his chest that practically screams that he's managed to finally say the wrong thing here, despite his skill in navigating situations.

Thoma sees how he's embarrassed her a little, and he's still trying to process his own emotions and thoughts from before. Coupled by the terror that still grips him from the darkness that's settled in, he's got to make a decision here and get through this. He can do it. It's just going to be a little hard.]

No, I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. Please, allow me another chance to redeem myself.

[If it's the work of faeries, then this is probably the only solution. Ayaka won't stop hiccuping for who knows how long if they don't cure it. And it's not like they haven't kissed before.]

It's just a kiss, right? If it cures this ailment, and you're comfortable with it, then it's fine.

[But even thinking about it is making his heart thump in his chest.]

[frostblooms]

[ It's... It's just a kiss. That's right. She and Thoma are going to get caught in this loop of apologizing to each other, because that's just the way that they are, but...

Ah, her heart is pounding in her chest again. Why is that... ]

I... Yes, I'm... I'm - hic - comfortable with it...

[ Perhaps more than she feels she should admit. ]

[schmoozing]

[He doesn't know what kind of kiss it needs to be. A cheek? On the lips? It probably doesn't matter either way. Thoma can feel his heart beat in his chest, nervousness surging through him. What he wouldn't give for those magic drinks right about now, but he doesn't have them and his lady needs him.

And there's something in how she says she's comfortable with it, it makes his own heart reflect those words. He'd almost dare say that he wants to, regardless of whether she was hiccuping or not.]

Alright. Just relax milady, this will be over in just a moment.

[Placing her chin betwixt his thumb and finger, he lifts her head to get a good angle- while catching himself staring into her eyes for maybe a moment too long- before leaning in to press a ginger, borderline passionate kiss to her lips. He can feel his chest explode with a warmth that he's felt once before, but it doesn't surprise him.

In fact, when he pulls away, his face flushes a light pink as he stares back down at her, trying to deal with the fact that it didn't surprise him when his chest tightened the way it did, and how Thoma finds himself wanting another kiss. Like he's hanging there in case she hiccups again and he has to kiss her again as an excuse.]

...How do you feel, milady?

[He asks, wondering if that actually worked.]

[frostblooms]

[ The moment that Thoma brings his hand beneath her chin to tip her head back, it occurs to her to tell him that a cheek kiss would do. It would more than suffice. And yet the moment, too, that she finds herself gazing into his spring green eyes just as she had that night a month ago, she can't bring herself to say much of anything.

Soon enough, their lips meet, somehow bearing with it a degree of certainty - and some tentativeness to it, too, as if they're both dancing on the precipice of something they continue to shy away from. Her heart feels full, fit to bursting, and she nearly forgets that this kiss was entirely a necessity, to begin with. It's not until he's asking her how she feels that it even crosses her mind again.

...She waits, a moment. What if that didn't work? Would he heave to kiss her again...?

But a moment passes, silent, and signaling the end of her magically-induced hiccups. However, it does not signal the end of her face reddening almost to match the red of Thoma's jacket. ]

I... I feel alright. Good, even.

[ And maybe not just because her hiccups are gone. ]

Goodness, I... I made a mess of our petals. We should gather them all up again before they blow away in the breeze...

[schmoozing]

[He can't help but study her face as they break, waiting for her answer. He notes how she turns red- he's sure that he's red as well- but the answer makes his heart swell a little, glad to hear her say she felt good. It procures a smile from him, warm and happy. And though he didn't mean to embarrass her, he sort of...likes seeing this reaction from her. It doesn't make him feel like he did something wrong, rather, it feels more like he did something right.

And that, at the end of the day, is what he wants anyhow.]

I'm glad to hear it. Don't worry, there's plenty of petals still floating around, even if the prospect of going after them is a little terrifying right now...

[Because after kissing, he feels like whatever is scaring him really isn't something that he needs to worry about hiding. Like a lot of things here, it seems that magically forcing things upon them is A Thing, and that's probably what this is.]

But, ah, milady...

[He wants to address this, but thinks better of it. Maybe not now. Maybe later. He feels like there's still things he needs to figure out for himself first.]

Never mind. Let's just focus on getting them back and getting back home.

[frostblooms]

[ Just like Thoma, Ayaka comes away from this moment with a fluttering feeling in her heart, but one ushers in a certain feeling, like standing on the edge of a cliff, in those moments before one is meant to take a leap of faith.

Perhaps they ought to have a conversation about this. This is the second time that they've kissed, now, though both times have been brought on by the magic that permeates this entire realm. It would be wise of them to come to an understanding that there isn't a deeper meaning to either of those times... right? And that's what would be best for them... right?

As always, it's Thoma's voice that reels her back in before her mind can overthink everything. There will be plenty of time for that later on, she imagines, once they've parted ways for the evening and returned to their respective cottages back in the village...

Never mind, he says, but something tugs at Ayaka, and makes her wonder what the words could have been, a small hope lingering within her that maybe she's wrong about them and the nature of their relationship. That maybe there's something beneath... But, ah, never mind.

Though, speaking of magical effects... ]

Thoma, perhaps... The fear you are feeling is another magical effect of sorts...? [ unless he's developed a sudden, genuine fear of the dark, but?? ] If we believe this to be the case, then maybe thinking of it as a fabricated feeling can help ease your mind.

[ Ah... But wouldn't the same apply to the unspoken feelings between them...? Don't overthink, don't overthink... She leans down to pick up the basket again, brushing a few of the petals that haven't already blown away in the breeze into it. ]

Regardless, you're right. We should make haste so we can return home...

[schmoozing]

[He takes a moment to consider it. He's never been scared of the dark before, and the terror that sits in his chest doesn't seem like it's something he should be feeling right now. If anything, she's probably right, it probably is something magically induced upon him by this world.

He scoops up some more petals to place in the basket, his heart beginning to pound in his chest at the prospect of being outside any longer. It'll be hard, but he'll try to get through this.]

Agreed. I'd definitely like to get back sooner rather than later. Hopefully this strange terror I feel will go away soon as well...but, I guess it wasn't all that bad, right?

[He seems to ask as reassurance, but for what, he's not certain.]

[frostblooms]

[ It's rare, indeed, for Thoma to be the one asking for any form of reassurance, when so often it tends to be the other way around. But Ayaka is more than happy to offer it, in the same way that Thoma has always, always been there whenever she needed an extra push. And so she nods. ]

Of course not. And...

[ Her words trail off and she hums thoughtfully, considering how exactly she should say this. ]

...Even if it were a genuine fear, please know that you can rely on me to help you through it.

[ They've gathered up as many of the fallen petals as would be reasonable by now, she thinks... Although there are a few that have since fluttered through the wind... and into her hair. Ayaka has yet to notice. ]

[schmoozing]

Thank you, milady. I'll always feel more at ease knowing that I've got your support.

[And for so long, both herself and Ayato have had his back, and he'll never forget it. It's the whole reason why he's here, why he's been so loyal to them through the years of him being in Inazuma. He owes them so much, and he hopes that he can always stay by their side.

His eye catches the petals that float through the air and catch in her ponytail and top of her head, his hand moving gingerly towards one of them to pluck it from her hair and place it in the basket.]

Maybe we won't have to go far at all to finish getting our petals. They seem to be attracted to you, hehe.

[He plucks another one from her hair, and another that's stuck right to the hair near her temple. Time seems to slow, and Thoma finds himself staring for a moment at her.]

Milady...

[He looks as if he has a question on the tip of his tongue, but he's not sure if he should ask it.]