TEST DRIVE MEME #10

[abraxasmods]

Test Drive Meme

Welcome to the 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.

Below are some links to information you may find useful. Our Setting pages have information about the world itself as well as current events for each nation, while our Game History page outlines the game's story so far.

Setting | Game History | NPCs | Arcana
You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads.

Summoning

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. It's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.

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 - still unclothed.

Arrival

You'll find yourself summoned to one of the following three major nations: the extravagant and magical Kingdom of Thorne, the bustling and advanced Free Cities, or the tightknit and faith-driven rural community of the Solvunn Commune.

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. After a week or so, your abilities will return.

When you gather your bearings at last, you look up into a series of unfamiliar faces...and equally unfamiliar surroundings.

Welcome to Thorne

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 another mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. The man 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 nods, satisfied. "Excellent." He motions for one of the young apprentice mages over. "Settle our guest in, please. I don't have all day."

The apprentice hurries forward with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals. With a wave of their hand, the clothes reshape to fit you perfectly. Once you're dressed, the apprentice leads you into the hallways of Castle Thorne, prattling on about the kingdom, names of royals and nobles, and, of course, the reason why you're here: 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.

◎ Surroundings

Castle Thorne is where not only royals and members of the court reside, but includes the surrounding city itself. With winter still here, the weather is frosty and in the distance, you can see snow-covered mountain peaks. Fortunately, the castle is enchanted to be at a comfortable temperature.

As you walk or look around, you take in some of what's going on around you:

• The East Wing where members of the royal family and court reside is tightly guarded. At this time, you won't be able to go here - and the guards take their job seriously. The dungeons are also well-guarded, and newcomers will be turned away. You might hear rumors that the cells beneath are beginning to fill up.


• Apprentices, kitchen staff, guards - everyone seems to be bustling and busy. The air is tense, and you hear chatter of crop shortages for winter and something about scorched farmlands in Nott, the lakeside city to the south. As a newcomer, you won't know any different when you visit the buffet table, but those who are familiar with the extravagance of Thorne might grumble about the lack of quality and choices in food. The food is still excellent. It was just apparently even better before.


• There's equally talk of the Free Cities among the common folk, dubious truths or not: magic will soon be outlawed there, their army has great metal machines, and dissenters are exiled into the desert where they're left to perish. Attitudes range from wary to dismissive to disdainful depending on who you talk to.


• Despite the troubles that continue to plague Nott, life in the Castle is less touched by those difficulties. There's also plenty of chatter about the giant ocean life that found itself onto the shores of Borrel, Thorne's military city. Borrel is not accessible at this time - but perhaps some of the older Summoned can tell you of their visit.

◎ Exploring

Despite the troubles that plague the land, Castle Thorne and its surrounding city have much for you to indulge in.

Trail Riding
Thorne has beautiful trails for riding and many horses of fine noble stock. Each horse is well-groomed and well-trained. No matter your skill level, the stablehand will help you find a horse. There are a few trails that take you around the castle city, ranging between an hour to a half-day's ride with a stop for a packed lunch and to enjoy the view: beautiful snowy mountains rise in the distance, lush gardens with glowing ponds make for great resting spots, the city has several taverns and bookshops, and of course what would Thorne be without its potion shops? Take a friend if you wish to see the sights with some company. Or maybe you run into a new face while riding? Be sure to return the horses in proper condition! One or two trails are unfortunately closed due to soldiers on patrol, a reminder that all is not well despite the idyllic scenery.

Magic Lessons
Regular magic lessons are held by apprentice mages as part of their training, usually involving learning to cast a small spell. These classes are for the natives of Thorne, but you're welcome to join if you wish. The spell they will be teaching is conjuring a white ball of light that will illuminate the space around you for about an hour. It functions much like a candle, but without the risk of fire. The spell relies on Academic Magic which involves a few words said correctly. You'll likely need a few lessons to grasp it unless you're well-versed in magic already. In the meantime, the class of fresh-faced students means there's a constant bright explosion of light coming from the practice room as the spells fail. It isn't dangerous, but it can be annoying.

