abraxasooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #6

Entry tags:

!test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME #6

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the sixth test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the three different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own under the Questions header below. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.

Our Setting pages are full of information on the world of Abraxas, and an overview of the story so far can be found on our Game History page! Anything on that page - including information about the Horizon and the Singularity - can be assumed to be told to newcomers after they arrive, no matter which faction they are received in. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, Marlo, and Rowan, please see our NPCs page.

You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads— 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Additionally, one change for this TDM is that characters who arrive in SOLVUNN will be given a charm necklace carved of bone depicting a butterfly with multiple wings. This image is meant to represent one of the Old Gods, Endrborrin, the Goddess of Renewal. Newly arrived characters in Solvunn who visibly wear this charm will find their reception in the community to be especially welcoming, even beyond how Solvunn normally treats the recently Summoned. Characters might receive unexpected invitations from strangers to have a meal or a drink, find doors to neighboring homes open to them, and discover eager faces wanting to help them settle in. It might even give them access to small discounts when purchasing items. Essentially, the people of Solvunn see those who wear the charm as accepting of their practices and traditions, and will treat them accordingly. In fact, they may treat them a bit too warmly - but that's simply how the commune works, of course! They look after their own.

Arrival

You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.

You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.

There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.

Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne

A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.

If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.

Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card bearing the image of one of the arcana.

An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.

"One moment," he says, not bothering to look up from the tome. He looks tired. "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. We’ll explain everything in a moment, but for now, please calm down. You’re completely fine."

Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the pages, until he stops on one specific passage, stares at it for a moment, and then sighs with relief:

"Finally!"

Ambrose's expression brightens, relief visible across his features. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.

"Oh, thank heavens," he says, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief. “I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right.”

Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem to visibly relax, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.

"Please, come with me," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle. "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."

One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.

Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (those who were previously brought in may have a great deal of information to tell you), or you can wander around and meet the others.

There's also a dining hall stocked with a rotating 24/7 buffet in celebration of the new honored guests. Somehow, your very favorite food is part of the rotation (or at least an attempted recreation of it given the limited technology available to the Thorneans). The town surrounding the castle is all abuzz as well, with most shops and services willing to give free samples of their wares to the new arrivals.

You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).

Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and most of the cells stand empty.

Scenario Two: Welcome to the Free Cities

You find yourself pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands. Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a warm hard floor. As your senses return you realize you're on dull ruddy stone and surrounded by strangers. Men and women in unfamiliar uniforms of brown and red leather stand in a semi-circle around a small pool of water. The very pool you were just pulled from. The water is still now, rimmed in pale gold tiles with odd symbols etched into them. Across it on the far side is a raised pedestal with a card propped on it. The card bears an arcana symbol.

You feel weak. Drained. Any abilities or magical powers you have seem far away and impossible to access. You're in what looks like a cave lit by dozens and dozens of torches set into the wall. There's no furniture or decoration to be seen besides the pool. It's almost uncomfortably warm and there's the sound of rushing wind somewhere in the distance. Flickering shadows obscure the faces of the guards. A robed woman stands off to the side, looking at you anxiously and then to the authoritative woman standing before you. She's grinning, dressed in a fancier uniform than the others. There's a sword at her hip. A guard covers you with a blanket and returns to their place in the semi-circle.

The woman with the sword gives a nod of approval and smiles warmly.

"Sorry about the circumstances."

She gives you a good hard look before standing again.

"Take a minute, catch your breath, you've had quite a shock. Take it nice and easy. I'm Prime Minister Marlo Reiner and you're in The Free Cities. That nice lady over there will explain everything to you and get you settled." A nod to the robed woman off to the side.

Marlo Reiner steps back and the robed mage approaches to help you up.

"Come with me, please." She brings you out of the cave through a corridor that angles upwards until you emerge in what looks like some kind of storage facility. Shelves of wooden boxes and cloth bags line them, unidentifiable parts of what might be machines are tucked into corners and propped against shelving units. "This is one of the Free Cities' outposts," the mage explains as she leads you. "We're honored to have you with us, I'm sure you have many questions but please save them. You need to recover!"

You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military outpost on the outskirts of Cadens city. You're brought to a room in the barracks that's been prepared. Each barracks room is rather sparse and utilitarian. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You're told the world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help. You're important, you're told, and they're very grateful you're here.

You're asked to stay close for the time being, but to make yourself at home. The outpost is more a proper military base than the name implies, with full facilities. The barracks have a communal bathing room at the end of the hall, with curtains that can be pulled around the individual raised round tubs for privacy. There's a mess hall that has food available from sun up till a few hours after sundown. You're even encouraged to make use of the training grounds, if you'd like, with non-lethal training weapons available for use and obstacle courses set up. And the city of Cadens is only a couple of hours away by wagon - though you're asked initially to please be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun going down.

For your own safety.

Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn

The feeling of floating is the first sense that comes to you as the edges of unconsciousness start to ebb. Sunlight filters through the rippling water as you open your eyes, making you squint. Before you have the chance to panic and inhale, firm hands grasp your arms and pull you to the surface of the water. Moments later, soft warmth is wrapped around your shoulders as you're guided on unsteady legs out of a pool of water. You're lowered to the soft grass. Men and women in simple garments with lavish embroidery stand by, waiting with bated breath, glancing seriously at an old man in an ornate robe. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. His eyes move quickly over the page, and he mumbles idly to himself.

Any strength you may have possessed feels as though it has slipped through your fingers. Any abilities or magical powers you have don't come to the surface no matter how hard you try. You're in a grassy clearing in the midst of a circle of large stone slabs stacked to look like doorways. In the middle is the same glimmering pool you were just pulled from. A gentle breeze blows through, carrying the scent of flowers and herbs from an ornately decorated altar set off in front of one of the stone doorways. The mage closes his book and steps out of the water, addressing a matronly old woman. Behind her are two younger people, a rough-looking man, and a meek young girl, both of whom are also watching the mage.

“I detect no ill will from the gods, it seems we've been blessed with success.” Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased.

The old woman smiles and steps forward, offering to take your hands and help you stand. “Any gift the gods give us is one we will happily take. I'm certain you have many questions, and they will all be answered in time. For now, rest and know you will be taken care of.”

She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. Once you're dressed, someone approaches to drape a delicate-looking charm depicting a butterfly with too many wings on a thin chain over your neck. The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.

“Hold your horses, I can see all those questions coming about! Rowan March, at your service. I'm one of the council members of Solvunn. There's a lot to discuss, but it's best talked about over a hot meal.” He leads you to a horse-drawn carriage and helps you up into the back. He talks the entire ride to the settlement.

You find out you are in the Primary Settlement, the first of three that make up Solvunn's great territory. The settlement is situated between two lakes and is humming with life. You're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. Rowan explains that the living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be, that local families would also be happy to host you in their home. That there are others like you who have also taken up residence within the three settlements. You're told that the world hangs upon the brink of disaster and that there are those in this world that are happy to see it fall to ruin with their meddling.

You're important. The gods have graced them with your presence. They're delighted you're here. Welcome to Solvunn.

Everything you need has been provided in this humble apartment, and if it hasn't, there are shops that line the streets and a marketplace in the center of town. Owners of some establishments or stalls are more than happy to give out samples or barter with your time for their goods. Babysitting can be a very lucrative business. You're told of the other settlements, that they'd like you to stay here for now, but if you can find a family to host you, the secondary and tertiary settlements are best to get to with an escort.

There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective, young traveler.

You’ll find that there are more than enough activities to throw yourself into to better settle into your new life in Solvunn. Work is done in the first part of the day so that families can spend the rest of it together in leisure and work on their crafts - whatever those may be. For those children who are not of school age, they need nannies or storytellers, and there’s always a gaggle of them running about unsupervised. Families with livestock can always take a spare hand, especially since farms are so spread out, they have a tendency to wander. Whatever skills you may possess can always be of use to the community or to honor the gods.

If any of these options are no good for your lifestyle, the main roads between settlements can always use a bit of monster clean-up… just make sure you don’t go alone.

Questions

How many slots are open?
Please check the Taken page for how many player, franchise, and canon slots are available. Activity check will be processed before applications open, so the count may change between now and then. Existing players can apply for a second character without restriction.

How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Which faction your character is drawn into has nothing to do with their personal morality, beliefs, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into any one of the situations.

Can I try out more than one scenario?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.

What happens if my character refuses to comply with the NPCs?
They will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and the faction leaders will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, they will be warned once that everyone is willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight they will make good on that promise.

My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the cities, murdering the NPCs, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other NPCs would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude and intervention from various NPC guards, and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Abraxans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.

I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from an earlier TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes, in terms of the settings. As Thorne is no longer imprisoning any newcomers, that option is no longer applicable.

Is the power loss for characters permanent?
No, but it does take a week or so for their powers to be back in full, and certain powers (determined on a case-by-case basis) may require nerfs. If your character has world-breaking powers, please discuss with the mods what modifications may be necessary.

Can my character leave the bounds of the faction?
In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In Cadens, they can take a trip from the outpost to the city. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.

Can my character eventually change factions?
Yes. While the faction borders are currently closed, there will opportunities in the future for characters to relocate. For the time being, they are stuck where they are.

How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will determine where your character initially lives as well as the bias of the information they receive from NPCs (although other PCs can and most likely will give it to them a bit more straight). This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.

Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in every scenario can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.

Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the three scenarios on your application.

What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).

Can my character go to the Horizon?
First time visitors to the Horizon must be taken there by other characters, through either shared meditation or a physical journey to the Singularity, and all first-timers experience memory loss. For the purposes of the TDM, we suggest against using the Horizon.

What about making use of the network?
Much like Horizon they would need to be introduced to it by another PC, as no NPCs would be aware of the network or be able to access it. Because of this we would advise against using this mechanic for TDM top-levels.

return to main navigation

Threaded | Flat

I. Cadens - Arrival

At first, Jayce assumes he's been captured by Silco's people. He'd been on his way to meet with the gang leader and he's weak, drained, barely able to focus on where he is at first. He tries to push to a stand, ready to fight without his hammer, and only ends up falling to his knees again. Neither of the women look familiar, but they wouldn't be if they were from Zaun. He squints at them, immediately snapping back when one speaks.

"If you were sorry, I wouldn't be here."

It's strange to apologize though if they're working for Silco. It isn't until they're out of the cave and into the bright desert air that Jayce pauses, eyes widening as it comes to him that he isn't in Piltover or Zaun. He knows desert atmosphere when he feels it, and his stomach sinks. Being captured by the Undercity would be better. At least that would make sense.

Jayce argues with the mage the entire way from the cave to the outpost. Demanding to be sent back, demanding better answers, asking how they know about him in the first place, where they are. He only shuts up after being more or less dropped into the barracks, and the mage slips away. He sits down heavily on a bed and puts his head in his hands.

II. Barracks - Outpost

Jayce does not calm down and he is regularly seen arguing with anyone working there or of moderate authority. His voice carries, often demanding to see Marlo again, or saying that he has important business that is time-sensitive. At one point he goes from demanding to begging, distraught as he says "You don't understand, my best friend is dying, I can't waste any time, please." No matter how much he begs or passionately disagrees, it never goes anywhere, and he stews by pacing around the barracks, either seething or deeply anxious.

