isleofavalon | it started out as a feeling; [open & closed]

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it started out as a feeling; [open & closed]

🧙 WHO: Machi Kuragi (

imperfectwish) & others
⚔️️ WHAT: Catchall for August w/ TDM & quest prompts
🕒 WHEN: All of August
🗺️ WHERE: All over Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: None for now.

I. FRESH WATERS;

[This was what Machi got for her determination to explore, to help and to change for the better while here. When she had thought about change she had meant becoming more open, more honest, less abrasive perhaps. More confidence at the very least.

What she hadn't meant was a change like this -- tentacles and pointed ears. Not to mention the gills too! At first all she can do is look absolutely aghast at the very helpful nurse but she's shuffled off soon enough to find her own way back to the surface.

... Once she can figure out how to operate -- well, all of this. Did she have to have so many tentacles? They all seem to respond just fine but it's definitely a mental adjustment to go from two legs on land to eight or more tentacles underwater. She just seems so flustered by it all it's... kind of cute to watch in a way? Not her fumbling around but the stern frown and wrinkled brow that accompanies it all.

Help a girl out? Or at least don't get too offended when she outright bumps into you or one of her tentacles ends up grazing your tail / tentacles.]

II. OPEN HOUSE -- ROYAL BATHS;

[Though Machi hadn't quite expected water park levels of attractions going on here she had shown up in a bathing suit. Odd for a public bath? Maybe. But she had been more curious than wanting a bath to begin with so it seemed to make sense to her at the time.

She's sort of marveling at just how big the slide is though.]

... This doesn't seem suited for a bath.

III. OPEN HOUSE -- GLOWING COLORS & ROSE GARDENS;

[The library had been fascinating. Some of the books hadn't made much sense to Machi while others had been so dense she didn't think she could finish them anytime soon.
Could she check things out like a library back home? She wasn't sure and had ended up tucking all the books back after a glance over.

Then there was the forbidden section. Machi wasn't one to break rules typically but well... curiosity and all that. That was why she was out in the rose garden now, more or less hiding away among all the flowers -- at least until someone stumbles across her.]

Ah, pardon me.

[She's an entertaining shade of red. And not just her face either. The glow isn't blinding or deep but there's this subtle shade of red to her that can't help but be eye catching.]

IV. DON'T TREEP, MAN;

[When the call goes out for green mages Machi knows the right thing to do is go and offer her help. She's been trying her best in classes all month and succeeding rather admirably to be honest. She's a decent student back home and here she's become quite devoted to her new studies. Without the pressures of others to perform to a perfect standard she's found school is actually pretty fun, particularly the magic courses. Studying for them definitely isn't a chore for her.

She's still green with her green magic though and it definitely shows. On the first few days she's directed to the orchard given several people can work on the trees and such at one time. She's pouring herself into helping one of these trees alongside someone else when the tree just starts budding out fruit like mad on Machi's side. She flusters, quick to draw back her hands and stop herself, eyes wide as she glances upward.]

A little too much then...

[On some other days she's directed to the fields and there she's having a hard time getting anything to sprout. She looks rather frustrated too.]

V. WILDCARD;

[Feel free to leave other prompts under this. Plurk and PMs open for plotting!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Machi turns a momentary flat look in Minako's direction, doing her utmost to look unimpressed by the joke.

... Even she can't help but huff out an amused breath though.]

It's budding with possibilities.

[Ugh, she almost hates herself.]

[ There's a brief moment where Minako looks surprised. Mostly that Machi went along with her joke in the first place.

But then a grin spreads on her face, even wider than the one from a moment ago, and she laughs heartily as she runs over in the other girl's direction, giving her the biggest smile the moment she's next to Machi. ]

Hey, hey, do you think we should pluck some of the fruit? If we leave it all up there, branches may start to break off because of the weight!

[Ah, Machi hadn't even considered that! Her brow readily furrows and the glance she throws up to said laden branches is honestly worried. Maybe she's a little softer inside than her exterior? No, that's sort of a given.]