Evening Banquet
To improve morale, Thorne has pledged to hold a banquet now and again. One of these will take place as the new arrivals come through, and you're free to join at your leisure. If you don't have the appropriate clothes, you can ask one of the mages to conjure you an outfit or approach one of the existing Summoned to help you dress. The banquet is not overly extravagant, but it is a nice party with fine food, wine, and music that seems to come from nowhere. If you're here to make friends (or enemies), this is a good place to start.

Nocwich
Nocwich, which is shrouded in an eternal darkness and is home to the werewolves and the vampires, opens on the first weekend of every month for a total of 3 days. Shortly after arriving, you'll be given a pendant that allows you to travel to and from the portal. In Castle Thorne, the portal is a short walk around the back of the castle. You can enter Nocwich freely and explore what's available in Oleuni Square and Luna. You won't be able to enter Ikorr nor will you be able to exit into another faction's portals. Once there, you're welcome to meet those from other factions, take in the sights, and - if you've come by some money or a generous soul - even make a few small purchases. Inns are available for a fee if you want to stay overnight. Otherwise, you'll need to return home through the portals each day.

◎ Settling In

When you're ready to rest, you're shown 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).

Although you can leave the castle, you can't leave its surrounding city with the exception of entering Nott via portal in order to assist with rebuilding or visiting Nocwich. Borders are especially well-guarded right now due to the recent attacks. Besides, Castle Thorne gives you everything you need: fine clothes, great food and wine, massive libraries, and all the magic and knowledge you could want. Isn't that plenty? You won't be given money as you're provided for, so if you want to do some personal spending later, you'll have to find a job in the city on your own.

Welcome to the Free Cities

Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a hard floor of dull ruddy stone. 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 is a raised pedestal with a card bearing an Arcana symbol.

A guard covers you with a simple robe and returns to their place in the semi-circle. Before you stands another woman, dressed in a more elaborate and decorated uniform than the others. A sword rests at her hip. She carries an air of authority as she approaches you with a nod and a warm smile. "Sorry about the circumstances. Take a minute, catch your breath. 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 robed mage off to the side approaches to help you up. 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. You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military base on the outskirts of the major city of Cadens. You're told the world is in delicate and dangerous times, and you're needed to help. You're important and they're very grateful you're here.

◎ Surroundings

While you're currently at the outpost just outside of the city proper, Cadens on the whole is a large bustling city. Temperatures have cooled but the climate remains hot and dry - during the day, at least. At night, they'll plunge to near freezing. Look to the west and you'll see a long stretch of desert wasteland. This is the infamous Badlands. The soldiers don't recommend going out there unprepared - you're likely to face a slow death to the elements or be eaten. Reaching Cadens is possible by wagon, a trip of about 2 hours each way. You're asked to return by sundown for your own safety... but no one will chase after you if you don't.

You'll be given a military style uniform with your Arcana stitched on it where a formal rank would normally be. As you walk or look around, you take in some of what's going on around you:

• Though Libertas is steadily rebuilding, the chaos that resulted from it and the refugees that have poured into Cadens are still causing difficulties. There might be tensions in the air between citizens - though there's also plenty of chatter about the giant ocean life that found itself onto the shores of Aquila, a neighboring city.


• Among the soldiers, anti-Thorne sentiments are high. Thorne seemingly destroyed one of their cities on a whim, civilians and all. Rumors abound, true or not: Thorne is run by a Mad Queen, dissenters are fed to the frost wurms in the mountains, and some of their mages perform gruesome blood rites. Nonetheless, many also aren't eager for war. They worry for their comrades and friends.


• Cadens itself is even more chaotic and crowded than usual. Refugees from Libertas are now in Cadens, seeking temporary shelter and struggling to rebuild their lives. Discontent can be felt around rising food prices due to shortages. The shelves of some shops are emptier than usual and not everything can be readily found.


• A particular inn and tavern stands in Cadens - The Sarstina - where natives say the Summoned are frequently found. They might point you there if you're looking for one of your own.

◎ Exploring

Despite the troubles that plague the land, the barracks and Cadens have much for you to indulge in.