He is restless and on the edge so he can be seen shirtless using a training dummy to punch his feelings out. That's never really been his way before, but recently thought and experimentation hasn't been enough of an outlet. While he's strong and good at slamming his fists, there is no real skill to it, he's not experienced at boxing, simply using brute force over any technique.

After every session, once his arms are exhausted and his body covered in sweat, he goes to the baths and rubs his forehead, thinking through next steps. They're not going to send him back, so he'll have to think of another approach. He mumbles to himself before realizing someone else is there, gold-brown eyes darting to them and he tries a forced smile. "Sorry, I'm ... it's a lot, isn't it?" It's then Jayce remembers he's not alone. There are others in the same boat. And that means something.

After that at the mess hall or bedroom areas, Jayce strikes up conversations with others when he can. "What do you think of all of this?

Jayce can often be seen from taking notes, observing everything in the barracks and others and writing down equations and ideas on it. Sometimes a few sketches of the people he's seen too, to remind himself. He browses the storage facility looking through what they have, pulling out any mechanical parts he can find and considering if they're useful. None of it ends up being, but it wastes some time, digging through their collections.

III. Cadens - in the city

As soon as Jayce can escape the barracks and go into the city, he does. The barracks make him uneasy, as all military places do, and it's a stark reminder of his most recent military strike that went horribly. He doesn't want to think about that, he has to focus. Focus on the next step. If they don't send him back, he'll find his own way. Time is of the essence. Jayce does look like a tourist at first; it's been a long time since he's been anywhere but his own city, and it's a unique and impressive place, Cadens. He would like it if he wasn't dogged with anxiety about time ticking by. Luckily he meets Viktor early on in his arrival so after that, his stress drops and he takes Cadens in as it is.

He is most often seen by any vendors selling mechanical items or shops where scientists are selling their wares. He's often enthusiastically in conversation with them. Jayce loves engineering and he's fascinated by the tech that's different and yet the exact same, his experience and passion coming through as he laughs with the vendors about inside tech jokes. He speaks with the local blacksmith too, his earnest honesty and description of his family of workers getting him an interview for later. If he's going to build something new, he needs connections, and he's good at making them.

Jayce then goes to the academies, having no problem going up to the professors or other students and starting conversations about the recent lecture, seeming more at ease there than anywhere else. He stands at the back of lecture halls and listens, leaning on the wall instead of taking a seat. He smiles at anyone else there who seems out of place but curious, whispering: "Isn't this fascinating? Some things are true everywhere." And to him, education is always that.

After settling in, Jayce can be found tinkering with the beginnings of new inventions, using a hammer and wrench, or using the hammer to strip off unnecessary parts of metal. Jayce is also always volunteering to carry things for other people, either from shops or inns, or other Summoned. If you look like you're strained, he'll show up at your elbow and put out his hands. "Hi, need any help?"

IV. WILDCARD

[ooc: hit me with anything you like! message on plurk @ waftingcurtains if you have ideas]

[Cw: suicidal ideation, body dysphoria, swearing]

[Tԋσɾɳҽ- Aɾɾιʋαʅ]

Grandma, can I finally rest? I'm so tired…

When Kainé finds herself floating in the abyss, It reminds her of that time five years ago when she finally avenged her grandma.

Wait…

They were about to fight the Shadowlord and rescue Yonah. Kainé said she'd be a sword! She can't die now!

As she sees the pinprick of light, she reaches a hand out, just as she did that day.

And then she's pulled from the water and yanked to the surface. She opens her eyes and drowsily looks around; until she realizes she's naked. All thoughts of her surroundings fly out the metaphorical window as she curls in on herself to hide her mutant body. Her heart is beating so fast it's as though it's going to burst from her chest. It's like a nightmare, like when she was a child and the bullies had assaulted her to find out if she was a 'man or a woman.' She tries to remain calm, but this is one of the only things that can shake her hard demeanor. She feels weak, so fighting isn't an option…

"Fuck." She swears under her breath, looking around at the gathered people that she doesn't recognize. What the man with the book says barely registers. That is until she's abruptly clothed in… what is this… some kind of soft fabric she's never felt before.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kainé yells, as she slowly unfolds.

She glares at the man with the book when he approaches, ready to lunge from her position on the ground, but finds she's too exhausted to do so and can barely stand for that matter. Her gaze trails briefly to the card but she doesn't say anything.

Perhaps you were around to witness this? Somewhere in the crowd of strangers. Or maybe you see her as they're escorting her along the halls, not really paying attention to all the things they're dumping on her at once.

"Look, I don't really give a damn. I got shit to do." Kainé argues with the apprentice mage, and looks to anyone around for help getting away from the lectures.

[Tԋσɾɳҽ- Dιɳιɳɠ Hαʅʅ]

Kainé manages to find some strips of cloth to cover her arm and leg after listening to all that hot garbage they were spewing. Though something finally catches her interest as she heads towards the dining hall.

Food.

Kainé has never seen so much food in her entire life. She can't even name what most of it is! However, it all smells delicious. As food has only been a method for survival for her, she doesn't really have a favorite, so she just starts taking bits of everything and plopping it on a plate. Well, if they're gonna offer, she's gonna take advantage of the opportunity. She'll even stay in their dining hall for the moment.

You might catch her at the buffet table, or perhaps sitting as far away from everyone else as possible. She's not the most sociable, so you might get a rough introduction should you approach; but she won't turn you away either.

[Tԋσɾɳҽ- Nσɾƚԋ Wιɳɠ ➛ Oυƚʂιԃҽ ƚԋҽ Cαʂƚʅҽ]

As she's escorted to her room in the north wing, she walks in and sees the four beds. Kainé waits just long enough for her escort to go down the hall. Then she looks at her roommates and crosses her arms.

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I don't do the 'big happy family' thing." Kainé says dryly and turns to leave the room.

Will you stop her and convince her to change her mind?

Or perhaps you'll find her later, outside the castle, on the outskirts of town as far as she can go, in a wooded area, sitting by a roaring campfire. Should you approach, she won't attack, but she might be a little surprised.

[Tԋσɾɳҽ- Aɾσυɳԃ Tσɯɳ]

Eventually, curiosity gets the better of her and Kainé heads back into town to check out the market. After all, she heard there was free stuff.

You might find her in the middle of a tailor's shop asking if it's possible for the tailor to fashion her some underclothes. Or perhaps you find her at the market, taking free samples of fruits she's never had before.

Maybe she's collecting supplies for her eventual camp outside the town. Whatever she's doing, she won't say no to any help.

[Free Cities- Bαɾɾαƈƙʂ]

After a small protest after her arrival, Kainé follows the woman, barely listening to the stuff they're dropping in her. As she walks into the barracks and is left to her own devices, she looks around at the six beds and grimaces. However she has more important matters to attend to. All she's covered with is a blanket.

If she spots you, she'll call out in a rather perturbed tone.

"Can anyone around here get me some goddamn clothes?"

[Free Cities- Tɾαιɳιɳɠ Gɾσυɳԃʂ]

"Now we're talking." Kainé exclaimed with a smirk as she cracked her knuckles.

A training ground where she could get in a good fight.

She tries to summon her swords but to no avail.

"What the fuck? What the hell's wrong with my magic?"

She groans remembering what the people who pulled her from the water said; her powers and strength would come back in due time.

For now she will have to settle for their lame-ass fake weapons. She picks up a pair of training swords and looks them over, swinging them a few times before deciding it's the best she's gonna get.

As she walks out to the area where the training dummies are, she frowns. Kainé was expecting a real fight.

Perhaps you might approach her for a sparring match?

Edited 2022-03-20 20:50 (UTC)

MESS HALL

( he still feels disoriented. where things should be sharp and bright, they're dull, muted. it makes him unsettled.

it makes him weak.

but matt refuses to let any of that show. he buries it down under layers and layers of guilt and fear and terror. under everything that he keeps inside so he can keep going, keep standing up. he buries it and he sits there at a table in a corner with a cup of something in front of him that he hasn't touched. he doesn't know if he trusts it.

his hearing isn't gone, he can still hear people moving past him, snippets of conversation reaching his ears. he's learned that this is some kind of military outpost near a city called cadens.

and while he sometimes hadn't paid attention in geography, he's pretty sure that's not on any map he knows. he sighs and sits back, eyes on a far wall, unseeing. he blinks, catches a whiff of something but he can't place it.

frustration boils over and he sweeps a hand down, knocking his glass to the floor and spilling the liquid inside. )

Shit.

( he should probably clean that up. )

TRAINING GROUNDS

( at first, matt just wanders the training grounds, listening toe the various skills of those who are out there. a lot of them are very skilled, blows precise and deadly. others not so much.

after some pacing, matt just stands there, arms loose at his sides until the stillness finally becomes too much and he walks over to where he's pinpointed the weapons are. there's a bow there and matt picks it up and swings it. despite the dampened abilities, he knows this. he knows it and it's almost a relief to start swinging it, grace in the motions as it moves back and forth and up and down.

he doesn't know how long he does that but when he stops, he's sweating and he plants the bow against the ground to lean against it. even now, with time having passed, matt can still hear a lot of people out there, honing their skills.

he wonders what they're preparing for. )

BARRACKS

( matt does consider going into the city but refrains at least for the time being. he's starting to get the feeling that when he closes his eyes tonight, he's going to wake up and be here tomorrow.

this isn't some kind of weird fever dream that's a result of a blow to the head. that would be too easy. so, when night falls, matt finds his way back to the barracks after some stumbling around to find his way.

rubbing a hand over his face, he drops into a chair and tips his head back. he's felt alone many times in his life but that's all been his own doing, pushing people away for their own good.

right now, he feels it because there's distance that he can't surmount. he doesn't even know how to start so he's just going to sit here and sulk. )

WILDCARD

( if you'd like to do something different, feel free to toss it my way. )

[ ooc: note that all of senju's prompts contain spoilers for the tokyo revengers manga, so if you reply, i'll assume you're okay with manga spoilers. ]

ARRIVAL | THORNE.

[ Even as bewildered as she was, it was difficult for Senju to hold herself back from lashing out violently at the people who'd been surrounding her as she was pulled out of the fountain. Because - this had to have been some kind of kidnapping, right? It was the only thing that made sense!

...Or so she'd thought, but after taking a look at her surroundings, and the clothing that her "captors" were dressed in... she'd quickly become too baffled to do anything but stand there and listen to what they had to say. Still, that hadn't stopped her being ready to attack at any moment, glaring at everyone who surrounded her as if she were trying to kill them with her gaze alone.

She stays like that, tense and suspicious, until she's finally left alone. Then, finally... Senju sighs, taking a deep breath for the first time since she got here.

This is ridiculous, isn't it? She's surrounded by people talking about things like magic and summoning like it's completely normal!! But they can't all be crazy, can they? Can they? ...Besides, there was that incident with the magically shrinking clothes...

Right now, she's so overwhelmed that it's difficult to think straight at all, let alone react appropriately to the situation. After a few moments, Senju decides that she might as well explore the castle - after all, it's not like standing around here doing nothing is going to help her figure out what's going on!

But just as she sets off to explore, she spots someone looking at her, and whirls around to face them. Eyes narrowing just a tad, she gives them a look, and asks in a low voice- ]

Who're you?

