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abraxasooc2022-07-20 10:26 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2022-07-20 10:26 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #8
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the eighth 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.
◎ Rumor has it that two emissaries - a werewolf and a vampire - visited from Nocwich in early July. With them came some wares distributed to shops throughout each faction. A few sparse items may remain for purchase, such as glowing flowers or fine ales, but much of it has now been sold.
◎ New arrivals in THE FREE CITIES may hear a bit of chatter around Cadens about art, politics, and recent performances involving its sister city, Libertas. It's all standard fare - the kind of topics spoken about over a beer or in line at the market - but there's a small stir in the air.
◎ Lately, locals in SOLVUNN have begun to approach the Summoned with a sort of awe and respect. New arrivals will find themselves treated much the same way and may be asked for advice or given gifts that seem like offerings such as wine, harvest bounties, or some delicious goat cheese. Your character is free to turn these down and should they turn down enough people, they will not be bothered further as no one wishes to offend them.
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 long-horned creature with large wings on a thin chain over your neck. Ask around later, and you may find that it is a symbol of Vielehauffe, the God of the Herd.
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.
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.
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no he cannot be contained :D
Still, her stuttered apology gets a grin from him as he laughs again, shaking his head. ] Do I look angry? You're fine. This place can be easy to get lost in, trust me, I know.
[ Even if he deeply doubts that's why you stopped outside the door. ]
So you came for directions, is that it? [ Yes, that is definitely a note of smug teasing in his voice. ]
no subject
His face is... Well then. She's not religious, but the Lord must be testing her anyhow.
Look, it's a very good thing she is completely devoted to Byakuya-sama, or else she'd have totally lost it. Yes, she is in control! One hundred percent. Her heart will not be swayed. She won't fall for such an obvious ploy! What the hell is he playing at anyway, getting buddy buddy with her after such a colossal embarrassment? No amount of pearly white smiles or taut abs will deceive her. Even if he came closer. Even if he pulled her in, maybe dropped the towel—]
...Directions?
[Wait. Where was she?
Fukawa startles again. Her elbow knocks the door and it creaks a little wider.]
Yes! Yes, I was — I th-thought this was some other room, that's all! [That's it. She straightens some, though the impression she evokes is still more cornered animal than coy heroine.] I'll f-find my own way, thanks. You're not fit to show me anything like that.
[How brazen of him, to offer to guide her while undressed. And yet, how gentlemanly...
No stay focused!!]
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[ Yeah, sure, that's completely what she's finding issue with, he's certain.
Her manner reminds him of Bernadetta in some ways. But as she hasn't yet screamed, thrown something at him, or run away wailing and crying, he's going to take this as encouragement.
Which is why he starts moving towards her, his movements purposefully pronounced to give her warning but there's a sleek grace to his stride as well. The confidence of someone who knows what it's like to be admired and to take advantage of that for all it's worth. ]
If you're lost, it would be very ungentlemanly of me not to offer my assistance. [ He informs her of this quite cheerfully. ] What is it you were looking for, exactly?
no subject
What do you mean, wh-what's wrong with it?! It's not pants!
[He can't go out like that. He just can't. He must be making fun of her.
Surely that's only reason he'd come closer. Or keep offering a helping hand, blithely dismissing all indecency. He's practically sauntering over here. She scoots back, but only by an inch. If that. What a filthy boy. Absolutely vile.]
You're not serious. [Her grip on the door handle has cinched tight. To fling it open, or slam it shut? Who can say.] If you l-leave looking like that everyone will think you're some kind of...of rapacious skank!
no subject
But he blinks at her horrified outburst, and then just starts laughing. ] Rapacious skank?! Oh, there's a new one. I'm going to have to remember that one. No one's ever called me 'rapacious' before. [ And he's not exactly certain what a skank is, but the meaning had been pretty clearly implied all the same. Unless you're referring to some strange cousin to a stripey smelly rodent and then he's going to have to object. Did you forget about the bath again? He doesn't see how you could have. He is still standing here before you wet and mostly naked. ]
I can get pants, if that's what you're so scandalized over. But the barracks rooms are just down the hall anyway. And I'm technically wearing more right now with a towel than I was when they dragged me out of that pool of water earlier so if you've a complaint, you might want to lodge it with our... hosts? Summoners? Very confused captors?
