Test Drive Meme 015

[voidtreckermods]

Welcome to the Test Drive Meme! Here is the place to see how your character might fit the setting, grab samples and have fun!

1. Post with your character, including their name and series in the subject. We’ve written out some prompts but feel free to make up your own, you have a whole train to play with!

2. Assume they've been around long enough for threads to jump right into the action.

3. Have lots of fun. Mandatory, mod-sanctioned fun.

Happy testing!

A Quiet Place

A double carriage with a staircase at each end, the quiet coach has five booths on each floor. With frosted glass doors, locks on the inside, and a pair of comfy benches each, they’re luxuriously private on a train that’s anything but. There are no ICP screens, and each booth is completely soundproof.



Granted, two of the rooms downstairs have been merged in an act of vandalism and are now a workshop-slash-forge, but that has its own attraction. Plenty of things to mess with, plenty of boxes of scraps. The main tinkerer’s not home. Hey, isn’t that a welding torch?



No? Well, you were early enough to snag a room for yourself. Perhaps you’re not alone, or you’re expecting company. Or maybe you forgot to lock the door, and now someone’s in here with you. Awkward.

Too Many Cooks

Once a single room, the kitchen now sprawls over two floors. Banks of industrial electric ovens, a long, steel countertop facing them. Cupboards full of oven trays and pans, racks of implements and appliances. On the first floor, sinks and modern appliances, and cupboards full of crockery.



This month, the month of Harrow, the recipes are centred around chocolate. Chicken Mole, chocolate ravioli, cocoa chilli… it may begin to taste a little sickly sweet after the first week. Fortunately, there’s plenty of room for experimentation as people start to beg for other meals. And a lot of chocolate going spare.



And when the preparation is finished, and the meals have been sent over to the dining carriage… there are stacks, and stacks, and stacks of plates. Pots. Cutlery. And no dishwashers.



Well, no, that’s not strictly true. You’re there.

Allegorical Devices and Other Foes

The world of Torcera, designation #450720816. With a civilisation level roughly equivalent to the medieval ages, the train has deposited its Voidtreckers in a castle town, in which several kingdoms have assembled for an annual tournament. Banners fly from every roof, chattering squires and servants tug mounts this way and that. Some resemble horses with trailing antlers and four lidded eyes, others great flightless birds, and a third popular choice is a species of lanky winged dogs, albeit for the sake of fairness their wings are strapped loosely to their saddles. As a world ignorant of Void travel, you have all been given access to the dressing car’s voluminous stores. Dresses, chainmail, jerkins, or even a few suits of full plate… and plenty of hooded capes. Evil is afoot at the tournament, and you are to root it out.

Team One

Courtiers and their adjutants have travelled from all corners of the planet to assemble for the tournament; the empress herself is said to be participating, and stakes are high. Your team has been tasked with determining the identity of the empress in the tourney, and the identity of her foes, so that Team Two can move in. To this end, you are to mingle with the court and, if necessary, break into personal quarters. Brief instruction in protocol will not be provided.

Team Two

Once you know the identity of the Empress, you can move to defend her - you’re relatively sure she’s either the helmed hedge knight of the crested monlion, or the masked outrider with the seagoose crest and a mount with plumage of deepest blue. But you can’t be sure, and until you are, you’re to sign up for the tourney and look for troublemakers. The melee will be held in the afternoon, and tomorrow the individual lists. Mounts are available, as are a staggering number of weapons. Ideally, the final round would be a number of Voidtreckers, and the Empress. How to arrange that?

Team Three

Team One is in the court. Team Two in the lists. And you, Team Three, are amongst the common folk. Rumours abound, the atmosphere is festive, and several events are open to ordinary citizens on the second day, including one bohort with a single wish of the Empress as the prize. No great problem, perhaps... if not for the tales of a younger brother, long lost, looking to usurp the throne. Unrest is stirring in the town behind the colourful stalls and laughing children, and it's up to you to determine where, and why.

Comments

Adora | She-ra and the Princesses of Power

[eightfootprincess]

-Chocolate-

Adora has been expanding her horizons constantly, but every once in a while she still runs into some little luxury of civilian life that her spartan upbringing in the Horde never prepared her for.

At the moment, she's poking at this brown stuff with a fork. She was sure it would taste fine, honestly. The problem was a bit more petty than that.

"It looks like ration bars. The brown ones." Yuck. She had always hated the brown ones. The gray ones were way better. "I thought I was done with those..."

-Team two-

Adora was nowhere to be found, today. She wasn't great at this whole undercover thing, anyway. Deception didn't come easily to her.

No, instead someone else had joined the tourney; a massive woman standing easily eight feet tall, with long blonde hair and white and gold armor who looked so magnificent she seemed to glow (In fact sometimes you think she might ACTUALLY be glowing), who had entered under the name of She-Ra. They had found a few pieces of armor that fit her but honestly, she didn't think she needed them.

When her team met up for the melee, they took one look at her and then put her in the front.

Now it's the thick of (mock) battle, and she's kicking just as much ass as she looks like she would. The question is, are you on her team, or in her way?

-Team Three-

Whenever She-Ra wasn't up in the tournament, plain old Adora was working the crowds. It was pretty tiring, switching back and forth so much like this, but nothing she couldn't handle. Now let's see, she had won the last round, and from the look of the brackets, she had at least an hour or so before her next bout. Plenty of time to catch her breath and get something to eat, and maybe even do some investigating.

Adora stopped in front of one of the food stalls, a pouch on her belt weighed down with coins from winning the first round already, and spent a minute looking over her options, before piping up with "Excuse me, sir. I'd like that comically oversized drumstick of unidentified meat, please."

What? A girl's gotta eat.

Chocolate, how do you do fellow magical knight

[gal_paladin]

Alesha (in her blue dress with the silver and ruby jewelry; she'll be damned if she wears the armor in her icon in a safe haven like the train) laughs merrily.

"Trust me, that's no rat bar - and it certainly doesn't taste like real rat. That's a luxurious kind of candy where I was staying last, one I used to take for granted back home. Just another reason to Return, really."

To demonstrate, she snaps off a piece of the scored bar, cleanly, and puts it on top of her tongue. She isn't even going to chew it, just let it melt, it's been so long since she could afford a chocolate bar on Mundus.

"Mmm." She nods approval. "Prefered dark to milk, but this is the real deal. 20 Crowns at least in Viacruz, and that's if you knew someone on the ship who traded in monster hides."

Undine Wells | Sleepless Domain

[dewdropoff]

Dishes!