We probably should.

[...]

I went a little too far again.

[Had she messed the poor tree up too badly? She knew next to nothing about plants really. Maybe she should study up on them more?]

[ Minako takes a step forward, like she's ready to climb up this tree herself to get that fruit down, but then she hears the second part of what the other girl says.

That gets her to stop moving immediately, instead walking back towards Machi with a concerned expression on her face. ]

Don't worry about it. We're all new to this place's magic, right? [ To some extent. ] Of course some stuff is going to go wrong sometimes!

[ She smiles, shaking her head. ]

But that just means we have to fix it!

[... That's right. Things can be fixed, can't they. They aren't doomed forever just because of one misstep or mistake.

Nearby where some other trees are being worked on someone's actually thought to bring a few bigger baskets just in case. They're painted edges catch Machi's eye from where they sit in the green grass.]

We'll probably need some sort of ladder...

[Or step stool at least?]

Oh, Machi-chan! You sometimes say the funniest things!

[ .. not that Machi said anything funny, mind you. No, that is a very normal and sensible suggestion, yet to Minako it somehow seems to come across as.. a joke..?

She even waves a dismissive hand. ] If you just make sure to have something to catch the fruit with, I'll throw it down!

[ Is she implying she will just climb into that tree by hand?

Yes. Yes, she is. ]

[... Funny? For a moment Machi is well and truly mystified until Minako mentions throwing fruit and then she looks stunned.]

Are you going to climb the tree?

[Wait, it's obvious. She's going to climb the tree!]

You can't just climb a tree!

[ Blink. ]

Why not?

[ Said so casually. Like it's a totally normal question. Why can't she climb the tree, Machi? What problem exists here? She doesn't know. ]

[Why -- Minako!]

What if you fall! You'll injure yourself!

[Yeah okay there are healers around probably but that's beside the point.]

Aw, it'll be fine! There's just no way I'll fall!

[ .. partially since Minako is used to running and jumping across extremely tall buildings, but.. She's pretty sure she can't bring up that reason without seeming really weird.

Or worse, invite questions she's not too sure she should answer, considering how long the story behind it is. ]

Really, it's super sweet of you to worry about me, Machi-chan! But it's so much quicker than using a ladder, right? We'll be done here in no time if we work together like that!

[Mmmh. Minako does have a point about it being the quicker option. Machi finally concedes with this sort of weary, accepting sigh that she's practiced through the years with her brother.]

Alright then. If you'll climb up then I'll catch what you toss down.

[Or maybe shake down? Either way Machi goes to pluck up one of the nearby conveniently laid-out baskets and returns shortly to stand beneath the laden branches.

This is either going to go spectacularly or horribly.]

[ Minako seems so stoked that Machi agrees with the plan. Had she really been planning on not climbing up after all if the other had insisted? Who knows, but having permission seems to make her extra excited.

Which means that by the time the other girl has returned with the basket, Minako is already in the tree. As if she's somehow part monkey, able to climb a tree like this in record time. She doesn't seem too worried about being up there either - she just smiles down at Machi, flashing her a V-sign while holding onto the tree with her other hand. ]

Are you ready? I'll try to avoid hitting your beautiful head!

[Look at her go! Minako kind of marvels at how fast she's gotten up that tree in the little time it took her to get a basket.

Her cheeks color at the 'beautiful head' bit but she seems to... plant her feet? Take a stance? She holds out the basket with this honest-to-goodness serious look on her face.]

You better!

Now that's the spirit! [ Minako says. She's beaming a smile so hard from up here that she's practically radiating like the sun.

But it's not like she's just lazing around, oh no. Machi looks so ready that Minako knows she has no choice but to immediately get started on this task - especially since there's not telling how long these branches can hold both the weight of all this fruit and of Minako herself..

So she starts to reach over to pick fruit off the branches, throwing them down one by one. ]

Incoming..!

[ She yells.