Training Grounds
Non-lethal training weapons and obstacle courses are set up for anyone to use. The soldiers will be watching, and if you catch their attention they might approach you and encourage you to enlist. You're free to invite other new arrivals to spar, but be sure to keep things friendly and avoid trouble. Discipline is key in the barracks. If you're especially competitive, the soldiers will sometimes hold impromptu obstacle races with informal wagers made. They'll be happy to race against even the most unlikely of opponents, and you'll be judged more on your spirit rather than your skill. If you really impress them, they'll even buy you a drink.

Traveling Merchants
Word of new arrivals spread quickly to enterprising merchants. Many will arrive with samples of their wares, offering free things to try. These items include miniature pastries, trinkets powered by New Magic similar to those cheap flashing toys one find at a carnival, ales, fresh fruits, and healing elixirs. Not all of the elixirs are of proper quality. Some are akin to snake oil and might have adverse (though harmless) effects - take care not to accidentally turn your hair bright green or similar. All of the merchants will be gathered at a central point in the barracks so they'll be hard to miss. Maybe you can make a friend or two while perusing.

City Tours
The arrival of refugees from Libertas means tour groups have sprung up around Cadens to show these new folks around. Organized for free by volunteers, these tours are meant to help the refugees feel welcome and take their minds off the loss of their homes but anyone can join in on the walk. The tour will take you to one or more of the following places: the Hall of Natural Relics where you can look at the skeletal remains of various desert beasts, Portam Hall where you can observe the chaotic government bureaucracy of a large city (and the beautiful architecture), backstage of the Catterborough Theater ("The Cat") where you can meet some of the theater performers, and the Academy of Knowledge where you can attend one of its free public seminars (the topic of the month is on the various types of spiderwebs that can be found in nature. Exciting!)

Nocwich
Nocwich, which is shrouded in an eternal darkness and is home to the werewolves and the vampires, opens on the first weekend of every month for a total of 3 days. Shortly after arriving, you'll be given a pendant that allows you to travel to and from the portal. In Cadens, the portal is a short walk away from the center of the city. You can enter Nocwich freely and explore what's available in Oleuni Square and Luna. You won't be able to enter Ikorr nor will you be able to exit into another faction's portals. Once there, you're welcome to meet those from other factions, take in the sights, and - if you've come by some money or a generous soul - even make a few small purchases. Inns are available for a fee if you want to stay overnight. Otherwise, you'll need to return home through the portals each day.

◎ Settling In

When you're ready to turn in, the barracks are waiting for you. They 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. Each barracks room is rather sparse. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You can greet your roommates here, most of whom will be new arrivals, as well.

If you plan on making use of your assigned quarters, you'll have your basic needs met: uniforms, a roof, bland food from the mess hall, and access to the training grounds. You won't be paid unless you formally enlist with the army. The longer you take advantage of the barracks, the greater the pressure to enlist. Some soldiers will start to see you as a freeloader if you refuse to join them yet continue to use their resources. If you're set on not enlisting, you can always strike out on your own in Cadens - but you won't be provided for and handouts are rare. You'll have to work to earn every copper and loaf of bread. Whether that's honest work is up to you.

Welcome to Solvunn

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. An elderly mage stands before an ornate altar. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. "I detect no ill will from the gods," he says. "It seems we've been blessed with success."

Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased. One offers you some clothes of leather and knitted wool that seem to fit you perfectly. A rough-looking man steps forward once you're dressed 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 center of the Primary Settlement. 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.

◎ Surroundings

The Primary Settlement is full of greenery, blessed with the fresh ocean breeze. Winds are moderately chilly with the occasional heavy rains that soak the farmlands. The scent of flowers fills the air. The shops, farms, and homes around you are all modest and unassuming. You get the sense that the people here prefer to blend in with their neighbors than stand out.

As you walk or look around, you'll be greeted warmly, even eagerly...though there's an edge of awestruck nervousness to some. Though the settlement is often quiet and calm, there's still plenty to take in:

• While farmers are still recovering from events that led to failed crops, ruined livestock, and a massive loss in fishing, life is slowly returning to normal. They'll be happy to receive any assistance: brush the horses, milk the goats, weed the gardens, churn butter, mind the children...whatever you can think of, you'll be needed.


• Those in Solvunn are reluctant to speak of the conflict between Thorne and the Free Cities in any depth. Their stance is that Solvunn is above petty grudges and violence. They are sorry for the loss of innocents in both nations.