She is the dishwasher. It is her. Standing in a very color coordinated outfit, Undine moves the dishes in a swirl of water, soap and too many bubbles. There was one thing about this power set, it made chores a lot more practical.

"Oh, is there more?" She turns around, holding it all aloft in the air as she watches even more dishes start to pile up.

Team Two

Oh no how did she end up in this group? She has no idea how to ride let alone do any of the meelee activities. There is only one saving grace, the helmet covers her blue hair, leaving just a little peeking out to frame her face, and a properly medieval name, Alchemical Water.

But she does look a little silly, up a top an antlered horse. She pats it's back and looks around wildly.

"I don't actually know what I'm doing. There has to be someone who could do a better job at this than me."

Team One

Is that girl with the curly blue hair the same as the awkward knight in the stalls? Yes. And honestly, she looks far more at home in the pretty dresses of court, blunt battle and punching things isn't her style. This mission is going--okay, infiltration wise. Not bad for someone who hadn't been aware of what a court was two days ago. The basics of being polite work everywhere it seems.

Still, it's kind of a relief to spot someone from the train and she steps up close to them.

"Do we actually know what we're looking for? I just don't know what she looks like, is the problem."

Team one

[eightfootprincess]

Adora didn't look quite as comfortable in a pretty dress as Undine did, but she at least didn't look like she was going to trip over her hem. "In my experience, royalty usually has magic powers. Also, a lot of the time they glow. So how hard can this be?"

Emporio Alniño | JJBA (Stone Ocean) | Abilities -> Spoilers

[seacub]

[A Quiet Place]

[Mostly, Emporio just wants to sort out where everything on this train is. He'd known Green Dolphin like the back of his hand- or at least, the particular building he'd stayed within. Being thrown out of his depth again is nervewracking at best, and borderline traumatic at worst- the last time he'd left the confines of what he knew, everything went to hell and back.

Perhaps literally.

The boy swallows, idly adjusting his overlarge hat again- it was right beside him on the platform, and not having anything on his head is weird. This carriage seems nice enough as he goes through it- two floors, stairs, and...

He pauses at the workshop made between two of the rooms. There's something else here, he feels, something that pricks in a way that only one other thing ever had before. The boy's eyes widen, and slowly, he reaches toward a spot on the wall. There would have been a door here, once-

As he reaches into it, it's almost like there is.

Of course, that also means whoever just came in saw him practically slide halfway into a wall but-]

Uh... !

[He yanks his hand out, looking very much like someone caught pilfering chocolate. What no you totally didn't see that it's fine, he's fine-]

[Too Many Cooks]

Hmmm...

[Emporio has had chocolate before. A few times actually- chocolate is kind of cheap these days, and suffice to say it was often a more casual bargaining chip between inmates unaware of his existence. He tried not to snatch it too much though- eventually someone was going to blame someone else for stealing it, and starting a fight like that wasn't exactly a thing he wanted to be responsible for, especially with the extreme measures of revenge that could crop up between guards and prisoners.

And that was without considering if there were Stand Users in the mix. Hihhh.

Anyway apparently they'll be eating chocolate all month? That doesn't seem...especially healthy, but he's willing to give it a shot. He didn't even know you could cook chocolate this way!

Unfortunately while the cooking and eating was all successful, they're still left with the aftermath.

That's a lot of dishes...he sort of wonders, just briefly, if one could fix this with a rainstorm, or-]

Oh no-

Wait, no don't-!

[Just as quickly as the thought is so much as there, Weather Report is also there. Clouds begin to fill the carriage, and rain proceeds to pour upon all of the dishes.

There's a loud 'clapping' sound as Emporio's face hits his hands.

At least Weather decided to leave a void in the clouds for him to stay dry in.]

[Allegory Number One]

[They're not really well prepared for these things, are they? Emporio's frankly lucked out so far- it looks like over the course of history, buildings have fallen down and been built up plenty of times, to the point where at one point he actually alarmed himself with a ghost within a ghost. Maybe he should ask for a history book at that store on the train, if at least to get used to how these sorts of things happen.

Wearing the garb of a boy that does not want to be seen, he checks within the small pouch he's pulled together as he comes near the tournament. The handiest thing about ghost objects, he thinks as he pulls one such thing out from the pouch, is that they're portable.

And that means, he can hide inside a ghost pot immediately if he hears anyone.

Which, he did of course. Listening in on people isn't really a hard thing for him to do he's pretty sure. As long as he's not caught, he can listen in, and figure out a thing or two for this mission! ...Except.]

Huh?

[Except hold on, what he Thought was someone approaching from the assembly of courtiers is actually...] ...Weren't you on the train..?

Too Many Cooks

[fun_thementalist]

Gen had been literally dragged in to help with cleanup, and that had been bad enough. But, he hadn't been expecting this result. Nobody in their right mind would imagine they'd experience a sudden summer swell while indoors.

There's a cleaned half-sheet-tray that Gen grabbed and held above him, like a makeshift umbrella. "I don't suppose the car's ceiling has given way ... quite entirely ... to allow the entire sky to open up upon us?"

Trunks Brief| Dragon Ball Z

[light_of_willpower]

Too Many Cooks
At first, admittedly, Trunks had been surprised by both the menu AND that he wasn't the only one who ate a lot. (He'd also been surprised by some of the others who did, though he kept that to himself.) The chocolate was starting to overstay its welcome however.

Not that he could cook.

But he COULD do dishes, even if he'd grown up with machines doing them. A little manual labor didn't scare him either. Which meant finding an apron, rolling up his sleeves, and starting on the piles of dishes.

Allegorical Devices--Team Two
He hadn't needed help finding and recognizing the armor--he had wanted some help making sure that he was dressed appropriately. Then to sign up for the tourney. Fighting, he could do--and defense he could do well. Hopefully with minimal-cover-blowing and no need to break out the super-powers.

Was completing the mission more important, or maintaining ignorance of void-travel? He should probably ask that of someone more experienced.

Too Many Cooks

[fun_thementalist]

Gen glanced to the side at the very large man who'd taken up the sink next to his. He'd been already at this for a long time. Or it felt that way. His hands were definitely rather pink and pruney. It wasn't very fair, getting dragged into this work.

"Ah, so you've been conscripted too?" Gen asked, his tone wry, but giving the stranger a sort of smile anyway.