AROUND TOWN

[ By now, it's obvious that Senju's long-since concluded that she hasn't been kidnapped, judging by the cheerful way she hops from shop to shop, chatting enthusiastically to the townspeople and taking free samples of everything she can find. In fact, she's so excited that she looks more like a little kid than a teenager - her eyes sparkling as she runs between the various shops, eating a snack she'd picked up just a few minutes ago. Even her bag, which must be pretty heavy by now, considering how much she's stuffed in it, doesn't seem to bother her at all.

...It's not like her situation doesn't bother her. She wants to get back home just like anyone else would do, and she's been trying to avoid thinking about how worried Takeomi must be about her...But it's not like she's going to be here forever, right? Worrying about it isn't going to help, so why bother thinking about things she can't do anything about when she could be doing anything else?

So, here she is. As she stands in the middle of the street, trying to decide where to go next... Senju spots someone nearby holding something she's never seen before - and suddenly, her attention is all on them. ]

Hey! Where'd you get that? Was that from one of the shops here, too?

[ Judging by that glint in her eye and the wide smile on her face, it seems you won't be getting away any time soon. ]

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to throw anything at Senju here! I'm also available to plot @ Rivenix on Plurk, so feel free to hit me up if you'd like anything plotted out. Thanks! ]

Arrival: Thorne

The dark does not surprise Kell. He's been slowly drowning in it against his best efforts already. It does feel like a failure. As if he has broken a promise. Only a longer moment later does he realize it's different. It is not the darkness he was expecting. It's the depth, the absence of light, and the dark cloud that surrounds him is his own blood. He is not dead. Not yet anyway. Death creeps ever closer with each bubble of air leaving his lungs to disappear in the darkness, and nothing to replace it.

The hand that plunges from the light down through the darkness grabs his broken wrist first, adjusting the hold only after the scream pushes what is left of the air from his lungs. Somehow they drag him out and not let him drown in the process.

"I am not fine!"

The high mage doesn't react to his outburst. In all fairness, the man looks very tired, and Kell's injuries get tended too in spite of his yelling. He should feel grateful for that, but can't. It's yet another sting that he cannot do that himself. It's not gone, the magic. Not as he feared at first. It's just ... away. Like something asleep, something he cannot reach for right now. And it annoys him to no end.

The Wandering: the North Wing, the Dining Hall, the City

Once released, Kell wanders everywhere they let him in. Nothing in this city feels familiar. It doesn't look nor feel like any world he has visited. It doesn't feel like it has strong magic, but it doesn't feel devoid of it either. Besides, not that he can sense much anyway when all just feels dulled, like through layers upon layers of thick wool. Even the residual pain of his injuries. As if his body didn't register fully, they were fully healed.
The high mage promised the magic will come back to him. Kell would like to believe him. After what he's gone through in the White London, he's not that trusting. But as much as he wants, he can't force his magic back. It's maddening.

There are others - he doesn't want to consider them like him because they are not. Few are like him, and none of them in this world. He would know. Or so he wants to think. - that share his thinly veiled, or not at all, look of confusion. Their appearance is apparently no accident. More like a well organized operation. There's food available in the dining hall and lodgings prepared for them. The first is abundant, the latter, well, not with the privacy or the comfort level he's used too. Kell as far from overjoyed by having to share a room with strangers, and he's not above commenting on it. How is he supposed to sleep with just a flimsy curtain separating him from everything and everyone else? How is he going to sleep at all in such conditions?

"And here I thought they would at least grant their guests some privacy."

Wildcard
[ooc: nothing of the above sounds interesting? feel free to poke on plurk @ bitweaver or pm this journal for plotting]

Edited 2022-03-20 22:04 (UTC)

A. THE BEST ROOMMATE IS A QUIET ONE

[without the mask, he is nothing.

he arrives into the world of abraxas with nothing—laid bare and with little to protect the quiet fragility of bruce wayne. he follows, listens, observes, but offers absolutely nothing in return. one of the apprentices steps forward and guides him through the castle.

not gotham city.

the welcome is kind, but he is nervous—paranoid. even when shown nothing but hospitality, as he is led into a room with other 'roommates', bruce all but finds his corner and remains there. no greeting, just awkward stares.

and although he may not be part of whatever ongoing conversation there is, he is observant. slouched where he sits, guarded, the dark bags under his eyes speak of exhaustion, but there is an alertness in his blue eyes that do not equate to tiredness.

he may not be the one to start a conversation, but he is not averse to it should it focus on him.]

B. DEAD OF NIGHT WANDERINGS

[in the end, he is restless. this is not gotham city, and it worries at him. could he find others, here? alfred? gordon? selina? bruce tries not to think too hard about it, lest he drives himself to a sense of meddlesome concern over how utterly powerless he is.

he waits until it's dark, until most everyone has gone to sleep, and the hallways are no longer lit.

his mask is no longer on him, but he has the shadows—he travels in them, his eyes accustomed to the dark, making his way from hall to hall, checking out doors to see whether they are locked or not.

one of them gives way to the library—and bruce has the unfortunate luck of, stealthy as one can be, opening the door only to find himself staring at another person, light in hand, seemingly looking to leave the library.

...several seconds later...

he pulls his gaze away, like a child caught walking where he shouldn't, offering only a sudden, and unexpected, handshake.]

Bruce Wayne.

[—quickly attempting to turn this into a normal thing, introductions and all, in the middle of the night, as one does.]

C. CAN YOU AFFORD BEING THIS RUDE?

[morning never treats bruce wayne kindly. he tries for the mess hall to get something to eat—grabs a fruit, his lips downturned showcasing his unhappiness at large (or is this just default?). he’s had a butler all his life—taking care of himself is just... not his priority.

when he sits down, he winces, covering his eyes with a hand as sunlight streams through the windows. he wishes he had sunglasses to wear. perhaps he shouldn’t have been moving about in the middle of the night, being an agent in the shadows, but he cannot help old habits.

should someone sit nearby and try to talk to him, he will abruptly say:]

I'm not looking for conversation.

D. WILDCARD — SOLVUNN OR THE FREE CITIES

[wherever bruce is, in these first few days of arrival, one thing is certain: he will be a familiar figure that just about stands and does nothing more. draped in dark colors, a contrast to his pale complexion, he watches people come and go. he isn't the most social, and that in itself will make him stand out.

it is after a few days, though, that he grows restless: approaches a familiar face (only from sight!) that he's seen come and go, and tries to very awkwardly get their attention.

a raised hand falling back down halfway through, the flare of nostrils and the bobbing of his adam's apple as he pushes himself to say something, anything. when he finally does speak, it's a bit awkward but surprisingly gentle, of a man well-versed and well-studied. it's unfortunate the words he puts together aren't so much that.]

I've been watching you.

Edited 2022-03-20 23:23 (UTC)

outpost

( The outpost itself felt like the brief time he spent outside Arsuf, a hive of activity under hot, golden sunshine, scraped and buffeted by the dry desert air. Entirely freaked out on entry, shoulders heavy with the weight of his own death--am I? Am I really dead?--Steve has calmed in the hours since, his attention turned toward learning more about the strange place he's come to.

In the barracks, he claims an empty bed, and not-so-subtly glances over the other beds in the room, their occupants out for the day. If he's caught poking around? He's all apologetic, boyish charm and wide, innocent blue eyes. )

Sorry, just getting my bearings. How long have you been here?

( In the training grounds, he studies the racks of weapons with a certain heavy skepticism. Selecting a short-bladed sword, Steve steps back to give it a few experimental swings as he'd seen Diana do, the wooden weapon heavy in his hand.

He turns to call to someone else who's also there, lifting the sword to show them, with an obviously skeptical look on his face. )

They don't really expect us to fight with this stuff. Right?

bathing;

( What's up with magical places and their interesting baths? Whatever, he's been sweltering all day, got sand all up under his shirt and in his pants and it sucks, so he's all but thrown himself into one of the tubs to sort through his end of day thoughts, planning for tomorrow. Doing his best to not drown himself, sulking up to his nose in hot water. It isn't that he's ungrateful for the second chance, just–

That thought goes interrupted. A soldier climbing out of another tub proceeds to drip water all over his things, where he neatly had them folded onto a nearby stand. Adding insult to injury? The man shrugs and snags Steve's towel too, scurrying right off with it. Noticing too late, there's a bit of splashing and sputtering from Steve. )

Hey! That's... ( annoyed, he slumps over the rim of the tub, ) -that was my towel. Dammit.

wildcard;

( he's gonna hoof it to the city proper as well, and generally get into everything/learn what he can while he's around. feel free to pm me for questions! Steve here is taken right from his death, WW84 doesn't exist, such a shame... )

Edited (details!) 2022-03-21 01:17 (UTC)

Arrival/Solvunn, Primary Settlement (gonna be the canon option!)

[It is not the first time Nero has pulled himself out of water, dripping wet, tasting dirt. It is also not the first time he has felt like shit run over by a yacht. It is, in fact, very, very, very far from the first time.

On the other hand. (Hah.) It is the first time in a long time he's felt like that and had two arms. So. There's that.

Having two arms is not helping him here, though, because it's making it easier for these guys to drag him away from... from water, which he doesn't specifically want to be in, but the alternative of being not dragged sounds great right now. Eventually he jerks his arms out of their grip and sits up, rubbing his face.] Hands off, all right? I got it.

[The spiel does not give him any reassurance after being pulled out of water, soaking wet, with a naked ass. Nero's good experiences with old dudes spouting about good will and gods is pretty close to nil, and no gifts of fancy necklaces is gonna make him feel better about that.

Unfortunately, diving back into the pool with a shout of "let me go!" only gets a lot of horrified commotion and the distinct realization he might actually drown, which -- fuck, what a way to go after all this, huh? He just. He has to. He came through the pool, it's gotta lead back. He's not staying here, wherever the hell it is. He's gotta get back to Kyrie --

But they pull him out again. He holds up a hand with the "OK" sign, coughing up a couple of lungfuls of water, wiping his mouth with a shaky hand. Another robe is thrown around him, and boy. Good thing they had extras, because it's cold and -- he was in the pool, all right? He covers himself up with a glare, getting to his feet.] Look. Learned the lesson. Spaghetti legs. Noodle arms. Water bad. [He glances down at the butterfly, picking it up with delicate fingers. Gaudy. He could snap it in half with a flick of a finger. She'd probably like it.] You can't blame a guy for trying.

[By the time they lead him to the settlement, he's mostly dry. Mostly. There was a lot of talking, and he's still flicking water off his hair. Something about catastrophe, world bad, brink of disaster, blah, blah. Nero quips with a "The trees are too small for that, don't you think?" to utterly no reaction. It's not his best. He's not feeling his best, either.

Nero hops off the carriage before it stops, walking away before he has to listen to more of this. If he's gonna be dragged to Bumfuck, Nowhere, he might as well take a look around.

It isn't the loads of land laid out in front of him that gives him pause (he's a city boy, give him a break.) It's the kids, unaccompanied, laughing and running right through the busiest part of the market, hopping over little squares scrawled into what could be called a road, if you squint.

Been a while since he's heard that. Since he's been home. Even a couple of weeks feels like...

Shit. What the hell does he do now?

Nero will be moving around the settlement, peering out towards the farms. He can also be found conversing his way through the market booths, and getting a particularly upset reaction when he holds up the butterfly necklace and asks, "Hey, how much can I pawn this for?"