• There are whispers of a shrine deep in the woods that took a powerful sacrifice. If asked, the natives will say that they do not know where this shrine is and that it's best to leave these matters in the hands of the gods' chosen, the Council.


• You're free to venture towards the ocean if you like, though heed the warnings of leviathans. These beasts do not stir near the shores, but if you look closely in the far distance - at night in particular - you'll see the water's surface bubble and roil beneath the moonlight. Recently, a giant ocean life found itself onto the shores in Solvunn. Many will tell you this was a test from the gods, and that saving these creatures granted the world a boon of fish.

◎ Exploring

Despite the troubles that plague the land, the commune and its settlements have much for you to indulge in.

Goat Racing
That's right. One of Solvunn's fine traditions is its regular goat races. Meant to be a bit of informal fun, there's a pen of goats where you can choose a goat, get a number, and simply join one of the starting lines. These goats are not trained so the race is less of a race and more pure chaos as the goats do what they please. Whoever eventually wrangles their goat over the finish line wins. The only rule is that you can't pick up or physically pull your goat, but you're free to cajole, lure, or even use a bit of magic to get yours to the finish line first. Winners receive small prizes of cheese, ale, wood charms, woven baskets, and other similar tokens.

Shrine Offerings
As a new arrival, you'll be encouraged to perform your first offering. This can be anything that feels right to you: fruit, wine, flowers, even an animal you've hunted. Whatever you choose, it must be retrieved by your own hand meaning you must pick the fruit, cut the flowers, or pour the wine yourself. You can travel to the shrine by yourself or with a companion. Once there, lay your offering and ask for a blessing through Solvunn's tradition of High Magic. Blessings are often made for the commune overall such as abundant crops or good weather. You will not see the effects right away, but you may find over the next day or so that the sun has cut through the rain. Of course, you're free to dismiss this as the nature of how weather works...but don't be too loud about it. Solvunn takes its beliefs very seriously.

Evening Feast
Potluck-style feasts are common in the settlement as a way to strengthen the community. You'll be invited to join in one of these feasts at any time, held outdoors in a lush grove filled with wildflowers. As a new arrival, you won't be expected to bring anything yourself but you'll make a better impression if you do so even if it's merely a few apples you picked in the morning. Want to help hang decorations before the feast? Your assistance is more than welcome! Place flowers, pin ribbons, or lay the tablecloths. The food is simple and hearty, ranging from stews, roasts, fresh bread, and puddings. If you're shy, someone will be there to fill your cups and plates if you won't do so yourself. Eat, drink, and be merry - it's what the gods would want.

Nocwich
Nocwich, which is shrouded in an eternal darkness and is home to the werewolves and the vampires, opens on the first weekend of every month for a total of 3 days. Shortly after arriving, you'll be given a pendant that allows you to travel to and from the portal. In Solvunn, the portal is a short walk away. You can enter Nocwich freely and explore what's available in Oleuni Square and Luna. You won't be able to enter Ikorr nor will you be able to exit into another faction's portals. Once there, you're welcome to meet those from other factions, take in the sights, and - if you've come by some money or a generous soul - even make a few small purchases. Inns are available for a fee if you want to stay overnight. Otherwise, you'll need to return home through the portals each day.

◎ Settling In

When you're ready for your bed, you're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. The living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be: the local families would also be happy to host you in their home. In return, you'll be expected to contribute to their household, taking upon daily chores and repairs. While money has its uses, many establishments and craftsmen are happy to barter with your time or skill for their goods. You'll find your willingness to trade and your friendliness with the natives more valuable than gold.

You can even leave for the other two settlements if you like, but you're encouraged to remain in the Primary Settlement. Just be sure you have an invitation to the Secondary Settlement. There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective.

Questions and Answers

If after reading these you're still unsure about anything, or your question wasn't covered, please feel free to hit up our Questions thread below!

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.

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.

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 nation?

In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In the Free Cities, they can take a trip from the outpost to the nearest main city, Cadens. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.

Can my character eventually change nations or kingdoms?