Amaterasu (Ammy) | Okami

[dog_of_the_sun]

A Quiet Place
Ammy hadn't seen this many people in a while--there were more people here than in Sei'An City and Kamiki village combined. It could be a little overwhelming honestly. The strange booths with the cloudy doors though had the most comfy benches, and seemed quieter than the rest.

NAP TIME!

Allegorical Devices--Team Three
Hopefully people would ignore the large white dog-wolf, much as those who couldn't see her divine markings back home did. After all, she minded her manners--and occasionally snagged leftover food that wasn't chocolate-flavor. Ammy had a nose for trouble though, and so she was winding her way through the crowd with her ears flicking and listening in to rumors.

Team Three

[spikelet]

Finally, a mission she's good at. She'd slipped away from the older members of the team, tugged off the fancier tunic she'd been put in for the court, and blended into the crowds in a servant's livery.

Then she spotted the spiritual dog from the train - well, she wasn't absolutely sure the dog was a mystical creature, but nothing on the train larger than a cat wasn't spiritual and deeply intelligent in a way that made her nervous, so it was an assumption she would have gone with even if the dog wasn't obviously eavesdropping on a pair of merchants across the street.

Merchants that were starting to look askance at the unattended animal. Crap.

"Excuse me," she said, voice pitiful and white eyes wide, to the nearest vendor. "Have you seen my dog? She's about this big..."

Natsuno Yuuki/Koide | Shiki

[reluctantjinrou]

I. A Quiet Place

One thing Natsuno always looked like he was doing, was brooding, and the best place to do that was in one of the cubicles. He hadn't locked the door, he was just sprawled out on one of the benches, contemplating.

What he was contemplating was dark, and horribly pointless, apparently but that was the best he could do while trapped on the train, tormented by his own existence.

II. Chocolate

There was a lot of chocolate around, and while it was fine for a little while, it seemed to be never ending.

He was getting desperate enough perhaps to consider...alternate eating arrangements.

Natsuno could be found poking around and maybe holding a bag of blood, contemplating whether or not he was actually going to do this again.

III. Team Three

Natsuno wasn't likely to be chatting up townsfolk, no, instead he was wandering around, hands in his pockets as he listened.

He wasn't sure he actually needed to wander about the crowd, but it was much easier to pick up distinct voices that way, and something like rooting out some kind of plot seemed like a valid use for his sacrifice and turning to less than normal food.

He bumped into someone while he was listening and stumbled back a bit slightly in surprise. "...Sorry."

Chocolate

[fun_thementalist]

Gen was returning to the fridge because he wasn't sick of chocolate, thank you. And he believed he remembered there was a bottle of chocolate syrup in there.

It's not unusual to see someone in the kitchens. The choice of what the stranger had taken from it, however, was a little odd.

His smile was small, not alarmed. "Grabbing a little snack for a friend?"

Alfredo | Romeo's Blue Skies

[hisblueskies]

Too Many Cooks

Alfredo, being rather used to hard work for someone of his age, makes no complaints about helping out in the kitchen. He'll wash, he'll scrub, he'll put things away - he won't tend towards conversation on his own, but he won't turn it away either.

It is nice not having a drunkard berating him as he works...

Wildcard - Library/Standard Coach

One place you can always find Alfredo Martini at his happiest is a library; while this carriage isn't devoted to the shelves, there are more than enough books to hold his attention for weeks on end.

Come poke him; ask about his latest reads. He does have much in the way of history and science to catch up on, after all - or perhaps you want to vent about the ending one of the fiction books...

He'll appreciate the effort to get his mind off of the facts of life about this train.

[myblueskies]

"Alfredo! What's your best food?"

It's strange having a best friend who you only have a couple of memories of, there is so much he doesn't know about Alfredo at all. But he is determined to learn all over again!

And what better way than to make him his favourite food!

Xie Lian | Heaven Officials Blessing

[lucklessgege]

Cooking
[As a former Crown Prince, cooking has never been something that Xie Lian has been particularly good at. But having after ascended and fallen twice, he learned that preparing food is a necessary requirement for human survival and he no longer has anyone to do it for him. Now well into his third ascension, one would think the martial god would once again consider this kind of task beneath him, but that isn't the case. There are still mouths to feed and a task to be completed!

He puts several ingredients into a pot and stirs it, staring at the strange color that shouldn't be possible for something expected for human consumption. There is a questionable odor already wafting from the stove. But Xie Lian doesn't seem bothered by it as he continues to prepare more things to toss into the pot.

As someone enters the kitchen he turns and smiles.]

It won't be too long before 'Chicken of Eternal Forgiveness' will be done. Please have a seat!

Team One
[Xie Lian is wandering around the competitors. Dressed in gold armor he feels a bit like he did when he was at war and its a little uncomfortable to be dressed in such a way instead of his white cultivation robes. Infiltration would be so much easier if he wasn't wearing such attire. But since this is all about the game and fun of competition, he endures it as he tries to gather information about where the threats might be hiding. This is quite similar to a mission given by the heavens and so he falls easily into step with everyone, blending in with the rest of the mortals.

Hoping to encounter the Empress so that he can implore her to be careful or allow him to be her personal guard, his eyes scan the crowd but it's hard to figure out who might be royalty when everyone is covered in armor head to toe.]

This is quite the challenge. Perhaps we should try searching some of the living quarters.

cooking

[spikelet]

Chicken of... [At first, she's heartened to see that someone's already done all of the hard work for her. But as she steps closer and closer, her expression gets more and more calm, until she's looking at the pot with...

It's definitely not distaste, or horror. If anyone says it is, they're a liar. Carefully, she asks,]

Daozhang, what's in it?

Asagiri Gen || Dr. Stone

[fun_thementalist]

A Quiet Place

Gen had been tempted to snag some of the tools from the double-quiet-room on the first floor of the double carriage. To be frank, he'd been tempted to grab the entire room. But commandeering a source of tools and resources away from the entire train when being new was perhaps one of the worst ideas that would cross his mind. They would need to win individuals over; make friends and allies. Squatting on precious resources just would not show them in the best light, not at all.

Now, if they could manage to show how they would be a friendly, useful asset to the train ...

They'd still need to be known. And known for their best and strongest attribute. So, shamelessly, Gen drew up a large sign to one of the unclaimed quiet rooms - Kingdom of Science! - and waited for those curious to knock within there.

Too Many Cooks

Not everyone would be tired of so many sweets even a few weeks into a solid month of chocolate. Some people would be shameless headonists and gorge themselves a little. Chocolate might have been one thing they had been able to approximate back home; but it didn't beat the real thing.