Besides. Who bathes with pants on?
no subject
The laughter, while light and charming and so many other adjectives romance novelists quivered over, was a sign her suspicions were correct. He is definitely mocking her. She scowls suddenly, hunching and drawing back like a spooked animal. Not that her blush abates at all.] M-Maybe you've just never been around someone with a brain before...
[He was probably being hounded by big-breasted bimbos day and night. Or hounding them himself.
She opens her mouth to protest again, he parries before she spits a word out. And keeps going. Keeps slashing and hacking common sense away, leaving her dumbfounded in the wake.]
Yeah, b-but they — That was completely different! Shut up! [Great, now she's been stricken with a vision of him emerging from that same pool like some mythical deity. She gives a sharp cry and forfeits the door to scratch at her head, as if she could claw the sight from her mind.
Of course the door only swings wider, and she is (nearly) as exposed to him as he is to her. ]
Stop it stop it stop it! Q-quit twisting my words to m-match your perverted logic! If you want to prance around in the n-nude then fine! Be my guest! But I won't have anything to do with it! Don't drag me into your s-s-sordid affairs!
no subject
Unfortunately, he's surrounded by too many smart people who never let him hear the end of it, either, so it's not even like her words are the first of their like being tossed in his direction. Which is probably why he doesn't take it too much to heart. ]
Alright, I will. Although I would have even without your permission, but you giving it does make me feel much better about... 'prancing around in the nude'. Isn't everyone trying that today? [ He flashes her an easy grin as he catches the edge of the door before it can swing wildly, worried it might actually hit her with how she's panicking out there. But now of course he's practically looming over her, his frame broad and over six foot. ]
What if I dragged you into a different type of affair? [ He continues to tease her, before softening his humor into a chuckle. ] Or I can just show you where the barracks rooms are where we can both find some clothes. Would that make you feel better?
no subject
As a lifelong pariah, this is unequivocally the closest she's ever been to a...bare-skinned...wet...oh my.]
A....aff-ff-ff...what?
[A hundred scenarios run through her head at once. The first fifty are filthy, unprintable. The remaining half are devastating, and align more nearly with her prior dalliances with "romance". Emphasis on the quotation marks.]
...How stupid do you think I am? [The air has returned to her lungs, bringing fuel for the flames that follow. Her eyes flash, her mouth twists to cruel snarl.] You th-think this is the first time some guy invited me somewhere? What's the plan, huh? What's the p-punchline? Did you lose a bet and have to ask out the ugliest g-girl you meet? Or — [She stands straighter, knowing, as if she can see the wicked intent behind his impish smile.] You think j-just because I'm such a humongous hag I'll be grateful for the offer! That I'll do whatever you like? Is that it?
Well too bad! [She rips away, backing up several feet. Away from temptation. From certain humiliation.]
I won't f-fall for that crap ever again! You hear me? Besides, my heart, my body and soul, it all belongs to someone else! And he's ten times th-the man you'll ever be!
no subject
It's enough to have him dropping the act immediately, holding his hands up in a gesture of apology. He doesn't wince, but it's a near thing. Her words strike deep, even if it hadn't been personal here with her. But he'd played with others like that in the past. It's been a while since then, of course. His ways had changed a lot since his school days, even if he was still an incorrigible flirt. And had this been back home, he might not have given a second thought to playing with someone's ambitious attempts to get his attention. But he wasn't a stranger to being used either, if for entirely different reasons. And it's the sharp disparaging words she uses about herself that has him feeling a rare remorse of taking things too far. ]
Hey, easy. [ His voice is softer now, gentle. No sign of the flirty playboy in evidence as he lifts a hand to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck, embarrassed. ] There's no punchline here, I wasn't making fun of you. Not like that, anyway. You just looked so flustered to catch me that I couldn't really help myself from teasing a little. There's nothing here to fall for, I don't mean you any harm, I promise. Look, I'll go get some pants to put on, okay? Will that make you feel better?
no subject
The way this one backtracks is different. Oh, sure, people like Naegi were always taking the soft and sweet route to assuage her fears, but that never happened with the flirts. The derision came quick with those ones. Not so here. Fukawa is rooted to the spot, watching him with a knifish glare. Her breath comes in furiously slow heaves, biting back bitter retorts. Had this been even a year ago he wouldn't have gotten to finish one thought. She'd have cut the cheap apology to ribbons and run off sobbing. What is it about this time? This boy? Even outside the soothing switch up, why is she compelled to hear him out?