Yes, but tensions between the major nations are at an all-time high. Doing so is possible, but will require some plotting and discussion with the mods once you're in-game!

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). It will also affect your character's day-to-day life and development. Characters who seek technological advancements or combat will find more of it in the Free Cities while those keen on court politics and learning magic will have the most access to it in Thorne. Anyone who wishes to uncover the secrets of the Old Gods and forest mysteries will best do so in Solvunn.

This is not to say characters can't do these things from another faction - with effort and the help of friends, anything is possible! Don't get too anxious about your choice. This is just one of many, and every character in each scenario can work their way towards many individual goals and outcomes. Additionally, once in-game the Horizon will provide characters with a way to easily find cross-faction CR.

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?

Your Arcana sign won't have an immediate impact on your character beyond them seeing it on themselves or being told what it is by the locals. You're welcome to disregard those aspects in your prompts or try out different signs.

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.

If you're interested in threading with characters outside your borders on the TDM, you can utilize the Nocwich prompt which will allow all characters to meet in person regardless of arrival scenario.

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.

Can I try out more than one arrival scenario on the same TDM?

Yes, although only threads taking place in the arrival scenario you formally choose upon applying can count as canon. However, you're welcome to try out as many as you like on the TDM.

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Comments

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce has worked hard to try and face the anger that sits inside of him, which he ignored for so long that when it flared to life, it was impossible to fight against. He even made a part of his Horizon be breakable for when he felt that intensity rise in him, and he probably will need it after this interaction. They do match each other for a moment, rising anger, sharp eyes, the ugliness of their last meeting overriding any rational though. He'd feel terrible about it later, knowing he was in the wrong, especially with Caitlyn in the middle, but right then it burned.

Except something changes in her and he sees it. She looks shaken and they didn't have to know each other well for him to know something was wrong. It takes the floor right out from underneath his anger and instead, surprisingly, he's filled with genuine concern. Gold-brown eyes go from hard to soft in a single second, and he has a feeling this can only mean something terrible.

That question. That puts ice-cold water through his veins and he goes pale, startled. The thing is, Jayce is from the latest in their timeline, so to speak. He knows the terms, they use it here to describe when people seem out of sync. He experienced things that Caitlyn and Viktor didn't. She's not doing this to mess with him. She would just punch him if she wanted to do that. ]

I'm ... there are different timelines.

[ He feels a little sick without knowing why and glances around. He gestures for her to follow him because there are quieter spots in the inn dining area that they can sit in. It might be a hard sell to get her to their apartment, even with the promise of Caitlyn there, so this will steal them a few quiet moments. ]

There is our world, and the timeline that exists on it.

[ Jayce puts his hand on the table as a representation of their world and then slides his finger down in front of it. He doesn't know how easy this sort of thing would be to explain to someone new. Or someone who likes their fists more than books. ]

They have the ability to pull people from different parts of this line. Caitlyn is from right after the Council meeting. I'm from not long after our argument.

[ Argument. Sure. That's a good enough explanation. He glances up at her, unsettled. ]

Which means you ....

[dxvi]

[ a good call, when Vi feels hesitant to even follow him to a table. her eyes land on it and then immediately look to something, anything else, flitting around the barroom — like the walls might be closing in or etched in neon. claustrophobia brings up that same old kneejerk response to run away... and for a moment, she wonders, why shouldn't she? following Jayce would only give him answers he doesn't have. anything that exists in this world she can learn from someone else — so why should she unveil his future to him like some soothsayer with messages of nothing but doom? ]

[ they can't go home. they can't change it. and if making a life for himself in this city has allowed him to continue his life at all, should she really burden him with that truth? ]

[ both spite and sympathy are telling her to keep her mouth shut. the only thing that makes her take the seat across from him and trace his hands with her eyes is the idea of... what if their positions were switched? they saw eye-to-eye once, up until Jayce's heart couldn't take what he saw. he's weak. wouldn't he do the same for her? ]

"Our argument," huh. You mean the one that made you decide to broker peace with Silco?