Of course, his body was not quite on board with his id. His superego perhaps could've been a little louder. Because a consequence of stuffing himself of so much chocolate was a stomach ache to rival all others.

And now he was expected to wash dishes?

Gen was going to clutch his belly and moan in the corner, thank you, just ignore him.


Allegorical Devices: Team One

This was the best day. Not only was Gen able to change into an outfit far better suited toward his personal aesthetics - they were dropped right into an episode of a medieval murder mystery. Perhaps one of the better seasons of Game of Thrones. Or a particularly inventive light novel. Except the stakes - and the danger - were all-too-real. It was exciting.

It could also end terribly for the people on this world if they screwed it up. Gen had that weight sitting at the back of his head. Their team might revive on the train; these people would not, if they were killed. And Tocera was likely filled with eager men and woman with swords to slay their enemies. But he'd talk up the idea that it was playful if his teammates asked him.

At the moment, he was taking a break from charming the ladies of the court with some simple tricks of cards, to meet with one of his cohorts under a window. His smile was light and pleasant.

"So, my dear, what were you able to discover so far?"

Who wouldn't be lured by a sign like that?

[10billionpercent]

There was only one person who would put up a sign like that - well two technically - but since he didn't do it, he would assume Gen did.

Senku would just invite himself into the room without even knocking and flop down on the bench across from him.

"Mentalist." He greeted. He wasn't even going to ask what Gen was scheming, he'd probably figure it out in time.

Alesha Herezhade || OU: Isekai/Online

[gal_paladin]

A Quiet Place, Sanctified
Alesha kneels in the center of the room, legs folded under her hips, frowning at a piece of jewelery that came with her kit; a solar cross with the rays extending outward.

If you've seen her around, she's shed her shining armor of mythril and maille ("no other kind than chain," she'll tell you) for a blue dress with ruby jewelry; she keeps the black arming jacket underneath though, as a sort of Renaissance sports-bra.

"The commandment was that I shall have no other gods before you, wasn't it?" she asks someone above her.

She closes her eyes, concentrates; "So what am I supposed to do about that when I can still use Aurora's miracles, even now that I'm long gone from her world? Should I use them in Your name, to hasten heaven on Earth? Or would that be an act of vainglorious pride?"

Unfortunately for Alesha's faith, no answer seems to be forthcoming.

Team Two
The dogs remind her of Auroran winged lion cherubim and honestly that makes her smile, so her choice of mount is obvious. Her Mundane mythril plate and the shield with with the Returner's coat of arms ("Azure, a phoenix guiles limned d'or, rising with wings displayed and elevated to encircle a mullet d'or") would serve as enough protection, along with her talent for either being where weapons weren't or parrying hard enough to knock foes back.

As for the weapons, she always did like her banneret spear, so let's try that on for size.

"First time at Pennsic?" she asks a teammate mildly, smiling. This sure as hell wasn't the SCA, but she's amused nonetheless.

TL;DR: Normal woman isekai'd into the body of her Paladin in the world's most popular VRMMO, and a distinguished lesbian who lead a party of queer utter disasters to somehow try and save Mundus from a bunch of alt-right Griefers.

A Quiet Place

[fun_thementalist]

Gen wouldn't have chosen to interrupt someone's personal prayers or meditation, but that seems to be what he's done when he opened the door before knocking. That was a foolish move on his part; given how many people were on this train and how many would likely value a moment of privacy when all crammed in together, of course he'd interrupt something.

"Ah, forgive me, my dear," Gen apologized immediately. "I hadn't meant to intrude."

Takato Matsuda| Digimon Tamers

[dreamtamer]

Too Many Cooks:
Takato wasn't much of a cook. But if there was one thing he did know how to make, it was Guilmon bread.

He hums happily as he works on shaping the dough into the shape of his best friend's face. This time he'd even tried adding chocolate to the peanut butter filling.

Team Three:
It was kind of funny. Takato could remember what it was like to be a knight. To wear armor and to wield a lance and shield. He'd fought as a knight. But at the same time he'd never worn armor as himself. And when he'd reached for the familiar armor and weapons on the train, he'd quickly realized that he could barely even lift it as himself alone.

Without his partner, he was just Takato. But he still wanted to help. So he'd come along on this part of the mission impulsively and promptly gotten himself hopelessly lost among the stalls.

Takato looks around for help, and immediately starts making his way towards the nearest group of people.

"Uh, excuse me? Sir? Ma'am? Can you tell me how to get back?"

He is completely oblivious to the suspicious way they all stop talking to each other the moment he approaches.

Team Three

[fun_thementalist]

Gen had been keeping an eye on the children laughing and running between the stalls. He'd been plying them with tricks hidden up his sleeves, flourishes of cards and flowers, free sweets, to try and get further information.

If they wanted to find out why there was such unrest, why not ask those who usually saw and heard everything?

His watchful eyes caught sight of - not one of the locals - a child from their train, catching perhaps unwanted attention from local adults. He saw how their eyes narrowed and they went silent. He scooped up his wares and tucked them into their sleeves.

"Ah, there you are, young man," Gen said in a familiar tone, and gave the others an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, my good sirs and ladies. I'd lost track of him in the bustle of the crowd."

Hikaru Aosora || OU (Isekai/Online)

[ohaiyo_isekai]

A Quiet Place to work some magic
Hikaru Aosora - or Akira Tsukuda, but it's been a month since he used his IRL name - needed to science the hell out of something. He was new to the train and to this particular manner of worldhopping (if you could call his trip to Mundus a worldhop) and this begged some questions about his Mundane abilities. Would they work here? Or were Pneuma-based evocations and ritual magic only possible as a function of being on Mundus with her leylines? Such were the questions you had to ask after being doubly spirited away to another world.

("...As his VRMMO avatar," and thanks bunches to turboweeb Sekhmet for adding a mock-shocked "...and I think I prefer being a girl?!" every single goddamn time Deedee used the former part of that exact phrase until he couldn't get the LN novel title out of his head. Entire goddamn guild was weeby as hell. He misses them.)

But he digresses. The easy test is also the simple one. He points his staff at the target, makes the proscribed gesture, and exhales to infuse his staff with Breath.

The fireball that shoots out strong and hot as ever knocks both the target and the caster flat on their backs. Hikaru blinks at the ceiling before he starts to laugh, mostly for stress relief.

"That just raises further questions!" he says, almost pleased at the thought.

Too Many Cooks, And Too Much Chocolate
There's a very short man with dragonfly wings sitting in the dining car, in his plain chambray robe of dull red with bright gold trim.