In his defense, he didn't ask for it.]

Thorne, dining hall and out/about

[See arrival above, except by the time Nero's figured out the gist of the whole (gestures at everything), he's punched a certain guard in the face (all he needed to hear was "go in there again and you'll sink like dead weight!" and instinct took over) and been sat down with a stern talking to. It brings up uncomfortable memories he is decidedly not unpacking; instead, he ties that particular suitcase up and tosses it into the metaphorical ocean. Adios!

At least no one's used the word saviour. Nah. He's just here to help the inevitable destruction of (insert world name here), not, like, specifically save it because of weird prophecies or cult beliefs.

Cool. Great.

Can he go home now? (No.)

He's already established climbing back in the wall does not, in fact, work, and maybe he even feels a hint of regret about the guy glaring him down and rubbing his jaw, but -- man, you gotta be careful with words. Nero did apologize. Sort of.

After his dressing down, he makes an abrupt exit to get away from. All of that. Fine. Wander hallways, peek his nose where it doesn't belong, wonder where the hell Nico is in all this. Fine. Perfect.

He's about to go right past the dining hall -- food's great and all, but he has things (?) to do -- until he stops. His nose twitches. Is that...? No way.

But it smells just like it. Kyrie's world-famous chicken carbonara, waiting in a pan for him to take. It even has the little peas (kids gotta get their vitamins somewhere.) It smells just like it. His stomach rumbles.

Is he gonna do it?

Yeah. He's gotta. He's gotta compare, obviously, so he can tell her how much this sucks in comparison to hers.

Nero can be found wandering Thone's hallways, and peeking into the dungeons (is he still carrying a plate of carbonara, in both instances? Yes. He is. He keeps going back to get more.) Slurping it up, kicking his foot against the bars, maybe even poking his head into some bedrooms. It's how you learn the layout, all right.]

The Free Cities, Barracks, and Cadens

[See above arrival, except Nero earns a clock on the jaw in retaliation, with a pull yourself together! Okay, good point. Swinging punches at guys helping you out of private drowning pools does, in retrospect, sound like it could go one of two ways. One of the ways is, you know. The bruise on his cheek. (Good form.)

He tilts his head back from the slab. Sword. Oh. Oh, fuck. Where is his --

Later. He can just. Worry about that later. Get this over with. Free Cities. Check. Free to chuck your ass out of your nice, cool drowning into this.] Recover? Recover from what --

[He doesn't exactly get caught with the flu and his pants down, but. You know what? Sure. He still barely can lift his legs without stumbling and it's thrown him off. A meal stuffed into his mouth later and he's. Moderately alive. His body feels off, like he's been dragged through the wringer. He's not thrilled about the concept of sleeping with five other suckers. In fact, he's definitely not gonna do that.

You can catch him before he takes the wagon to Cadens, but he's definitely going either way. He gives a quick look through the barracks (and perhaps shoves a bit of food into a pocket to take with him) and hops a wagon.

Cadens is a little more his style, with about the same amount of answers (read: none.) A city's a city, though. He moves through the markets, picking at the thread embroidered into his coat; a symbol he doesn't recognize and, no offense, it doesn't look anything like a chariot. You can't just slap a wheel on something and call it a chariot. It's like drawing a horse and calling it a car. Because horsepower.

He pauses by a stand selling fried dough rolled in sugar, which makes the pocket stash of food he's got pale in comparison.] Hey, uh. How do you feel about free samples? The pneumonia didn't exactly come with an allowance.

[Please help your friendly neighborhood devil hunter sample the succulent taste of GMO-free dessert.]

arrival/outpost

[Or: sulking. Sulking is what Dr. Kenzo Tenma spends his first hours in this new world doing, once he's gotten his bearings and a blanket to huddle into. In some ways he's the model newcomer, not uttering a single complaint during any of the introductory explanations, shuffling along where he's told, really only speaking up when he's spoken to directly first — but that also makes him a little less than approachable, and he's left to settle in alone sooner rather than later. He sulks his way into the barracks and claims the bed nearest the door, spending only the requisite time to get dressed in the provided uniform before he curls back into the blanket - damp, which he ignores - and then crawls onto the bed.

He does not sleep. It bothers him that he cannot sleep more than anything else, after everything else; Ruhenheim, this place, whatever's truly going on, and yet he's the most hung up on being awake.

Eventually, he manages to sit up and look... aware, if not rested. Frankly he looks like shit, but it's been a long couple days and that dip through a magic pool is the closest he's had to a real shower in a bit. Still, as he's watched others come and go from this barracks, he can't help but be concerned about his fellow newcomers.]

How are you feeling? [his voice comes soft, and softer still if his new roomie looks particularly stressed.] Something warm to eat will help you feel more like yourself again. Let me get you something.

[He manages a smile, tired, and attempts some levity:] We're very important here, after all.

cadens

[As soon as Tenma can leave the barracks he does, clambering onto a wagon and half-napping the way there, such that he's a little more disoriented than he should be when they arrive in the bustle of the city. It feels more comfortable like this, to promise he'll be back at the correct time, of course, he's memorized this spot, don't worry - and then to disappear into the crowd, wandering wherever his feet happen to take him. It feels odd, like roaming around in a bubble, to have no purpose; to wander aimlessly without having to look over his shoulder, or to worry—

Which, in fairness, he still does. Call it habit, involuntary, whatever, but every now and then he shrinks into his desert scarf and looks a little harrowed about it, gaze dark and uncertain.

It's fine. It takes him a few hours to get out of his own head, and when he does, it's thanks to a spirited child tripping over themselves into his path and scraping both knees. Tenma doesn't hesitate to scoop the child up and out of the way to take care of those scrapes, and so for a decent while he can be found minding the local youths' injuries, or the local... locals' aches and pains, as people see what he's up to and stop by. Nearly a dozen people have asked him the same question, Has He Seen The Academy of Medicine Yet? and oh, he's getting to it, really...

Later, he busies himself teaching some kids origami, which is as close to the tinkering and engineering as he'll be able to get. Here's a crane that can really flap its wings when a tab is pulled, isn't that something...

After enough time spent just wandering around helping the locals - occasionally clumsily, as non-medical labor is not his strong suit but he cannot resist - he can be found seated outdoors at a shaded table, eating — or at least looking at food. He's being fed as thanks, but like, there's a lot of food here? Ah...]

Excuse me— [hi, you, hello, yes] Would you like some? I wouldn't want this to go to waste, and it's better to eat with other people, isn't it?

[please there's so much]

cadens.......2!

[Or: The one where Tenma tries to audit an Academy class. There's an emphasis on medicine here that has not gone unnoticed, and while he'd love to wander through the museum, that costs money — so the Academy it is. Honestly, he's not sure if this costs money either, but he imagines it's easier to sneak into the back of a lecture hall than a museum.

However, he's been loitering outside of one for a good fifteen minutes, notably not going in. It's nothing major, just... the technology here is... dated? He doesn't know what to expect in an actual lecture, and if anything they're teaching is, hm, not up to his personal standards he's definitely going to make a scene.

Ah, the memories of being a hotblooded youth. Getting incensed about professors. The good old days.

In any case, if anyone is giving him the eye for just standing around out here, maybe pacing a little, he returns a sheepish smile and five star excuse:]

The seats are filling up fast, if you're one of the enrolled students...

[maybe there's a window to peek in. no. unless...]

wildcard

[hit me with your best shot, I have not picked a sign yet, yahoo!! I will match format if you prefer prose, also.]

[ Sofia arrives like everyone else, but her bewilderment caused her to be silent and compliant throughout the entire process. While baffled by the sudden awakening, so far his welcoming wasn't hostile in any way, so there was no reason for her to retaliate. The more it went on, the more her shock turned to curiosity... ]

Any Faction - Bloody tourists!

[ When trying to get her bearings in this new settlement she found herself in, Sofia walks around like she's in a Renaissance Faire. She takes advantage of the perks of her necklace and the people's hospitality, though they feel overwhelming for her introverted self too much at times. Sofia's habit of going around and inspecting a new place kicks in. She can be seen in the market, picking up fresh produce and various wares to touch before putting it back. It wasn't long until she ran into an artifact on display - vintage metal knives on a decorative iron rack - breaking it and causing the knives to fall. She puts each knife back improperly that it crumbles, making a loud enough noise and an awkward sight of a strange woman trying to put it back the way she found it only to make it worse. She gives up, leaning with her hand down on the table and the other on her hip, acting casual with a sheepish smile when she gets caught - by you! ]

It was like that when I- Nevermind.

Thorne - DK Multimedia: Castle Explorer (1996)

[ When assigned a room, Sofia immediate inspects it. She was told she'll be sharing it, which should be okay. This isn't the first time she had roommates... she just hopes they're not annoying. ]

Which one is my bed?

[ She asks rhetorically, but out loud, while she continues looking around. She leaves the door open, so she can hear other people outside. She's getting kind of hungry, so she is about to go to the mess hall. But just as she turns around she sees someone by the door. Immediately, she calls out ]

Ooh! Oh. Hey- Is this your um, your room? You just don't happen to be passing by are you? Because that would be embarrassing.

Free Cities - Soldiering on

[ It's a little depressing to think about how the military outpost they were brought to feels familiar. Sofia was never a soldier at heart, and she never thinks of herself as such. She's only part of a paramilitary force back home because of some complicated mess that she brought to herself, but she can't deny that it's become a part of her life. While at the barracks, she sits on her assigned bed and looked around at the people she's going to be living with.

She gets bored immediately, and decided to check out the training ground to see a lot more people in there than she anticipated. Looking at the rack of weapons available, she picks up a longsword, lazily swinging it around with proper technique ]

At least they didn't skimp out on the quality of these training weapons.

Solvunn - We're going on an adventure!

[ Her powers have returned after a week, recovering from her awakening. She hears there's some monster clean-up that needs doing in the main roads in between Solvunn settlements. She won't go at it alone, though. As proud as she normally is, she lets someone tag along to make the travel between communities safer. At the town center of the Primary Settlement, Sofia prepares to head to the road towards the Secondary Settlement and deciding which road to take ]

Going by the lakeside route looks better, and we're not far from a source of fresh water should we need it.

[ She declares, walking towards the stack of supplies they're taking with them on their journey. But before she slings the rucksack onto her back, she closes her eyes and concentrates. Her armor forms; like sand being moved by a magical force, it seeps through her clothes and surrounds her from head to toe. Her long hair is automatically pushed by the nanites as the helmet around her head manifests. Her arms and body, down her legs to her feet, all encased in this material until she is completely armored.

Flaps move as she does a check on the control surfaces of her suit, with Sofia doing some minor stretching exercises to make sure everything is functioning right ]

Hang on, give me a sec.

[ She puts a finger out and her voice is now coming out of speakers in her helmet. She twists her back, making it crack to her relief. ]

Ahhh... That's better. Now I'm ready.

OOC / Wildcard:

[ Any of these not working out? Lemme know if you want a different starter and feel free to make your own starter too! A heads up, since Sofia's a kind of powerful person. She still falls within the game's limits and generally wouldn't be interested in trying. She can fly and is generally tough to take down, but with the amount of magic in this world she's not going to be as tough as she is in her own world, since she's kind of vulnerable to magic. ]

Edited 2022-03-23 04:26 (UTC)

[Otto is from the end of No Way Home, so some spoilers may be unavoidable, but lmk how much you're comfortable with and we can work it out!]