[ and, of course, it provides her another opportunity to air a grievance. she kicks her feet up in one of the empty chairs between them, leaning back with her hands folded on her belly and raising an eyebrow at him. it is accusatory. ]

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce would do the same for her, even now he is willing to answer all the questions she needs, despite the fact they both know she can get them anywhere. But regardless of their tense connection, she is from home, and she is important to Caitlyn, and those things matter more than fighting. Although he is going to be quick to lose sight of that, having a temperament not entirely unlike hers at times.

He looks genuinely surprised at that, leaning his elbows on the table. ]

It hasn't happened for me yet, but yes, that was what I planned on doing.

[ She deserves that much, he's not going to lie about his actions. Jayce was obviously not incredibly happy with his choice either, but he felt very much backed against a wall, with no easy answer. Viktor didn't like it either, but he agreed it may be the only out for the Undercity. ]

I know that sounds insane to you, but I realized we - the Piltover council, Piltover in general - had no right to make decisions for the Undercity anymore. All we've ever done is make things worse. I was going to convince the Council to let the Undercity have full independence with the last of my influence there, since I would no longer have a position.

[ And yes that idea had to be connected to Silco first, but he was the major power within the Undercity at the moment. Jayce is realistic about the fact he was never going to be allowed to stay a Council member, and after what he did, he definitely didn't think he should be. Maybe he should have never been. Jayce shakes his head, settling back in his chair. ]

If there was another person of power there, I would have negotiated with them.

[dxvi]

[ there was, once. she doesn't say it. the jarring contrast between the Lanes before she went to prison and when she got back out is enough to keep Vander's name out of her mouth, to never once look at the iron-wrought statue someone had erected "in his loving memory". Vi still wonders with bitter acid in her throat if Silco shelled out the cash for that, too. wouldn't fucking surprise her. ]

You weren't negotiating, you were giving up. We're too much for you, so you wash your hands clean of it all and ditch us at the doorstep of a madman?

[ the venom spills out of her voice, growing increasingly strained and yet quieter. abandonment is Jinx's problem — but Vi isn't spared from its barbs either. they are sisters. there's a beat of silence where she lets the dust in her own chest settle, for her fingers to find their way back out of the tense grip they've found themselves in again. Jayce Talis — all ideals, no fucking responsibility. how many times does she have to beat it into the head of every topsider she meets: they're all culpable? ]

...He was never going to give Jinx up. [ straight from the horse's mouth. ] He's dead now.

[ but in the death of one monster, another emerged from its remains — the one she created. ]

[hextechhead]

No, that's not the reason why! [ He protests. ] The Council doesn't give a shit about any of you, they were never going to actually help. I can't force them to care, but I thought if the Undercity had independent trade routes, if Shimmer was destroyed, they had a chance of governing themselves.

[ Jayce is genuine, he truly means what he's saying, but she is right that idealism doesn't help the reality of the situation. His ideas would seem bright and shining and like the possibility was worth all the force it would take to get there, but he is someone who has always aggressively pushed his way into success. Not everyone has the privilege to do that. ]

You taught me that we were all culpable, especially me, and we've been ignoring the damage going on there because it was convenient. I heard you.

[ After his guilt over the Shimmer factory, the experience that scarred him heavily, he didn't have the stomach for more war. He would always be associated with his worst act, and that is how he saw it. His power was waning, all he had was one more chance to do something to make up for his choices. Working with Silco was an evil, but in exchange for what he saw was good, it seemed the only way. And yet, he gets that she's right, and it feels so pointless, all of it.

But he failed, clearly. Jayce looks miserable and also confused. ]

He would ignore everything that was offered in exchange for one person, why would ....

[ Jayce pauses. Hypocrite. He sighs and rubs a hand over his face. ]

Nevermind. I understand.

[ Jayce has Viktor. Yeah. He gets it. ]

Vi, I am sorry. Not about his death, obviously. I was ... I was trying to do the right thing.