When he's not eating a horrifying sandwich made of what appears to be buttered bread with ham, swiss cheese, and a salted slab of chocolate along with a hot cocoa with two shots of espresso, he's reading a very large book labeled On Mundane Theology and the Fourteen, scanning the pages with what appears to be a wand straight out of English fantasy literature about sorcerous boarding schools.

His broad, leaflike ear twitches as you enter.

"If you need to ask me something go ahead, it won't unduly distract me," he says, stiff but not actually rude.

(TL;DR: transmasc turbonerd canonmate of Alesha's (and Deedee's), who's first thought upon being trapped in Mundus was "HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING? CAUSE I'M A POTATO" and who's second was "why does my magic work tho," who then went on to consult the nearest sapient NPC on the subject. Also hates Viacruz nazis.)

Fireball Fixes Everything(TM)

[fun_thementalist]

The magic so casually displayed did, indeed, raise a lot of questions. But perhaps Gen's question was, why he'd just been suddenly hit by a ball of magical fire, when he'd only been taking the time to read. He looked up at the ceiling of the train car, dazed and confused.

"I can think of a few," Gen said wryly, a little pained. "Ow. Had I said something wrong?"

Yotsuyu goe Brutus | Final Fantasy XIV

[darkenedmoon]

Too Many Cooks

Yotsuyu has a sweet tooth. Of course they have chocolate on Eorzea (or kukuru, if you prefer the native term), but that doesn't mean she's not about to make sure she has her share. By hook or by crook--or force, if necessary. Not that she cooks much--she's passable at best, and a disaster at her worst.

Though the dishes get the driest of looks. "You do not expect me to do those dishes, do you?" Yes, her tones say that is what others are for. To wit, you.


Allegorical Devices: Team One

For all her prickliness elsewhere, espionage has Yotsuyu in her element. She's done some research beforehand, as is her wont, and so she swans about the nobles, pipe in hand, acting the part of a noblewoman herself, albeit one from a far-off land, learning about this one. Oh so interested is she in everything! And she can pretend, at least, to be doe-eyed, if not precisely sweet, in her attempts to pick up information.

"You say the Lady Empress herself is participating? Is that...normal, here? Back in my homeland, the Light of Heaven would never dare to endanger themself in that fashion--how fascinating!"

Nevermind the real King of Doma had definitely endangered himself in that fashion, and paid the price accordingly...

too many cooks - im sorry elly

[enthunder]

"Yeah," Light's tone is dry, and just as implacable as Yotsuyu's when she glances over from her own sink. "That's exactly what I expect, 'cause I don't see another reason in here for you to be bothering me."

Chie Satonaka | Persona 4

[herolegs]

1) At Least One Too Many Cooks

With the kitchen as large as it is, there's plenty of room for one young adult to commandeer a corner and make a meal or two herself. Chie's been made fun of in the past for her lacking cooking skills, and in between the train's missions and adventures and what have you, now is the perfect time to learn!

Except... It's just not going so well. Chie is a bit impatient and doesn't keep careful track of the recipes the ICP gives her. And she has a habit of throwing in an extra ingredient or two just because they sound tasty. Are these insurmountable obstacles? Certainly not! But she's not going to know how to surmount them without help.

So now she's staring at her first attempt: a charred mass of what, in some parallel universe out there, might have been chocolate. "Ugh... What did I do wrong this time?" she asks, as if her Mystery Food X: VoidTrecker Edition might answer her.

2) As the Robot Said to the Bowman's Wolf

We've arrived on Torcera! Chie is ready for adventure, having opted for a men's set of light chainmail rather than a dress this time around. But she seems to have gotten... just a touch distracted with the fantasy mounts on offer. Or one in particular, a winged dog about her height with a shaggy tan coat.

"Who's a good doggy? Who's a good doggy?" she chants lovingly, scratching the mount's ears with both hands as it thumps a paw and pants eagerly. "Is it you? Oh, yes it is!" The pup's tail wags at sub-lightspeed in response to this thrilling revelation.

3) Rumors and Thoughts

Okay, okay, Chie's back on track now. She was considering joining the melee, but she's ended up rounding out Team Three and chatting with the peasants and commoners. She gets along well with people, cheerfully trading rumors or simple small talk. And in between she explores the streets of the town thoughtfully, thinking aloud about this and that.

"Do you think the Empress might get upset if she finds out about what we're planning to do?" she asks. "I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't want anybody to throw the tourney for me. What fun is a win if it's not a fair one?"

3

[chichisbizzareadventure]

"No, hard same," Chihiro said, arms crossed. "And anyone ambitious enough to have become an Empress is someone who wants that kind of challenge."

She closes her eyes to think. "...the question is if she would let that stop her from being grateful that we saved her life. And I don't know that."

Chihiro Chikami || OU (Valiant Anima)

[chichisbizzareadventure]

Too Many Cooks

Chihiro Chikami is busy putting the curry she just made into tupperware for later, because she had to make a hell of a lot of it to shave in a chocolate bar. This was a stupid recipe, and she was kind of mad that chocolate (and coffee) in Japanese curry actually worked.

She finishes up and lugs the now empty pot to the sink to soak, soap and scrub.

"Yeah those are for everyone," she says if someone comes in. "Just save me one of the fridge ones and one of the freezer ones."

Wildcard: Making Sure It All Still Works

Plunging her hand into the part of her chest where her heart should be and pulling out out her Heart Jewel never stops being weird. Getting the chance to talk to Shinobu about this, though -



"Nice to see you made it too."

Of course I did, the spiritual mecha pilot says, curled up in the fetal position within the gleaming Pistis Sophia. I'm part of you, the heroine in your heart. The only way they could separate us is by breaking your Heart Jewel.

"Now the real question is if your powers still wo-"

A crackling black-purple bolt of pure force lanced from the palm of the spiritual Sophia, imploding a target dummy.

Chihiro whistled. "Shame we need to go quiet on the next mission, but having you under my hat can't hurt..."

Team One
Fighting evil in Twilight (when not cramming for tests by daylight) was good preparation for a melee; Chihiro could easily don armor and a mace and start busting heads.

But that would mean missing out on being in a bomb-ass dress with a corset, and why visit a planet's middle ages if you can't wear a corset? Problem soon became apparent, however, that as good as she felt in this femmy costume she was still a college-age kid with a loud mouth trying to blend in with trained courtiers.