Arrival

Otto thought he was being transported by the wizard's spell back to his lab in his own world. Instead, he found himself drowning, sinking into the water, the tentacles suddenly heavy and useless, unresponsive to his mental commands. It's a terrifying experience. Of all the ways he might have ever thought he might die, drowning is...not one he would have preferred.

But then he's dragged upwards by strong hands, pulled out of the water. At first he's grateful for the help, but as his eyes adjust, it's clear he's not been pulled out of the Hudson.

"W-Where am I? Where is this? Where's my lab?!"

Clothing is provided to account for what he lost in the transition, but the four prostheses still fused to his body mean shirts are...going to take some adjusting. So it's in a somewhat undignified state, with only a pair of trousers that Otto steps out of the cave, blinking in the desert sunlight. The tentacles are unresponsive and seem to have defaulted to standby mode, pointed upwards, held aloft but unmoving.

"I appear to be taking the scenic route back home." He observes, reaching for his glasses, before remembering they're not there. "Excuse me." Someone else is nearby, but Otto's vision is a little spotty. "Pardon me, I can't quite...do you have a blanket or something I might be able to borrow? I'm a little exposed as you can see."

Cadens Base

Over the next few days, Otto comes to terms with being in yet another new reality, but unlike the one he'd just visited, this one has little to nothing in common with his own, and his stay here promises to be longer than just a few days. The tentacles are still stuck in standby mode, apparently having fallen under the umbrella of "powers" and as such are out of commission for at least a week, but at least some shirts were modified to let Otto wear them comfortably. Even if getting them on had been something of a trial.

You can find him in the barracks trying to sort out how he's going to sleep while the tentacles are still up. "Well, one of the benefits of grad school. I learned how to sleep sitting up." He muses to himself. After a long study session it was all he could do to stay awake, especially if Rosie wasn't studying with him to prod and tease Otto into wakefulness. "Guess I'm going to have to make do for a few days." And hope that when the tentacles kick back in, the other Peter's replacement chip still functions...

It also makes navigating the mess hall more difficult, given the extra bulk they add to him. It means he's bumping into a lot of people. "Pardon me. Apologies, I'd retract them if I could, but they don't seem to be agreeing with me right now. Did I cause you to spill anything?"

As for the training yard, Otto stays well away from that. He's no fighter, not without the tentacles at least, and the last thing he wants to do is engage in that kind of mayhem again. He really hopes the chip is still functioning...

Cadens City

Talk of research labs in the nearby city causes Otto to take one of the caravans out from the base to see for himself. The technology level here seems almost medieval in some ways, Industrial Revolution-level in others, and the confluence of people from multiple realities means he has no real idea what to expect from these labs other than he hopes there might be some way for him to check the status of his control chip. Someone is able to give him directions to a lab where some sort of science is done, and Otto hopes that might be enough. The tentacles are getting twitchy, responsiveness is starting to increase. Otto needs to know soon if he'll still be in control when they come back online completely.

"Good morning?" He pokes his head through the door. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Hopefully it's early enough in the day that he's not interrupting any serious work.

Later on his natural curiosity about this world leads him to explore one of Cadens libraries. Fortunately, regardless of whether or not he was able to confirm for himself, the chip appears to be functioning as it should, as evidenced by the ease with which Otto uses one of his tentacles to reach up and take a particular book from a higher shelf.

"A beginner's guide to the Arcana...this tarot stuff seems to be important here." He seems to be talking to the tentacles, or at least one of them, which is poised next to his head waiting. "Oh, don't give me that." He scoffs. "We've crossed realities—twice now—and we knew magic was a force that exists in at least some worlds thanks to that Strange fellow. It's worth keeping an open mind, all right?" The tentacle doesn't say anything, at least nothing anyone other than Otto can hear. Otto takes the book as it's being offered from the one tentacle, but half turns to look at the other one, the one he was apparently talking to before.

"You know, you fellows aren't so bad once everything's working in place." He muses.

Edited 2022-03-21 05:54 (UTC)

outpost;

[ Stepping onto the platform he was expecting to arrive in another time, another place.

Just not quite this one.

Takes him a little longer than he'd like to get his bearings. Gets short with the woman in uniform that hands him off to the next person. Digs his heels into the proverbial and literal ground, not asking for a fight but ready for one if it comes to it.

But he's willing to listen, and talk, at least for now.

The world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help.

Last night was when he decided on what he was going to do after he stepped on that platform. He's got somewhere else he's supposed to be.

Apparently his stomach emptied at some point in between dimensions. He walks around the outpost watching folks, drawing up and stowing away a mental map along the way, until he makes it to the mess hall. Gets himself a tray—

—only to turn and just barely avoid crashing (or not) into another solid body. ]

Whoa, hey— [ Eyes wide as he catches his footing, automatically reaching over to grab the other person in case they're about to fall. ]

wagon to cadens;

[ Takes the wagon the first chance he gets, doesn't feel like he's got a week to wait for his strength to be back and he doesn't entirely trust what they're telling him either way.

He blends into the crowd as best he can hope to in the clothes offered at the barracks. Knows better than to gawk, to walk with his eyes fixed up at the tops of buildings like a tourist. Weaves in and out of pedestrian congestion with all the ease of a guy who grew up in a big city. Makes overtly intentional eye contact with a shorter, quick striding guy that slams into his shoulder with equal intention. Steve gives a wry shrug for his empty pockets along with a hard stare before the white-faced pickpocket disappearing back into the sea of people.

The money pouch he recovered gets left with the nearest authority he can find.

He tries for the Hall of Natural Relics, but he doesn't have any coin for admission. There's a tavern he finds that has what basically amounts to darts: he's up for a friendly game, but more than that he's keeping tabs on the locals' conversations, especially anything to do with current events.

It's a dance hall that he ends up loitering outside of, unintentionally, and his way back to where the wagon dropped him off some hours earlier. The sun's setting and the band's instruments from inside hums across his skin every time the doors open. You waiting in line or something? he gets asked, leaving him to duck his head and move out of their way, rubbing the back of his neck as he starts walking again. ]

wildcard;
[ He'll be exploring the outpost pretty thoroughly, or feel free to recognize him in the city from an earlier meeting at the outpost! ]

Edited 2022-03-21 07:02 (UTC)

[ If there’s one thing Raqio is sure of, it’s that they’ve found themselves in a most interesting situation.

To be honest, it’s quite a pain. For one thing, the place they’ve found themselves in is ancient - it looks like something out of some seriously old history books; long before space travel was even invented, certainly. And Raqio had been hoping to return to Gliese, not find themselves stuck in some no-name world that they’ve never heard of before in their life.

But… at the same time, it’s fascinating. All the talk of magic and summoning sounds ridiculous, and Raqio has yet to see anything that couldn’t be explained through the use of technology, but if this really is another world, one that considers itself to be a world of magic - maybe even another dimension… well, not many get the opportunity to experience something like that, do they? The people here seem to recognize how lucky they are to have Raqio among them, too, which is a pleasant surprise. Maybe they aren’t as stupid as they look.

After asking various questions to the people they’ve found in the castle, and finding themselves generally unsatisfied with the answers, Raqio’s taken to exploring on their own a little. And of course… the most interesting part of the castle is, of course, the place where no-one wants them to be – the dungeons.

So that’s where they find themselves now. But when they get there… well, it seems like they’re not alone.]

You.

[ That’s how Raqio addresses you, bluntly and without much regard at all. ]

You’re a newcomer too, aren’t you? What are you doing down in the dungeons like this? Surely there are more interesting places to explore?

WILDCARD / FREE CITIES / SOLVUNN

[ Feel free to throw anything at Raqio here! I'm happy to explore other arrival scenarios as well. ]

[ ooc: satoko is taken from two years post-matsuribayashi here, so she's just turned 14! ]

ARRIVAL | SOLVUNN

[ Satoko is sure that she must be dreaming.

It’s a rather elaborate dream, to be sure, and an incredibly real-feeling one, but it’s the only thing that makes sense! It’s not like she could’ve found herself in another world in reality, right? Especially not one where magic is real.

But as time passes, and she doesn’t wake up, it becomes increasingly hard to believe that this is all just a dream. …And whether it’s real or not, she misses her friends more than anything. Being all alone in a strange world with no clue whether she’ll ever see them again… well, it’s frightening, and Satoko feels her stomach drop whenever she considers the possibility that she might not ever see them again at all.

But if it’s possible for her to get here, that must mean it’s possible to get back, right? It’s regrettable, but… Satoko can’t just ignore abandon this world if it’s really in danger, if it needs her. Maybe if she asks around, she can find someone who knows how to contact her world, maybe to send her friends a message so they know she’s okay…

Satoko laughs to herself at the thought, realizing again just how absurd this situation is. Really, it feels like her head is about to explode!

Eventually, she sets off towards the marketplace. She doesn’t really have much of a purpose in going there, but she has to go somewhere, doesn’t she? And she feels uncomfortable, being stranded in a place with practically no possessions. Maybe she can talk to the locals too, while she’s there?

Once she finds herself there, Satoko stands there, unsure of where to go, surrounded by stalls and people. ]

I wonder if I can find anything useful… perhaps I’ll find something I can use in a trap!

[ And for the first time since arriving, Satoko finds herself smiling, a glint of mischief in her eye. ]

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to throw anything at Satoko here! I'm at Rivenix over on Plurk if you want to plot. She can be found pretty much anywhere in Solvunn at various times of the day, and I'm happy to explore other arrival scenarios as well! ]

solvunn marketplace.
[ Well, this is dreadfully inconvenient.

It's been some time since she'd been in such a helpless predicament, most of all because she can't see anything in front of her. Without the aid of aether as her guide and her magic not working, it's all she can do to understand her new surroundings. Still, Y'shtola doesn't ask for a guide after the first few days, determined to make the best of her situation as best she can. The staff in her hand is hardly intimidating as the one she'd carried before but it does entirely belie her difficulty, either. Her ears are still sharp, after all, and with handful of days of wandering under her belt, she has a decent idea of where she's going and what's close by.

A merchant is calling out the prices for thread and cloth; a baker is selling his goods. Y'shtola lingers closer to the places that sound or smell familiar to her, better waymarks than anything else. She recognizes the trill of a child's laugh, a young girl who'd been all too curious about her ears.

Today, though, she's by a stall run by a mother who's passing out herbs and spices, and with good reason. If she's to be without her magic, surely she can contribute in some other fashion. They're deep in the conversation at this point, her fingers skimming the feel of the greens laid out in front of her. Her brow is furrowed in concentration. ]

This one, what do you make with it? And where would one find more? [ It's medicinal, as are others, and she's eager to start to stretch her legs further than the base settlement if possible. Finding her way outside will be another hurdle, she knows, but there must be more to know here.

The woman is already explaining how maybe it wouldn't be wise to have her strike out into the fields alone. ] And if I could find a volunteer? Surely that would resolve the matter.