Shame. She realizes it in the breath he takes on finishing, the offer hanging thick between them. He's actually embarrassed by what he did. Her eyes flick between his, waiting for the act to drop.
It doesn't.
Fukawa takes a steadying gulp of air. She looks away. It doesn't quell that pathetic tear from leaking on the right. It had been loaded in the chamber before they holstered the guns, and now there's no reason to shoot. She wipes it away with haste.]
D-do whatever you want. It's none of my b-business. [Like how his bath was none of her business. She shrinks again, grimacing, turning her face even further away. It's her fault more than his, isn't it? God, what a mortifying comeuppance this was.] I'll just...l-leave you to it. You don't need some vile p-pest polluting your air.
no subject
But he reaches out and gently rests a hand against her shoulder, steering her out into the corridor and down the hallway instead. The room he'd been given shortly after arriving was just a few doors down, empty for the time being and full of six empty beds and their waiting lockers. ]
Why don't you let me figure out who I need in my space, hmm? [ His voice is still warm and surprisingly gentle as he guides her along at his side, should she let him get away with it. ] And my air's just fine, thanks. Who said you were a pest?
no subject
The question makes her roll her eyes.]
It w-would take hours to list them all... [She was never a welcome presence. Let's put it that way.] Th-there are easier ways to earn sainthood than to take pity on me. Or are you so bored that any old p-project will do?
no subject
Fingers splayed, his hand stays steady against her spine as they reach the barracks room he'd been shown to earlier. He guides her inside and closes the door softly behind them. ]
I'm not interested in any sainthood, trust me. I'd be so far from eligible for it that any attempt would be laughable anyway. We're just both strangers stuck in a very strange new place, it's just common sense we stick together, right?
no subject
It's not that she takes heart in his platitudes. Although he does seem...not blithe, not quite, but he's not pushing the comfort and cooing as much as other people have. It's a bit matter of fact, even. The sentiments sound more sincere that way.
Though it helps that the mouth they fall from is perfectly plush. Wryly quirked, like some dashing fairy tale rogue. Fukawa snags a lock of her unruly hair and tugs on it sharply. She won't turn her back and she won't leave arm's reach of the door, she's not that stupid. But she'll hear this smooth talker out.]
Ha! Y-you would think so. [The common sense thing. She hadn't seen the merit in it the first time she was trapped in a strange place, but they'd all been made to suspect each other from the start.] That's a t-trap in itself. Who says we're all on the same side? Even in a situation as crazy as this, some p-people are only looking out for themselves. Willing to k-kill, even.
[You could never predict the motivations of a stranger. Incentives that seemed ridiculous or worthless to you meant the world to someone else. Her eyes narrow with her grim warning — whether its for his benefit or to ward him off is hard to say.]
N-never assume someone's with you just because they're standing in the same pile of shit.
no subject
Well. That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. Personally, I usually avoid standing in shit instead of joining someone else in it, but it seems they haven't given us much choice in the matter this time.
[ Moving across the room and leaving her standing at the door, he goes to root through the trunk at the foot of the bed he's temporarily claimed. A moment later, he comes up with a set of breeches and a tunic he can already tell isn't going to fit quite right, but he supposes it's better than nothing.
He casts a grin over his shoulder at her and winks. ] Unless you wanna be scandalized again, you might want to close your eyes or turn around or something.
[ And he gives her about ten seconds to do so before abruptly dropping the towel from his waist and starting to get dressed, though he keeps his back to her the whole time, just for her modesty's sake in case she doesn't heed his advice. ]
I'm not going to argue that self-preservation isn't important - I certainly don't have a death wish, after all. But I think how you survive is important, too. And thinking you don't need anyone else's help, or that you can do everything on your own... Well. I don't think that sounds very wise when it comes to surviving in general.