[dxvi]

[ those objections are met with a squared jaw, flattened (but listening) ears. she lets him get it out: the words that sound to her like he's patting himself on the back after at least finally having accepted the truth that, no, the council didn't give a shit about them... and yet, in that moment, it has the benefit of making Jayce stand apart from them. he hadn't been able to take it, to roll his sleeves up and get his hands dirty, make the hard decisions — but then, at least he'd actually gone down there. at least he'd tried and, even for a moment, let himself be swayed by her. more importantly: he'd demanded the cease and desist of Shimmer production as part of his negotiations? ]

[ she hadn't known. ...maybe he had heard her, as much as she could pour into a cup already approaching full. ]

[ there's another long pause where she lets him meditate on it. she doesn't know who he's talking about, but she supposes she doesn't need to either, that they're almost strangers; everyone probably has someone for whom they'd burn the whole world down. maybe it's Caitlyn, maybe it's another council member, maybe it's Mother fucking Teresa. it doesn't matter now. ]

I know, [ she admits inside of a sigh. the problem with idealists is there is no right thing, only the least wrong. now, with more time and the ability to be retrospective about the whole situation, she allows herself the berth to find the words. ]

You can't solve a problem you haven't seen all of. [ variables is a word that doesn't come to mind; she's not him, not Piltover's Finest. ] And now I...

[ hesitation. ]

I think you're all dead. Jinx, she— she...

[ she can't bring herself to say it, staring down at the table's surface. Silco dead, Jinx on a warpath. for him. it twists her guts with disgust and shame. ]

[hextechhead]

[ For a time, Jayce would have been the one to pat himself on the back, both guilty and searching for reassurance at the same time. It took him really breaking down his privilege and listening to get there but he did. And that's why he doesn't necessarily expect her to forgive him or to understand, or to accept what he's saying, because she has every reason to feel the way she does. Even when he was mad at her, he understood it. He didn't have the stomach for what had to be done, but she did. She deserved the gloves. She would actually do something with them.

Any tension or fight going back between the two of them lets go at the moment, and he truly is listening to her, even now. Her validation, slight as it is, doesn't feel like a balm to his fragility anymore, because instead now it just means connection. A place they can start from.

Jayce starts to say something to that, to make more of a peace offering between them, but then she says what he sort of expected. The way she looked at him, how she asked how he was alive, he got it. And he knows how the timeline works, as he already explained, so that means she's later. Silco's dead. Their truce, if it was made at all, is invalid.

It's probably unexpected, how he almost doesn't react at first. Jayce lets out a breath and folds his hands on the table, letting it sink in. Maybe he should be angry or rail against it, or blame her, anyone, but instead he accepts that she is probably right. It sounds like it is. It could be his guilt, why should he live when the child died, or the reality that he's as mortal as everyone else. ]

What about Caitlyn? Was she ... is she safe, do you know? How did it happen?

[ Jayce doesn't say it isn't true. If Silco is dead then Jinx will get revenge. It's probably him or the Council or both. If that is true, it means Viktor at least is safe, and hopefully Caitlyn, as long as she didn't come back to talk. It's telling she is his first thought, his surrogate sister, not his own life. ]

[dxvi]

[ nothing is quite under the bridge just yet, but neither have they burned it down. a shaky truce born of mutual guilt, of a truth that's too big to swallow in just one bite. her hands disappear under the table, short and jagged nails picking at a scab on her knuckles until it weeps, distracting herself with the sting of it as she tries to remember things as they'd happened. there are things she can omit — Jinx's breakdown, how her ultimatum had been to force her to choose between Powder and Caitlyn and Vi just couldn't do it, the entirety of that broken dinner table full of trinkets and keepsakes from her dead family, how she'd watched her sister slip further and further out of her grasp with every reminder of what she thought they had together pushing her ever more into her madness. Silco had won — not because he'd been the one to make a monster, but because he'd loved Jinx when all Vi could see was Powder. ]

Caitlyn's fine. She was with me. Us.

[ Vi, Jinx, Silco, and Caitlyn. not a place her brother would want her, but also not the place her brother was, a relief in and of itself. ]

Jinx used that gemstone in a weapon and fired at the council building. It looked like... [ a bomb. a nuke. a streak of blue hell across the bloody sky. in the end, she struggles to find the word, drifting off with a troubled shrug. ] I couldn't stop her.

[ she could barely prevent her from turning her gun on Caitlyn. ]

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce wasn't sure what Jinx was to Vi but now that he's listening to her, he can tell it is a lot more than what he expected. She always talked about getting Silco, killing Silco, but not his right hand woman. Wouldn't it make the most sense? To kill Jinx to get to him? And yet she's in here now, looking for her, and there is so much pain in her. Jayce is smarter than he looks, he's much smarter than he acts. Jinx took Caitlyn? There is a story here.