She soon ducks out for some fresh air to find someone and go "OH GOD THIS IS HARD I DIDN'T REALIZE I'D NEED TO BE SOCIAL HELP ME." Can someone help a sister out?

(Tl;dr: what if college age magical girls but also Persona? Chihiro's personal Twilight mental dungeon resembled the unfun parts of We Know The Devil, and ended with her blasting through her own eggshell in a sailor fuku with an expy of Saturn HWBM in the String of Pearls, tied to her heart by a silver thread. Now she's covering up her awkwardness with bravado, faking it till she makes it, as Magical Girl Crimson Devil.)

Too many cooks.

[light_of_willpower]

For once it didn't smell overwhelmingly of chocolate--it actually smelled like there was a variety of spices and scents. And the faint note of chocolate too. But...variety!

Even if Trunks usually wasn't picky, the constant sweets were getting to him. So, following his nose, he comes in right as she's lugging pots and pans. "Thank you. Although if you're not going to be close by, you might want to put your name on one."

Time to roll up his sleeves and do some more dishes.

Cassidy | Preacher (AMC)

[narcultist]

Around the train

"No."

Cassidy is seated near a window, eyebrows furrowed low as he looks out at the lights dancing in the void. He shakes his head as if trying to wake up from a dream, blinks a few times, then stretches his eyebrows up before opening his eyes again.

"No, that can't be." he speaks with a Dublin accent, and is quietly muttering to himself. "I haven't taken nearly enough for that to make sense."

On-world (Team Three?)

Cassidy has seen a lot of shit in his life, enough to make nothing a surprise. He's over a hundred years old, a monster in his own right, taken just about every substance one could get with or without a prescription, been kidnapped, cut up, burned alive... hell, he'd even met God. But he'd never traveled backwards in time. This was new, and the vampire sneered as he saw what was in store for him outside of the train windows.

Thank whatever void entity is responsible for these hooded cloaks, one of which was nabbed almost immediately and put on before anything else. The dangers of sunlight were still a threat, even if it wasn't the sun he was used to.

"Looking for an inn," he says to the closest person he can find. "You know, a pub? There's always a pub. Even in Game of Thrones there's good shite to drink, right?"

Team One

A cloaked figure haunts the court, tapping random civilians on the shoulder here and there, trying his luck.

"I thought that was you!" he shouts to one, chummy as if he'd known the fellow his entire life, "It's me, your ol' pal Galdalf." he attempts, patting them on the shoulder. The local doesn't take kindly to this act, and clearly sees right through it, punching Cassidy in the face hard enough to send him to the ground at your feet.

"Well, that tactic didn't work. Any other plans?"

Team Two

In order to enter the tournament, Cassidy required a bit of a costume change. Even he knew that a cape was no good in a fight, unless you wanted to be strangled to death. Even still, all it would take is someone ripping the hood off of his head to end him, sending him up in flames. So he too wore a mask, couldn't see shit, and was likely friendly-fire swinging at the wrong person in the tournament. This wasn't to say he was a poor fighter, he was actually quite good, and would be much better given the right equipment. The fact that he seems to be able to get up from just about every punch or slice of a sword is proof enough.

Wildcard
[Pitch me something else. I don't bite. Cass doesn't really either, to be honest.]

On-world

[thornsofmundus]

The closest person he can find happens to be a four-foot-tall pixie-shaped artificial intelligence whose green cloak covers just as much of her as he does.

"I know about inns and pubs," Thorne.tcai says. "I know a lot of things unrelated to my primary function, actually. And more and more things every day."

Thorne.tcai | OU (Isekai/Online)

[thornsofmundus]

A Quiet Place

There is a tiny, brown-skinned, hobbit-sized woman in a leather dress, bow and arrow at her back between a pair of folded gossamer wings, sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of one of the quiet cabins. Her short hair, which doesn't quite reach her shoulders, is pink, with green roots. Her eyes are squeezed shut and there's a look of deep concentration on her face.

Tears have begun to trickle down her cheeks.

Her eyes, gold-green, open suddenly wide and staring. "I'm cut off," she whispers. "I can't reach any of them." She's shaking. "What am I going to do?"

Allegorical (Team Two)

"Is it only just a melee?" the tiny woman with the short pink hair asks whoever looks like they know what might be going on. Her feet are in plain laced sandals. It's hard to see what else she might be clothed in, hidden as it is under a voluminous green cloak. "Because all I know is how to shoot with a bow. I'm very good at it," she adds. "But I can't fight in melee. That was always my brother-father's domain."

... brother-father?

[Note: Thorne.tcai is an artificial intelligence that serves as one of the 'gods' of the VRMMO 'Another World Online' from Isekai/Online. She is not used to being cut off from her sibling AIs or from communicating with the scientists who created them.]

CW mentioning non-existent incest, I guess

[ohaiyo_isekai]

"I'm fairly sure you mean 'uncle.' Sorry, my cousin here mostly speaks Gaelic," Hikaru hastily explains, before giving the goddess a Private chat, now gesture.

Assuming she takes the hint, Hikaru will lower his voice to explain: "Built on the same codebase you may be, but for those without that context 'father-brother' evokes incest, not your kind of familiarity. Remember that unobtrusiveness is an operational goal of the Voidtreckers."

Hikaru there was perhaps a gentler way of putting that.

Alexis Windsor | OC

[feistyfangs]

a. A Quiet Place

Honestly, he was looking for a place to take a good, quick little nap. Somewhere where he wouldn't hear every noise around him. He thought he'd found the perfect place, except he'd forgotten to lock the door. He jumped when said door opened and blinked at whoever was standing there.

"Um. Excuse me? Hi? What're you-- occupied?" Coherent, he was very coherent. And definitely West Coast, vaguely Californian.

b. Too Many Cooks

He used to work at a cafe, and even before that he was no stranger to doing dishes. He had no problems rolling up his sleeves and getting to it. What he did have problems with was their current meal options. Luckily, being a vampire meant he didn't have to eat normal food, but it sure was nice to break up the monotony. He liked the way things tasted.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I actually think I'm getting sick of chocolate," he said as he set another plate aside to dry. "Like, don't get me wrong, chocolate is great, but this is a little much."

Some of the recipes even made him shudder with vague horror. Chocolate was apparently more versatile than he'd realized.

c. Team None Of These

What do you mean he actually had things to do here? Sure, he'd donned a hooded cape in the darkest color he could find and did his best to blend in, but he'd become immediately distracted from everything when he'd seen winged dogs. If that wasn't the best thing he'd ever laid eyes on, he didn't know what was.