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[Fukawa drops to a crouch and wraps her arms around her whole face. Caught a bit of peach crease, there.
And now she feels doubly stupid. First for falling for the bait (this absolute TRAMP) and second for ceding her ground. How was she supposed to stay vigilant cowering on the floorboards? She groans, long and endlessly suffering.]
I c-can't believe you...weaponizing your filthy body against me, using ch-cheap tricks...I should have spit in your face and r-ran when I had the chance!
[Funny she should say that, considering there's a door knob just to the left she refuses to reach for.
If she were writing this scenario into a novel her editors would tell her to axe it. There couldn't be anything more contrived. And yet here she is, the homeliest leading lady since Jane Eyre, dodging an eyeful from a modern day Apollo.
She must regain composure. She can't let him win.]
The p-problem is, [She insists firmly, still tremulous, half muffled from between her shielding arms,] th-that it's impossible to know who can be trusted right away! Sure, people c-can help each other, but that's nothing but a ploy to wrap unsuspecting idiots around your f-finger. Only time can sh-show you who your real friends are! Otherwise you could wind up dead. Or f-framed! Or just — j-just a huge laughing stock for everyone to kick at when they're bored!
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[ He chuckles as he hears that shriek come from behind him. He doesn't even bother to turn around. He had warned her, after all. It's not his fault she hadn't listened. ]
Not filthy. Bath, remember? But hey, why wouldn't I use any and all weapons available to me? Besides, this one's the one I've got the most experience with, after all. [ There is definitely a smirk audible in his tone now. He likes winning. It's half the reason he'd honed himself into a weapon in the first place. ]
You don't strike me as an unsuspecting idiot, so you shouldn't have to worry about my fingers. [ There is definitely innuendo loaded into those words. ] So maybe asking you to trust me is a little much right now. I get it. So what sort of alliance would you feel comfortable with?
[ With her face still buried behind her arms, she might hear his footsteps move a little farther away, followed by the sounds of him rustling through something in a hasty search. A moment later, something soft but solid lands over her head - a tunic and breeches he'd pulled out of a nearby trunk, one looking much closer to her size than the ones he's wearing. Or trying to wear. The breeches fit fine, at least (and do really nice things for his ass, if he does say so himself) but the tunic is a little too tight across his broad shoulders and he's left the first several lacings loose and undone just to keep it comfortable. or from popping any seams. ]
There. Those should fit you, if you want to change?
no subject
Jeez, you r-really are shameless. I wouldn't b-be surprised if your third leg rotted and fell off one day... [He's probably caught some rare venereal disease by now. She'd put money on it if she had any. There's no way he's chaste.
There's a third grumble when he mentions fingers, growing ever more animalistic. She can't deal with this. It's not fair. She's just a delicate maiden! Adrift in a lonely foreign land! Virginal, true to her one and only love! How is she supposed to cope with this lascivious piece of trash, taunting her with mind and body alike? Putting lewd images in her head, making a joke out of her unfulfilled desires.
Well, she'll have the last laugh someday. Fukawa may be ugly, but she's going to get the man of her dreams and live out every last fantasy she's ever had. Byakuya-sama even shortened the distance he demands she keep away from him at! Down from 100 meters to 50! Soon they'll be holding hands, practically married...
Cloth falls over her head and she gasps, ripping at it to free herself. Right. She's just got to get out of this dump first.]
Wh-what are— [It's clothes. She tugs the shirt to its full breadth, puzzled, looking up to him for answers. Though her mouth purses tight at the undone tie, the way the too-small shirt pulls at his muscles (as if she needs the reminder of how cut he is), she feels rather relieved that he's not picked something worse. Fukawa rises slowly, surveying the offerings. They do seem better sized than the robes the locals offered her. She wouldn't be drowning in this.
However—]
Why d-do you say that? How would you know? [Her eyes narrow and her lip curls again.] Were you undressing me with your eyes this whole time? Or did you mistake me for a t-twelve year old boy and just grab something from the kid's section?