[ Her gaze quite suddenly fixes on whomever is closest, whether someone who's eavesdropping or just another hapless customer. ]

What say you? Have you been outside the settlement yet?

free cities - cadens.
[ It takes several days before her eyesight returns and, predictably, that leads her to the Academy and to the library, which is no easy feat. How could it for a new arrival? But all she asks is to understand and learn, and so long as she is within eyesight of the librarian at all times, she can read what is on hand. And it's with a reverence (and relief) that she does, poring over whatever she can find about the way magic works in this world and what she can do with what's available to her.

Cards. It's something she missed in the summoning as she couldn't see them but it begins to make more sense the longer she reads. And the Free Cities often practices another art altogether. It's enough to pique her interest, at least, and gets her reading the next tome and the next...

She isn't difficult to spot, surrounded by books at the end of the day, with her own notes beside her. Her gaze doesn't lift her page even when others approach. ]

You're welcome to borrow what's here, if necessary, but I only ask that you leave any bookmarks within when you bring it back to me.

[ As though she owns it. ]

wildcard - thorne prompts, arrival prompts, etc.
[ Open to other scenarios! Just hmu, I'm flexible. ]

( info is here, please be wary of spoilers if those concern you! the pitch: witchy cat, specializes in heals and destructive magical things, and who's actually blind without her powers. undecided on canon point but likely post-EW unless I change my mind. please pm if you have any questions or concerns! )

[ canonpoint i'm currently playing with is 1 year after the destruction of the Supremacy ]

1. "settling in" is a strong term.

Rey may have tried to bite the mage that pulled her from the water. Everything happened fast, there was a lot of kicking and yelling, so teeth may or may not have made contact with skin. Blood was not drawn, however.

She'd probably have done more damage if she hadn't already been exhausted and the Force beyond her tenuous grasp.

Once she was convinced she wasn't fighting for her life against First Order bounty hunters she calmed down enough to be clothed and given details on her reason for waking up in a wholly unfamiliar world. She went with the mages to her quarters, asking questions as they went, now cooperative, at least for the most part.

She doesn't stay in her room long, though. Long enough to look through the things provided to her and then set out into the castle. She doesn't know exactly what she's looking for, but she'll know it when she sees it.

2. Food

The buffet is something that draws her attention quickly, her nose leading her to more food than she's ever seen in her entire life. It takes her asking three different people before she's convinced that she's allowed to take what she wants. That in itself is enough for her to decide that this place is probably not as horrible as her random abduction made it seem.

She tries to load her plate with a little of everything, but discovers there is far more than her plate is going to hold.

"This much food doesn't seem possible," she mutters to herself as she tries to balance a cookie on top of everything already on her plate.

3. out on the town

When Rey goes to explore the town she feels more at ease since arriving in Thorne. The actual people make her feel better about the situation than a large castle full of food had. She goes from store to store, happily chatting with anyone who has the time to speak with her at length, admiring all different manner of wares and sampling a few treats people thrust upon her.

She finds herself missing her friends as she walks, hardly for the first time but this place was something vibrant and alive and exactly what they'd been fighting for back home. Maybe this is what they wanted her to fight for here, too.

Eventually she finds somewhere to sit and she closes her eyes, trying to quiet her mind, reaching out for the Force, trying to use the life surrounding her to focus her efforts. They'd said it would take time for abilities to return, but The Force was in everything, it couldn't be gone.

After several minutes of sitting though she opens her eyes and curses under her breath. Maybe it could be gone.

Edited 2022-03-21 22:58 (UTC)

arrival.
[ It feels a great deal like an indignity to be pulled from a pool and to be unceremoniously dumped in front of several people, to initially not be given any kind of acknowledgement. It's enough to make her bristle, though her fury is tamped down at the earnestness of her host and the accommodations, and Shaye does her best to play the part of wide-eyed and bewildered (not difficult) damsel (insulting) for the duration of their explanation and short tour, complete with new clothes and a strange card symbol embroidered upon the fabric.

There are so many questions she has, none of which are really answered. They are happy to see her; shouldn't that be enough?

No. No, not at all. Who would be happy to see a murderer? Who would ever wish to summon her to anywhere but the inside of a cell? But no such inquiries can be made, to both her relief and her trepidation, and when she is alone in her room, it's all she can do not to start clawing through the belongings of everyone else to try and find something, anything to be used as a weapon. Shaye only just barely restrains herself, if only because the situation is dire enough indeed. If the people here are aware of who she is, what she is capable of, then would stealing from others really be a good idea?

She makes her way to the dining hall, a hesitant gait to her step that is only partially feigned. Let people miscount her as someone weak and uncertain. It'll at least earn her less discerning eyes and more opportunity to watch than to be scrutinized.

At one of the tables, she satisfies herself with tea and pushing around some soup, though it smells too much like home for her to stave off her desire to try it for long. Instead, she does her best to pitch her voice slightly higher in cadence and wary towards someone across from her. ]

Are you new here as well? I-- I apologize. I've only just arrived and I have so many questions.

[ It's not a lie, after all, even if it's coated in sheep's clothing. ]

town.
[ The bustling streets just outside of the castle hold more promise when it comes to information on where she is than on much else. And while it's impossible for her to let her guard down for long - it's just not something she's capable of doing these days - there is such an air of gladness here that it's nigh on impossible to ignore it. There is an energy to the people here, to the merchants peddling wares and offering samples, and it's enough to feel...hopeful.

Is that what she's feeling, rattling around in her ribcage? Or just desperation?

She can be found looking for supplies, specifically a dagger or a knife (or even a bow), and if asked, the answer will always be the same: ] Surely you cannot expect someone to feel safe if they have no protection for themselves? Is there not a conflict at present?

[ ...But when she isn't looking for weaponry, she's looking for herbs and medicinals. And, well. Who can say no to sampling some of the food here? It's with her mouth half-full that she's trying to glean information from someone, and is only being half-successful at that. It might be the food in her mouth, honestly. ]

Something for sleep. I've a terrible time resting in a new place. [ More lies. ] Is it potent? I'd like to be in good shape for...for whatever's needed her. [ Not...exactly a lie but close enough. ]

wildcard.
[ Open to other interactions in Thorne or in the barracks, or if you want to catch her in a shared room be my guest! ]

[ ooc: some preliminary info here about the character. tl;dr - assassin who knows blood and bone magic, knows some glamour magic using said bone magic. it's gross and I'm sorry. please PM me with questions or concerns! information is being tweaked/updated. ]

i. the barracks

Strange as it might seem, the militaristic, brusque nature of the outpost speaks to the soldier in her, and she finds it easy to fall into step with the one leading her towards the barracks. He goes on and on about the outpost, the nearby city, and she takes in perhaps every third word as they walk. That gives her time to look into herself, to search for that raw, blazing power she only just discovered a few days ago.

She can't find it. All she finds is a bone-deep weariness she hasn't felt since she first started training as a child. It's disturbing, and unwelcome.

Diana snaps out of her own thoughts when she's left alone in the barracks, told to choose a bed. She gives herself a little shake, pushing her still-damp and curling hair back from her face as she strides towards one of the bunks and its accompanying trunk. It appears unoccupied, so she sits on the mattress, taking a deep breath in before exhaling slowly. By this time, she's noticed she is no longer alone, and looks over to her companion, cocking her head to one side.

"This isn't some strange dream, is it." Not so much a question as speaking the truth of her circumstances into reality.

After a few hours of mentally mapping the outpost followed by training, she feels tired, a feeling that has become so strange to her over the past few months that at first, she doesn't know how to make it go away. But eventually, the unmistakable scent of minerals catches her attention, and Diana wanders towards the humidity of the baths. Though not exactly like the caverns in Themyscira, she instinctively knows that they will ease her fatigue. She gives a half smile, and without a second thought sheds the uniform she's been given to wear before climbing into one of the tubs, not bothering to pull the curtain around. Communal bathing is nothing new to her. After a short while, she takes in a deep breath and dunks her head under the water, sending waves splashing over the sides of the tub and all over her clothing. Once she comes up for air, she half-stands so she can reach over the lip of the tub and grab a chunk of nearby soap. She starts lathering up her hair, glancing down at her soaked clothes before turning her attention to the nearest person.

"Do you know if there are other clothes we can wear?" Holding a casual conversation while bathing doesn't faze her at all, and she doesn't seem to realize that others might not be so forthcoming.

ii. training grounds

When she sets foot into the training grounds, Diana smiles for the first time since waking up cold and drenched by that strange pool with its strange symbols.

There are many weapons, all wood, out on display, but she isn't disappointed. Even Amazons would train with mock weapons, if the situation called for it. Besides, in the hands of someone skilled, these were no less deadly than something forged of metal with a razor edge. Not that she plans on killing anyone--far from it. She picks up a sword a little longer than her arm from pommel to tip, close enough to her own weapon of choice. For a split second, she mourns the loss of God-Killer, but finds her focus soon enough. There was nothing left of that blade to reforge, so there's no point in brooding over it.

She moves through a few basic exercises, mostly parries and footwork, before branching out into wide, arcing swings and rolling dodges. Eventually she does tire (such a strange feeling), and takes a break to get some water at a nearby post.

Despite the ache in her muscles, working through these familiar movements leaves her brimming with energy. If she spies someone nearby, whether or not they look like they want a fight, she offers them a smile and gestures with her wooden blade towards the ring.

"Would you like to spar?"

iii. cadens

The first chance she gets, Diana hops on a wagon for the city of Cadens. She's heard so many people talk about it that she gives in to her curiosity to see what this city of men might be like--and she is far from disappointed. It reminds her of London, but everything seems brighter, louder, more energized. She stares, wide-eyed, at the museums lining the street, and immediately heads towards the closest one. A man--a professor, he calls himself--is talking about the skeleton of some creature that lived in the desert, and she listens, enraptured by his words, a stark contrast to the other dozing patrons around her.

Later, she'll end up on a street filled with food carts, and won't be able to help herself; she'll order a little bit of just about everything, and somehow manage to get it to one of the little tables outside a café. She'll take her time trying and savoring every bite, and if she seems even a semi-familiar face from the barracks, she'll wave them over. "Come, try this! It's delicious!"

iv. wildcard

[ooc; hit me up with anything! diana is from post-wonder woman (2017), so she just left london in the year 1918. feel free to pm me or ping me on plurk at

watchet if there's anything specific you'd like to do. i don't have a preference for prose or brackets, and will match styles.]

Edited 2022-03-22 02:00 (UTC)

i. splish splash.

[ The people of the Free Cities don't have the best relationship with magic, but it carries different baggage than the label Grisha, and apparently the ability to summon light is not regarded as anything particularly saintly or miraculous. Aside from her antlers, often hidden by a thick scarf around her neck (even in the warmer climate), she isn't particularly noteworthy. It's odd to have the thing that made her stand out be reduced to the mundane, but coin is useful, and Alina has managed to make use of her talents in creative ways.

Like making sure the soldiers have comfortable baths.

She didn't think anyone would be in there, her feet stumbling as she debates backing out, but she was in the army and there was no room for maidenly blushing then. She'd rather finish her tasks quickly than accommodate anyone's apparent discomfort with the communal setting. ]

Don't mind me, I'm just here to warm the water. I promise not to boil you.

[ She touches her hands together and then pulls them apart like creating a thread of light that she spins into sheets that fall into the water, steam billowing off in return. ]

ii. fievel goes west.