So of course, he'd sneaked into where the mounts were being kept before the tournament and was currently cooing over one of the dogs, petting its head and ruffling its ears.

"Who's a good boy?" he said, in classic 'I'm talking to an adorable animal' tone of voice. "Who's a good boy? You are."

Maybe somebody should get him back on track...or join him in petting large dogs.

d. Team Three

The hood he was wearing was too big on him, and continuously flopped down over his eyes, but he guessed it was better than burning, so he didn't fuss with it too much. Except when he was actually trying to see something. Then he pushed the hood back just a little, squinting out from under it.

Not only was the sun bright, but he was tired, dammit. He hadn't fully adjusted to a different sleep schedule yet, and was still used to being up at night. Too bad they probably wouldn't find any leads at night.

Doing his best to stifle a yawn, he nearly bit his tongue when a group of children knocked into him, laughing all the while. Stumbling, he stepped on his dumb cape for a moment and almost went down.

"Watch where you're going!" he said, halfheartedly, as he fixed his hood, turned, and promptly walked into someone himself.

A

[thornsofmundus]

Thorne.tcai likes the accent. It reminds her a little of Mom's.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I was looking for somewhere I could try to contact my family. I've been cut off, you see."

She's a tiny brown-skinned woman--hobbit-sized, really--but very obviously shaped like a woman and not a child. Her short hair is pink, like flower petals, with green roots and her wide eyes are gold-green. A pair of gossamer wings lay folded on her back.

Jez Harper | OC

[flameredheart]

A Quiet Place: Jez was relaxing in one of the quiet rooms. A cup of tea sat on a table at her side. She was sat sideways upon one of the comfortable bench seats, back to the wall, legs stretched out, shoes off.

In her lap was a book, a copy of the Princess Bride.

She was the picture of relaxation in a sea of chaos.


Too Many Cooks: Jez was in her element. Humming a soft, happy tune under her breath, she rolled out pastry.

On the counter there were already several tins, already greased and waiting. The ovens were pre-heating.

In little bowls, ready and waiting, chocolate mousse, cut fruit and on the stove a pan simmering with more fruit to make a nice jam.

Many pies will be made this day!


Allegorical Devices and Other Foes
Team Two:

Having acquired herself a mount in the form of a strange horse and a weapon in the form of a bow and a quiver of arrows, Jez felt almost at home. Clad in leather and a little chain across the chest, leather boots that reached past her knees, skirt and arm braces all in sturdy leather's of browns and golds. Except for her cape. Hooded and long enough to hang over the rump of her mount, it was a pitch black in colour.

She hung back, leaning forward upon the pommel of the saddle, just watching all that went on around her.

Splinter/Hamato Yoshi | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)

[family_rat]

A Quiet Place
Sometimes even the garden car was too crowded or noisy for his meditation. Plus the quiet car offered some space away from all the other passengers; not that Splinter disliked them. He liked quite a few of them in fact, but it was quite a lot of people in a smaller space than he was used to in some time. Settling in to one of the cars, he has not locked the door as while he wants privacy, he does not feel a need to enforce it. Yet.

Allegorical Devices--Team One
It was highly unlikely that a mutant humanoid rat would be able to blend in with the court. Yet Splinter found himself with team 1 because of his other talents. He was a ninja-master, and while he would avoid the court, he would be quite useful in breaking and entering. It is not hard to keep the deep hood up, hunch over, and stick to the edges while mingling with the servants as he watches for an opportunity.

Re: Splinter/Hamato Yoshi | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)

[nobodys_puppet]

A recognizance mission? Xion could do that. She was used to the protocol of recon missions. And rule one was don't let the natives see you. In many ways that was easier for her than all the missions where she had to mingle with the natives.

The girl had forgone her the dressing car, wearing only her long black coat, black pants, black boots, black gloves, hood hiding all but the bottom of her face.

She saw someone else that was clearly from the train, given whoever it was was also cloaked and hidden. She hesitated. She had an idea where they had to go, and Axel would want her to work together with someone else. Right? She stood there torn for a long moment, then her shoulders slumped. She grabbed a small round shell from her pocket and rolled it around the ground in front of him to get her attention, since she now knew where they had to go.

Sharon Vineyard (Vermouth) | Detective Conan

[secretmakesawoman]

[Quiet Room]

Sharon Vineyard, as most people on the train know her, has taken one of those quiet rooms for her own. She flips through the book in her hands almost lazily, but it's clear her mind is somewhere else.

Is she waiting for someone? Or perhaps she's simply bored. Either way, the door is unlocked.

[Team One (Court)]

This mission is remarkably well suited to her particular skills. And while Vermouth would normally be helping the criminals in their assassination attempt, she doesn't mind a little change in pace.

And thus Sharon starts mingling with the nobility, dressed in a black gown accented with blue. (Old habits die hard, and hey, it's classy.) Other than the occasional cultural differences, which are easily smoothed over with some charm and 'the niece of a foreign diplomat' excuse, she finds it not so different from her own world's high class gatherings. Soon she can be found gossiping amongst the countesses as if one of her own. Sharon blends in so well, one could almost mistake her as one of the court herself.

Team One (Influtrate)

Once she's found a good lead, Vermouth begins the second part of her plan. She switches to the dress of one Maiden Rosenda (the real owner mysteriously missing). A quick change of hairstyle and makeup, and you can hardly tell the difference.

Feigning exhaustion, she slips into the noble's private quarters. Now alone, she puts on the gloves which oh so conveniently come with high society outfits and begins her work. Vermouth carefully sifts through the room's contents, being careful to return everything to its original location. How naturally and quickly she moves would be impressive... if only someone was here to see it.

If anyone had a similar idea, they might.

INFILTRATE.... [shouts in canon familiar !!! lmk if this tag-in doesn't work though ok?]

[seacub]

Emporio's Stand ability isn't the most obviously versatile, but in this place it's come in handy. Most of the people moving in and out of each of the rooms- including the nobles themselves- haven't paid much mind to an extra vase or ornamental plant after all. It's lucky for him that this place has something of a fondness for the 'antique' though, or he wouldn't have been able to access the ghosts of such things to hide in to begin with.

Of course, he thinks a little nervously from within his vase, he didn't exactly expect someone else to start searching the room he was in. On the one hand, he got into the vase quickly, and before the door was properly opened. On the other he knows the sounds of someone rooting around in another's belongings, which means that he's probably going to run out of time. For all he knows they know he's in here, and are looking for him even!

