Test Drive Meme!

[paradisamods]

TEST DRIVE MEME Welcome to the Test Drive Meme! Whether you're considering joining paradisa for the first time or you just want to test out a new muse, this is the place to do it. Only character journals allowed, please! Feel free to have your character roam any of the castle's rooms, grounds locations, or City Royale. Thanks for your interest, and have fun! Premise: You wake up in a giant, magical castle. Everything is beautiful and the castle grants material wishes. It also provides a magic journal to every resident that allows everyone to communicate with each other like a two-way radio.

Comments

[toyboat]

Oh, yes please!

[She twists a bit to toss the starfish back into the water, deeper out than where she'd found it, then holds her still-wet hand out for his, so that he might show her all his New World secrets.]

Did you find many treasures while you were away?

[ex_pissoff757]

[ There's absolutely no hesitation from him as he reaches out to take her smaller hand in his. ]

Not many, unfortunately. [ Edward walks alongside her, hand in hand, not really going in any real direction. Not yet.

A pause before he speaks up again. ]

Jenny - did you know that starfish are like you and I?

[toyboat]

[Her doll is surfaced from her pocket, and Jenny looks up at her father as they walk, kicking more water up than necessary so that she can hear it splash back down.]

Are they? They don't seem very much like us.

[ex_pissoff757]

[ Now how does he explain that starfish have feelings too?

Edward joins her in kicking up water, more relaxed than anything with his daughter back at his side. While he may have only had her close for less than a handful of hours, had only just met her, this felt right. Like the most natural thing in the world to him, being a father, as nervous as he'd been in the beginning. ]

You're right at that. We thrive on having our feet planted firmly on the land while starfish thrive on being beneath the water.

But I reckon it hurts the starfish when you throw them like that.

[toyboat]

[Jenny ponders this, lays her head against his arm for a moment, then peers back up at him.]

Well... maybe it does, but wouldn't it hurt them more to be stuck in the sand where they'll dry in the sun? I wanted them all to go back out in the water where they'll be happy, but it's too far out to carry them. Should I have made them little boats - I mean, ships?

[ex_pissoff757]

[ Jaysus, if only he'd known sooner how precious his daughter would be, if only Caroline had told him sooner, Edward might have returned home years ago.

Edward can't stop the bubble of laughter, his hand squeezing hers as he looks down at her. ]

We could ask for a bucket, pile the ones stranded on the beach into it. If you'd like I could carry them out for you, or we can go together. As far as you're comfortable with.

[toyboat]

[Her nod is decisive as her smile returns, and her doll goes back in her pocket as she prepares to rescue the starfish of Paradisa.]

We should save them, as many as we can. They've not done anything wrong except be carried by the waves. Not like the crabs that want to pinch your toes. I know they don't know better, but it's still very mean of them.

[ex_pissoff757]

They only mean to pinch our toes in warning to keep us from stepping on them, nothing more.

[ Edward asks for a bucket and once it appears, he holds it out for her. ]

We'll save as many as we can. But first, hold still.

[ Uncaring of the water soaking into his pant legs rolled up to his knees, Edward crouches down at her side. His boots are thrown onto the beach as he begins to gather up as much of her skirt as he can, wringing out the water and pulling it up just above her knees to try and knot.

She won't be so dragged down by her skirts this way. ]

[toyboat]

[Jenny takes the bucket and holds it while she watches him, lifting one leg once it's been freed from the heavy weight of her wet dress. She only barely waits for him to finish before dashing a few paces ahead to scoop up a starfish - gently, delicately, now that she's been alerted to their feelings - and placing it softly in the bucket.]

Father, why do they stay where the waves can carry them onto the beach? You never see a whale stuck on the sand, or a shark.

[ex_pissoff757]

A whale and a shark have strong fins to keep them away from the beach. A starfish can only wiggle about in the sand at the bottom of the sea with no real control when a wave comes around.

[ Rising, he follows after her, pausing here and there to lean down and carefully scoop up his own starfish for her bucket. ]

[toyboat]

Hm.

[She pauses, looking at the starfish.]

If they can only wiggle about, then they are very lucky we've come to help them. It would take a very long time to wiggle back out, I think.

[ex_pissoff757]

A very long time, yes. Here-- [ Edward strides over to her to gingerly deposit his starfish into her bucket. ]

Nearly full.

[toyboat]

Perhaps they'll remember us, then, and the day they took their trip to the beach.

[Lifting the bucket, Jenny collects a few more starfish, then returns to Edward, her hands held out so that he can take the pail from her (it's gotten much heavier).]

Starfish do have memories, right, Father?

[ex_pissoff757]

[ He takes the bucket from her without question and continues to collect a few more himself. ]

Aye, they do. [ Actually ... Edward has no idea but he'll go with it. ] We'll be remembered as their saviors, you and I.

[toyboat]

[Another starfish scooped from the sand is placed atop the pile in the bucket as she giggles.]

Will they build us statues under the sea, then?

[ex_pissoff757]

I should hope so! I would very much like to have a statue built after my good deeds. Wouldn't you?

[ The bucket's pretty full now. They only need to see about getting as far out as they can to free the starfish into the sea. ]

[toyboat]

Yes! Make sure they see our faces proper, so our statues are true to life! Starfish will remember us forever.

[Jenny peers into the bucket again, then smiles up at Edward.]

Do we take them now?

[ex_pissoff757]

[ The smile is returned, Edward nodding. ]

We do, yes. Did Caroline - did your mother teach you to swim, Jenny?

just...... headcanons everything now.......

[toyboat]

Mmm, no, not really. I learned enough so that I wouldn't drown, but that's all.

C: that's okay......... please come join us ;____;

[ex_pissoff757]

It's a start.

[ He'll teach her what she doesn't know. ]

what makes you think i'm not already one of you........

[toyboat]

Do I need to swim now, Father? I think my skirts would be very heavy for that.