You know, just as a warning. It's like Machi is playing an entire videogame here, having to catch the fruit. ]

[Minako is such an enigma. Machi honestly does enjoy her company and her spirit but at the same time she'd like to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. So... yeah, much like Kakeru basically. Though for whatever reason she feels far more tolerant of Minako's shenanigans. Maybe because Minako isn't her brother? Was there some sort of hidden instinct to punch your brother when he got too out of hand?

Anything musing is cut off once fruit starts flying. And yes, it's just like a video game. Here Machi had thought she'd have a nice day of making things bloom and now she's quite literally dashing around for the fruit.

One finally does hit her in the head of course only to bounce right into her basket. She blinks for a moment, misses another because of it and then jumps back into action.]

Farming... must be hard work...

[Or farmers do this with some sense is more like it.]

[ Minako does notice the piece of fruit hitting the other's head. It makes Minako pause for just a moment - though she's already dropped a few more pieces of fruit before pausing, considering the delay! - and call out: ]

Are you okay?!

[ .. then again, Machi does still seem to be moving and catching the other pieces of fruit, so surely she's alright, right? Machi has seemed like a pretty tough girl so far, this is probably nothing to her..!

So Minako just keeps throwing fruit down, until she looks down and sees that the basket is basically overflowing with fruit at this point.

That's the cue she takes to just.. jump down. Climbing back down is for losers. And this way it's easier for her to be back with her feet on the ground in no time, so Minako can walk over towards the other girl, gently putting her hands on both sides of Machi's head and looking at the top of her head. ]

You didn't get a bump, right? Does it still hurt?

[Is this woman a monkey of some sort? Machi's clearly impressed by the overflowing basket though! She hadn't imagined there was that much fruit and she'd say as much to Minako.

Y'know, if the other girl hadn't captured her head and was looking her over. Guh!]

I-it was just a piece of fruit!

[It wasn't even that big! Is the other girl looking her over for injuries? Th-that's...]

Hey, hey! What kind of person would I be if I allowed even a single piece of fruit to touch my friend in a bad way?!

[ ... Who knows what kind of person specifically that would make her, but Minako manages to word it like it's a terrible, terrible thing. Friends don't let friends get hit by pieces of fruit, apparently. The #1 rule to friendship.

But Machi does look more or less okay, so Minako does quit her inspection, before things get more awkward. ]

Besides, you didn't even scold me, or tell me it's my fault for going too fast. That's super sweet of you.

[Thank goodness for that. Machi plops down the basket in the next moment given it's grown a good bit heavier with all the fruit. Then she turns a curious look in Minako's direction.]

I don't like scolding others.

[She doesn't so much as scold her brother as she rewards his teasing with violence, okay. Plus well, she lives with scolding all her life and can't say she cares for it a grew deal.]

Do your friends typically scold you?

[Machi can kiiiinda see why they would to be honest.]

Well...

[ The way her voice trails off there, the sheer tone she says that 'well' with, probably says enough in and of itself. ]

Not all of them? [ Some of them are okay. Usagi? Great. Makoto? Usually great. Ami, and especially Rei?

.. eh. ]

But truthfully, there's not much I do that anyone can scold me for, so I guess you and I really match in that sense! You know, if you don't like scolding people!

[Machi's expression flattens out.]

Climbing trees is something worth scolding.

[ ...

Minako pauses, as if she can't believe what she's hearing right here and now. ]

W-What do you mean? How is that worth scolding?! People have done it for centuries!

Just because other people do something doesn't mean it's safe, you know.

[Minako, how is that a legitimate excuse.]

Aww.. Machi-chan, come on!

[ Look at her whine. Like somehow convincing the other girl that what she did is okay is just that important to Minako. ]

I was fine! I went up fine, came down fine. [ She gestures over at the tree. ] This isn't even close to the tallest thing I've ever gone up!

[... It's not?]

What do you usually climb up then?

it started out as a feeling; [open & closed]

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