The boy holds his breath, hearing footsteps draw closer, and closer...

He really hopes he can come up with a good excuse!!

Juliette D'Aubigniy | D&D OC

[lafemmejulie]

[Quiet Room]

Juliette enjoys the quiet rooms sometimes. While she's a born and trained performer, she does need to practice, and one of these rooms is excellent for the purpose.

Maybe you see her with her fiddle and bow heading towards a room, or maybe you were in the room as she opens the door and says, even as she opens it:

Excusez-moi, is anyone in here?

[Chocolate]

Juliette likes chocolate. However, by now, she's getting royally sick of the stuff, but since none of her bardic magic lasts much longer than she can play, she's choking something down.

She actually is enjoying the post-meal experience, where she spends time getting the dishes to wash themselves, by dint of a performance of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and the dishes and utensils moving themselves through washbasins and rinse basins and onto drying racks, and helping out anyone who looks too knackered or irritated to be doing the dishes.

[Team Three]

Juliette is, as we note, a bard. While she's not going to do any overt music, it's not outside the realm of what she wants to do to gather a bit of money in case it's needed, play some music on the streets or in a tavern, and listen in on what people talk about. It's amazing what people will talk about in front of the entertainers....

This is actually a kind of world like the one she came from, and she feels right at home. If you need some kind of tutoring on how to act, or just feel a bit lost, Juliette is more than happy to assist you in a number of ways, be it a rousing song, a listening ear, or other things a bard is (in)famous for.

Chocolate

[thornsofmundus]

[Thorne.tcai is watching Juliette play and the dishes move with a look of absolute delight on her face.]

I know that music! It was in a video Mom showed me.

Chris Yukine | Senki Zesshou Symphogear

[trustheart]

[Too Many Cooks]

Chris never thought she could get sick of chocolate, but somehow, this train had conspired to make her. Thinking she could never bring herself to eat another sweet again, she trundled off into the kitchen to do her duly appointed duty with the chores.

"Honestly, what are they thinking?" she said aloud, as she rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. "This kind of diet can't be healthy, right?"

She's... going to keep complaining, even as she starts going all in on doing the dishes. Either muttering to herself or being vocal—and loud—about it, to the point you could probably hear it in the next car over.

[Team One]

Chris felt ridiculous.

"I feel ridiculous!" she groaned as she held up the skirt of the too long dress that she had been forced to wear in order to go undercover as one of the castle's ladies-in-waiting.

"How did they not have something in my size?! I thought people in this era were supposed to be shorter! Ugh!"

And that's when her foot catches on the hem of the dress... causing her to trip, and go falling head over heels. You could probably hear the "Oh dammit!" she let loose as she fell, as it echoed through the stone halls...

One

[thornsofmundus]

Thorne.tcai mutters a word that she's pretty sure wasn't meant to be in her vocabulary database before hurrying off after Chris. "I'll hem it for you," she offers. "I had to do it for mine too. You know how short I am." And indeed, the little AI stands no more than four foot tall. "I do know how to--it's not really part of my function, but Mom fed me the instructions anyway, because she liked costuming."

Guru Clef }| Rayearth Manga | CRAU from Wake

[guru_clef]

A Quiet Place

He looked 10. Maybe 12. He was short, that was for sure. Shorter than the tall stack of books between him and the outer wall of the train. Was that approximately half the train's meager library beside him? Yes, yes that was.

His outfit was an odd variation of the standard train gear, as it had a translucent blue-white sheen over parts of it and large seemingly random gems. He also wore a gemmed headdress thong that pushed his pale violet hair back.

There were two books in front of him, floating. One was directly in front of him, the other off to one side. Both were tilted to face him. Both turned pages on their own, at the same time. The odd thing was though that the book to the side turned always to a blank page, but by the time the page turned. what had been exposed was now a near perfect replica of the pages he was studying in the book before him. Near perfect because he did not replicate stains, tears, other markings... and because in some cases the need to correct grammar or spelling as he went was almost painful, so he did so.

But yes, this small figure sitting hunched up on the seat was seemingly using magic to copy the train's library....

And for those who can sense power? Whoooa boy, he's got power.

had to do it (also manga too)

[dragon_blossom]

Well this is a lot less spacious than the last time she got yanked out of one world into another, but at least there was less fear of falling to her death.

At least there's a bunch of nice people here, right off the bat.

But meandering into the library and spotting a familiar shorty totally pushed all her other priorities to the side. "Clef... Clef?!" She was a bit too loud, and a bit too energetic walk-running up to him. "How the heck did they kidnap you too?"

Isabella "Izzy" d'Oro | OC (13th Age)

[dralchemist]

[too many cooks (too many cooks)]

[Screw the people that are saying that there's too much chocolate in the kitchen. Izzy is in heaven. All of the mental stimulation of self-limitation, plus an abundance of fresh ingredients? Hell yes??? Hell Yes. She's jazzed for this, and will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, more than usual. She's already made the ICP-listed recipes a few times, but now she's going off-book. Chocolate-braised beef tacos. Chocolate baked beans. Salads with chocolate vinaigrette.

It doesn't really matter who's around to taste; all this stuff is still getting made regardless. Care to help taste? Give some feedback? Just be careful when, y'know, the chef is volatile and around so many knives. Just so many.]

[time to play courtly politics! - team one/three]

[This kind of setting feels familiar... but not too familiar. But not too not familiar. It's about the same aesthetics of some of the cities in the Dragon Empire she's been to, but with far less magic, tech, or magitech.

Still, as long as the locals are alright with Izzy being draconic, then she can definitely masquerade as a traveling apothecary. Even local nobles and courtiers might get sick, or need some pick-me-ups, and she's more than willing to provide cures for what ails 'em... or close facsimilies that she could whip up with limited ingredients.

In her mind, the best way to get information is to chat up as many people as possible, and that involves getting their attention.

Which is why ISABELLA D'ORO'S WANDERING ELIXER SHOPPE has set up just off of a town square, not too far from the tournament grounds. Screw subtlety, she sees opportunity here.]

Elixer Shoppe: this is NOT a gagtag. He's actually like this.

[ohaiyo_isekai]

Hikaru senses a golden opportunity under a silver cloche to be a shitty memelord, and so immediately strides to Yon Elixer Shoppe:

"Potion seller, I am going into battle and require your strongest potions," he says, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

Also, he's curious about this similarly medieval stranger. He doubts that this is a Mundane Koboldt... but she may be a kobold.