[ Sunset is still a few hours off, but it's still too close for Alina to risk staying in the barracks any longer to try and figure out what's happened and why she's back. ]

Hold up!

[ Alina, with her loose scarf pulled up around her head to protect her from the sand on the journey, jogs to try and catch the wagon. ]

I don't want to get stuck here for the night.

iii. all about town.

[ Look, if Alina is gonna get stuck back in Cadens she can at least enjoy everything it has to offer this time.

She can be found sketching in various places around town: on the outskirts of the market to capture the bustle, letting a cup of tea cool while drawing from a table outside a cafe, or perched on a bench in one of the museums and academies for whatever oddity is on display. She might be so focused not to notice you, or maybe as she holds her tablet out, she knocks all of her charcoal onto the ground. She groans in annoyance. ]

iv. a home visit (closed to previous cr).

[ Alina has managed to do some... pretty stupid things in her life, but no one claims she's a saint (except for the many people who do call her a saint). This is not her fault, though. She had taken the long and arduous journey to Thorne to find only ghosts, and then... nothing.

Were it not for being out of the well (again) she would not know anything was amiss (again). She hitches a ride back to the city, her behind aching from the rocky journey. Trudging to a familiar house, her stomach is in knots as she summons the courage to knock.

She can't hid the relief at a familiar face. ]

I can explain.

[ No she can't. But it seemed like the right thing to say. ]

v. wildcard

[ Hit me with something else around Cadens! I'm on plurk

hellbender ]

a. Settling in

Nier was not a fan of the drowning sensation he had dealt with when he arrived, or the fact that he was completely naked. But he technically wasn’t even supposed to exist anymore. No one back home would remember him anyway, so he had no one to miss him. He had been grateful for the clothes when they had given them to him. He’d never worn silks before. They were expensive and not very durable for what he needed.

He listened to the apprentice babble as he was led to the living quarters. He looked around, taking in the set up and the beds. He wandered over to one of them, pressing down on the mattress. It was so soft. That wasn’t something he was very used to, and he liked the curtains. It made him wish he had thought about that to make his sister feel like a princess while he was still with her.

“Is this what being dead is like?” He mused quietly to himself, though he felt like he was far too alive to be dead, but he had no other explanation. Even with the information he had received upon arrival. He glanced around at the other people in the room and started to make his way over to someone who didn’t appear to be busy at that moment.

“Hello.” He said giving a warm smile.

b. Dining Hall

He entered into the dining hall, stopping in surprise as he took in how much food was on offer. He had never seen so much food in his life. His blue eyes were wide as he tried to process what kind of place, he was in that had the ability to offer such a vulgar amount of food. If he had even an eighth of this back home, he could have made sure his sister was better fed than he was capable of.

He slowly started into the dining hall. He really didn’t have a favorite food, but he did chuckle a little when he saw the apples. They made him both happy and incredibly sad as he thought about the couple he had gotten to know and what had happened to them. He hesitantly took a plate and helped himself to the bare minimum amount of food. He was sure that it would come with a cost, he just didn’t know what that was or if he was able or willing to pay it. So, he wasn’t about to take more than he absolutely had to, though the temptation was there.

He made his way to one of the tables, looking at one of the people that was sitting there and motioning at the empty seat. “Pardon me, is this seat taken?” He asked.

c. The Town

Nier was feeling the castle a little stifling, so he had to get out of there. He was used to being out, doing things. Not confined between the walls of a building, especially not one the size of the castle. He was finding himself overwhelmed with the amount of people offering him free things and not asking anything in return. He kept turning them down as gracefully as he could. What were these people thinking? What was their angle? He wasn’t entirely certain what it was they were after, but he did find that he was curious.

He finally gave in to some of the little items after turning down so many, and went to find himself somewhere to sit to take it all in. He watched the people wandering around and wasn’t looking forward to seeing night. He had no weapons and had no idea how he’d be able to fight off Shades. He looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath then saw someone else taking a breather and decided he should see what he could learn. “Do you understand why they keep offering all these free items?” He asked.

i. Castle Thorne—dining hall

[There is a disgruntled-looking blond standing at the buffet table. The right, long sleeve of his tunic dangles, visibly empty from just above the elbow down. If you’re the observant type, you might conclude that the missing limb is recent; he makes more than one aborted movement with that arm, as if he’s forgotten his handicap. Eventually, he begins to awkwardly dump an assortment of food in a bowl—making an absolute mess in his efforts. Noodles, everywhere. When he reaches the end of the buffet, he picks up a fork with a thoughtful noise. The utensil is treated to an intense stare of concentration. His determined, earnest focus may lead you to believe that something miraculous is about to happen. Maybe the fork will erupt into flame. Alas, after a solid ten seconds of glaring, the fork remains simply that: an ordinary fork. Mumbling under his breath, he shoves the utensil into a pocket, picks up his overflowing bowl, and heads for an empty table to sit at.

A new staring contest begins. This time, he gazes down at the bowl doubtfully, as if uncertain how to go about consuming his meal. A not-so-surreptitious glance in someone else’s direction seems to remind him that he should try using the fork to eat. Pulling out the utensil, he fists it clumsily like a child in his non-dominant hand and stabs at the noodles in his bowl. Somehow, he doesn’t spear any. Frowning, he tries again. Once more, the stationary noodles masterfully elude the fork prongs. With rising frustration, he abandons the fork, picks up the bowl, and begins noisily drinking the broth. Catching your eye over the bowl’s rim, he blinks.]

What? [Then, a touch defensively:] I’m used to hashi, alright?

ii. Castle Thorne—dungeons

[Maybe you witness the embarrassing escapade from the very start: Naruto, hollering like an animal with its paw caught in a trap, being strongarmed down the corridor by exasperated royal guards. Despite the fact that he’s missing his right arm—or perhaps because of it, wily thing that he is—it does require two guards to physically escort him. They drag him kicking and screaming away from the central chamber where the King and Queen hold court, ignoring his increasingly disruptive demands to let him directly speak with the old geezers (listen, he didn’t even get a chance to see them; he’s just making broad assumptions at this point). Not even twenty minutes of attempted pacification later, the blond can be found trying to pick the lock of his new dungeon cell with…a fork. Yes, from the dining hall. No, it’s not going well.

He brightens upon seeing your approach.]

Hey, hey. Wanna help me out? [He tries to clap his hands together in front of him in beseechment, yet again forgetting that he’s down a limb.] Pleeeeeeeeease. I’m telling ya, it was all just a big misunderstanding!

iii. Castle Thorne—library

[At some point after the dungeons debacle—whether he was freed by a sympathetic outworlder or his timeout naturally concluded—Naruto can be found wandering the library aimlessly. He pulls out tomes at random, leafing through them with an expression that can only be deemed miserable, before ultimately shoving the books away in disgust. You may ask yourself: What’s the problem? Most of the text should be translated; the blond shouldn’t have any issues reading the words. But, listen. Reading. That’s the problem. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Eventually, he quits trying to learn anything through scriptural research. Instead, he starts approaching the various library visitors.]

Pssst, granny! [he stage whispers to an elderly mage, who appears less than pleased to have been disturbed.] Can ya answer a few questions?

[This does not go well for Naruto. Granted, he’s likely at fault for starting the conversation by calling a middle-aged woman “granny.” Either way, he soon moves on—sidling up to you next.]

You’ve got one of those…things! [He’s pointing at your chest. Oh wait. No, no, not your chest. The sign woven into your clothes.] You’re like me, right? So, what’s it mean?

iv. Wildcard!

(ooc | Want to plot something out? Feel free to PM me to discuss details!)

ARRIVAL ◇ THE FREE CITIES

[The last thing he can remember is the searing white light of the portal Dean had opened in purgatory, his wrist in hand with a firm grip despite what he was about to do.

It filters away after that, into darkness, complemented by the familiar roar of a monster and then nothing. It's in that churning nothingness that he's pulled from the water into the light. His attention is divided, he doesn't listen to everything Marlo says. It all filters in after a while, but Castiel is too distracted by his condition and the weakened state of his grace to do much more than absently follow her to the barracks.

Once there, he sits on a bed, unaware of whether or not it's been taken, and tries to catalog what he could remember from home and how those things contrasted with his present environment. He's filthy, gazing far-off towards the light that can be seen from the doorway.]

COMMUNAL BATH ◇ THE FREE CITIES

[This world was in delicate and dangerous times. It seemed all worlds had no shortage of times like that. Given the amount of muck and mud on him, mixed well with the blood of creatures he'd slaughtered his weakened state required him to attend the bathhouse, but with no change of clothes to speak of he kept the remains of his overcoat and the clothes he wore under it to change back into alongside a towel.

Castiel wasn't a creature of modesty, and so he left his own curtain ajar enough to get a sense of the people around him, listen to conversations, and ready body language. The hot water soothes his skin, and it would take to scrape the remains of Purgatory off and into the water.

scenario a: the dark sloshing muddy liquid from his bath is spattered onto the walkway in the direct path of someone unfortunate enough to be crossing by. it's a thick black ruddy concoction with pieces of ash and old blood. how could anyone be so disgusting?

scenario b: after exhausting the bathhouse of its resources Castiel will be sat outside his own curtain with a bucket of clean hot water and a straight razor to take care of the beard on his face. slow, careful sweeps, that he's careful to collect and return to the pail beside him. His waist is draped with a towel, and his clothes despite their state are folded neatly beside him.

scenario c: after finishing the laborious task of cleaning his body of Purgatory and its influence, and shaving his face Castiel leaves his own personal unit to find a change of clothes bearing the mark of his arcana. they're simple, understated compared to what he normally wears and he'll ask the first passerby what the insignia means and if they put them there.

scenario ∞ : put together your own bathhouse scenario or any variation of the three above! no shipping, but welcome to uncomfortable scenarios and awkwardness.]

WILDCARD ◇ THE FREE CITIES

[open to varying prompts at the mess hall, training grounds, or by the wagon find me on plurk at doggos if you'd like to reach out and discuss and your hot-take on any of the list above prompts is a-okay with me.]

[I had her on the last TDM with a different canon point and straight from the campaign stream. Decided to try her again. Only a slightly different canon point and a slightly different version.]

[CADENS DESERT OUTPOST 003: ARRIVAL]

For a moment, suspended in the abyss, Cassandra wonders if she's dead. The last thing she remembers is… Percy, his friends, leaving through the Sun Tree. (Was that all a dream? Did she die in the fight with her brother?) It's only a moment, though. If she was dead she wouldn't need to breathe. There is a pinprick of light, growing closer… and she thinks she can see something beyond it.

She breaks the surface of the water with a gasp. There are hands on her and she struggles in their grasp, panicking. Or tries to; she’s weak, drained. And she’s not sure she could WALK, let alone fight. (It reminds her all too well of that fateful night, body drained from the torture, as she and her brother fled into the night, until the arrows sank into her shoulder, into her back.) But she's naked and people are touching her. Strangers. (~~They might see her scars, see them and ask questions~~)

Despite her weak struggles she is pulled from the water and set on a warm hard floor, surrounded by strangers, and it’s then that she realises that she’s not anywhere she knows. Certainly not Whitestone. So she’s here… wherever here. Is.

She’s somewhere strange surrounded by strangers and she’s naked, and she is CONFUSED. She can't be here. She might have no faith in her ability to lead Whitestone but she's all they have. Percy has left, gone with Vox Machina. Her people need her.

The blanket is appreciated, though, and she curls up under it, pulling it tight around herself. Listening as she’s told… that she’s somewhere called the Free Cities. Or one of their outposts, anyway. Cadens. That she’s important, that they need her help. (It reminds her too much of the Briarwoods and their talk of the Whispered One, and her importance. It makes her wary. ~~She's not important. She's no one.~~

It's… something, though, to be so away from Whitestone. She hasn't left the bloodstained halls of the castle and the haunted streets of her city in… far too long. She can't help but find it fascinating. And she wants to know everything.

As soon as she can, though, she finds herself a scarf, twining it around her neck to hide the bite scars on her neck. She'll need clothes with higher collars if she wants to feel at all comfortable. (Otherwise she will be owning a great many scarves.)

[CADENS DESERT OUTPOST 003: TRAINING GROUNDS]
All right. This…. This she can do. It gives her something to do with her time. With her hands. Keeps her busy. Keeps her from sleeping. Keeps her away from the room she shares. (She hopes that finding other living arrangements will be possible. She needs to find somewhere to sleep that won’t reveal more about herself than she wishes. Nightmares are hard to hide. Especially ones that end in screams.

She grabs a matched set of training short swords, and settles in, fast and nimble as she beats the crap out of a training dummy. It reminds her too much of before, that final battle with Percy, where she had been determined to hurt him, even as she wanted to do anything BUT hurt her brother. (She hasn't been herself in… too long. It feels strange. Uncomfortable. Like she doesn't quite fit.)

Leaving the training dummies behind, she shifts instead to the obstacle courses. Pushing herself and putting every bit of her roguish training to use, graceful and lightning quick.

[CADENS DESERT OUTPOST 003: THE CITY PROPER]
The wagon ride to the city of Cadens is too long for Cassandra’s preference. Less for the actual length, and more because it leaves her alone with her thoughts for too long. She’s trying to not… get lost in her own head. The anticipation of exploring the city helps a little. She's never had a chance to explore, to adventure. Is it wrong of her that she sort of likes getting the chance?

(That she likes being free of Whitestone Castle and it's bloody memories. They still haunt her but she's not surrounded by the constant reminders anymore.)

Once she’s in the city of Cadens proper, she sets about exploring. Mapping the place out in her head, and when she finally gets a hold of parchment or a journal and pencil or pen mapping it out physically, too. (She’ll be making a better, more permanent map, too. Later.)

They ask her to be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun setting, and she hears that, she truly does, and means to try to do so… but she also is just enjoying the city. Enjoying being free.

[CADENS DESERT OUTPOST 003: WILDCARD]

[Choose your own adventure! Or hit me up and we can figure something out.]

Edited 2022-03-24 05:23 (UTC)

[All right! Trying this again.]

THORNE.
arrival.
One minute Zoey is asleep in a hotel bed and the next she is waking up suspended in the abyss, surrounded by darkness that stretches on for what seems like forever. It’s not a dream; she knows what her dreams feel like, knows what portents and visions feel like and this isn’t it. She’s fucking awake. And somewhere else. There’s a pinprick of light above her, slowly getting closer, and she realises that she’s gazing up from the darkness she’s suspended in through water

What the fuck?

Her search for her dad is going to have to wait. A hand plunges into the water and she takes it (she’s not stupid), letting whoever it is yank her out before she drowns. There’s… nothing, no flicker of images or knowledge and it solidifies what she’s been feeling. Her powers are gone, or near enough; so weak she can scarcely sense anything. If she focuses she can still feel them. Gods let them return.

Breathless and tense (ready to run), she takes in her surroundings. And the fact that she’s naked and sprawled on the ground surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Not fucking ideal but okay. She’s glad when they finally hand over some clothes. That fit her perfectly and that isn’t weird at all. (No, it’s absolutely fucking weird.) There’s something by the fountain; a card, with a symbol on it.

I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right, the leader says; Ambrose, he said his name is Ambrose. Get WHAT right, is what she wants to know. But she’ll follow him for now. It’s not like she knows anything at all about this fucking place. Learning that her powers will return is a relief. Not that she plans on telling anyone of said powers. No, she’s pretty sure letting it be known that she’s a fucking seer would be the worst possible idea. Not that she’s ever done anything but keep that close to her chest.

She makes note of all the information being rattled off, filing away names and information about the kingdom for later. Talking about how tales of her exploits have ‘reached far and wide across the universes’ is CONCERNING but she laughs it off with a “Pretty sure I haven’t done anything of note that it would spread across whole other universes,” spoken in a voice laced with an English accent. England by way of a few other places.

Look, she’s perfectly normal and human and powerless in every way. Honest.

rooming.
It’s been a long time since Zoey’s had roomies, but it looks like she doesn’t have much of a choice, here. She’s not super fucking keen on it, either, given how often her visions tend to come in dreams. With lots of shouting and screaming and in general just a whole lot of noise. She’s trying to keep the whole seer thing to herself, and the tears of blood are kind of hard to explain away as nightmares. Doesn’t mean she won’t attempt it, but she knows the likelihood of anyone actually BELIEVING her to be probably fairly minimal.

She claims an available bed at random, picking one in the corner. The curtains are… something. A modicum of privacy. Or the façade of such, anyway. She might hang around long enough to meet whoever it is she’s rooming with before heading off to meet others. Maybe see what those who have been here longer than she has might have learned.

It’s how she learns about the symbol embroidered on her clothes, the very same symbol that had been on the card by the fountain. The Hanged Man, they tell her. The sign of outsiders and outcasts, which is fucking hilarious. But sort of suiting all the same.

exploration: Thorne.
Zoey heads into town as soon as she is able. To learn the lay of the land of this place she’s found herself in. Meet the locals; the ones that DON’T live in the castle. Listen to talk and gossip and see if she learns anything interesting. See if she sees anything interesting. There’s a feeling of… something that she can’t quite put her finger on. A slowly building sense of… danger? She thinks. It’s vague enough that she’s not sure. But she’s certainly on edge a little. Some of that is because she doesn’t expect all of… THIS, to come without strings.

They want something. She’s almost certain of it. The problem is that she doesn’t fucking know WHAT. Not yet. Which means she needs to explore, and learn, and visit the library.

Which she does, of course. Spends ages sitting in a corner with a pile of books, a journal and pencil at hand as she scribbles notes in her own particular brand of shorthand. Sketches drawings of things that might be important. Her wandering through the town ends with her carrying a handful of odds and ends, samples from the shops that she’d ventured into that the proprietors had INSISTED on giving her.

Thorne Wildcard.

[Choose your own adventure! Or hit me up for slightly more plotted shenanigans.]

CADENS DESERT OUTPOST 003.
arrival.
One minute Zoey is asleep in a hotel bed and the next she is waking up suspended in the abyss, surrounded by darkness that stretches on for what seems like forever. It’s not a dream; she knows what her dreams feel like, know what portents and visions feel like and this isn’t it. She’s fucking awake. And somewhere else. There’s a pinprick of light above her, slowly getting closer, and she realises that she’s gazing up from the darkness she’s suspended in through water

What the fuck?

Her search for her dad is going to have to wait. THIS time Zoey is pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands, and set on a warm, hard floor. Naked and surrounded by strangers. Fucking wonderful. Strangers in strange uniforms standing around the very pool she must have just been pulled from. There’s a card with a symbol on a pedestal on the other side of the pool.

There’s a moment of (wholly internal) panic as she realises that underneath how weak and drained she’s feeling, her powers feel infinitely distant. Impossible to access. She’s never felt like this before and it BOTHERS her. She hates it. She’s been a seer for as long as she can fucking remember. Since she was a teeny child, not even knowing what it meant. And now they’re all but gone. What have they done to me?

At least it’s warm. She’d hate to be naked and powerless and cold. (Blanket-burritoing as best she can in the blanket given to her doesn’t make her any less naked. It just makes her slightly more covered.)

She doesn’t trust them as far as she can fucking throw them, but she doesn’t know where she is or how she’s come to be there. So it’s best to listen and pretend until she learns more. SO she file away the woman’s name (Prime Minister Marlo Reiner), and follows where they lead. Free Cities outpost, hm? I wonder just how free they actually are.

‘The world is in a delicate and dangerous times’, they tell her, and she’s needed to help. She’s “important”, she’s told, and they're very grateful she’s here. Which only makes her more suspicious, to be honest. What game are they playing? What plans do they have for her, and anyone else who’s ended up here. So many questions.

The fact that it’s a military outpost doesn’t help matters much, either.

rooming.
Oh WONDERFUL. Roommates. Five of them. Or five possible. She’s not super fucking keen on it, either, given how often her visions tend to come in dreams. With lots of shouting and screaming and in general just a whole lot of noise. She’s trying to keep the whole seer thing to herself, and the tears of blood are kind of hard to explain away as nightmares. Doesn’t mean she won’t attempt it, but she knows the likelihood of anyone actually BELIEVING her to be probably fairly minimal.

She wonders how little time she can actually spend here. If she can find other living arrangements. Hell, if she’s so “IMPORTANT” maybe she can find herself a house, or a flat, or something.

For now, though, she claims a bed at random. And then sets out to explore.

exploration: Cadens.
The city of Cadens is a couple hours away from the outpost, she’s told, and Zoey immediately beelines for it when she’s able. Better to explore and see what she might overhear and learn in town. Perhaps they’ll be more… free with their information. Perhaps she can wheedle some information out of them. So she wanders and explores aimlessly, looking at different shops, wending her way through the townspeople. Listening. Learning.

There’s a curfew: for her own safety, she’s told. And maybe it’s even true. She does make half an effort to return in time, more because it’s better to play along at first than go immediately to rebellion and not heeding their words. (Subtle. Subtle is good.) But it’s entirely possible that she doesn’t manage it.

Oops?

training grounds.
Well, at least she has SOMEthing to do here. Besides wander aimlessly and sit in the mess hall. The fact that they have obstacle courses is fucking delightful, and she immediately settles in to run them. She’s lightning fast and graceful as fuck, putting all those years of gymnastics, aerial silks, and penchant for high places to very good use.

After she’s done with the obstacle courses (for the moment), she picks a matched set of swords (it takes her time to actually choose a set; she’s slightly picky), and starts running through some forms as gracefully as she ran the obstacle courses. She finishes up with some training dummy-based violence.

She misses her throwing daggers, though.

Cadens Wildcard.

[Choose your own adventure! Or hit me up for slightly more plotted shenanigans.]

[Not 100% sure where I’m sending her yet. So two different setting prompts as I try to figure that out! Zoey is also a seer, and there is an in-depth write-up of said powers here in her journal.]

Edited 2022-03-24 05:36 (UTC)

Threaded | Flat

Page 1 of 2

Questions

Jayce Talis | Arcane | The Magician | Free Cities Arrival

Kainé | NieR: Replicant 1.22... | The Hanged Man | Thorne

Matt Murdock — Netflix Marvel — Strength — Free Cities

Senju Kawaragi | Tokyo Revengers | The Emperor | Thorne.

Kell Maresh | Shades of Magic | The Magician | Thorne

Arrival: Thorne

The Wandering: the North Wing, the Dining Hall, the City