And that story led to his death. He is relieved to hear it was the council. Not that he wants any of them to die, especially not Mel with him, she wanted so much to find peace, more than he did. But that means Viktor, Caitlyn, and his mother are all safe. (He has no reason to think Viktor would ever be there.) But a weapon like that could take out all of them and many others, maybe. Jayce sighs, putting his face in his hands for a few seconds. ]

We both know how much damage my technology can do.

[ She wore the gloves, but Jayce used his hammer as a cannon. It was so easy for him to demolish more than just one child, many people. Of course someone with that pure arcane power could come up with worse. It was inevitable. His invention was always going to lead to corruption. Heimerdinger was right, in the end. ]

Vi, whatever your relationship to Jinx, I don't understand it, but I can tell that you feel responsible.

[ He drops his hands down. ]

I don't know the full story, but I don't think that's fair. The whole situation with Piltover and the Undercity has been fucked up for so long. Long before we were born. I can't blame her for wanting us dead. I just ....

[ Jayce sighs and looks at her, gold-brown eyes so sad, his posture defeated. ]

I wish I could've made things better, and if it's true I'm dead, I'll never be able to try.

[dxvi]

[ there's a tremulous moment where she only stares back at Jayce, feeling the same stretch of the skin on her face in horror and shock. she isn't sure which of his words stuns her, a needle prick bursting the swollen balloon of her heart that makes her feel like she's leaking inside. maybe that even without knowing their relationship, he has the observation and awareness to tell how fucking guilty she feels, how her failures saddle her shoulders heavy as stones. ]

[ validation that aches; validation that she's ached for. Caitlyn saw it too, but she never said it like this, watched with those quiet sharp eyes and picked her up when she was bleeding. Jayce says it's not fair and, for a moment, Vi lets herself believe him. ]

[ then she breathes in slow and looks away from those stupid, earnest brown eyes, wishing she hated him more than she does and channeling into the only thing she knows: fury. the anger slips back into her voice — but it isn't aimed at him this time. it's directionless, futile, a desperate thing that forms the glue keeping all of her broken pieces together. ]

She's my sister, [ confessed through grit teeth, eyes that shimmer and sting traitorously. ] We... saw our parents killed by enforcers during the civil war.

[ the hard sniff of her crooked nose is cleansing; her arms fold on her chest and a knee bounces with excess energy, or maybe anxiety. it's not about fair — it's about family. duty. responsibility. she doesn't know why she's telling him when she was barely even this forthcoming with Caitlyn. something about that family has its hooks in her. ]

Maybe it is too late, but I'm not stopping until I'm dead too.

[ a truth she hasn't been able to reconcile with her current reality. ]

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce manages to be both incredibly intelligent and incredibly ignorant about many things. He is good at reading people, a trait that becomes a problem when you're someone who cares a lot about what other people think. He's been working on that, but sometimes his perceptive nature helps him with people. He knows that he hit a chord with her, and while he didn't fully expect her to explain the Jinx situation, it isn't a surprise that she shares.

The fact that Jinx is her sister is a surprise though. He had no idea who he was picturing as Jinx, he didn't know details about her, outside of this nefarious Undercity genius who hacked their advanced technology. Jayce planned on insisting Silco give her over as a fall guy, but that's him missing out on individuality again, for the big picture. Vi said it himself, once, how casually he threatened her with jail. How casually he saw Jinx as a chess piece to take away from Silco as a punishment.

This is why he is already at an accepting place about his possible death. Cause and effect.

Jayce is an emotional person too; he wonders how much the two of them have in common, underneath the things that make them different. Her anger feels so familiar, even if his burns out faster. Her pain so strong it almost is visible. He takes in that information about Jinx and their tragic backstory. ]

Your sister. [ But Vi hated Silco. How did that work? ] You must have been so young.

[ Jayce estimates he's about a decade older than her, and he remembers how far away the war felt, sheltered and protected within parts of Piltover. Heimerdinger was on the Council then, did he feel responsible? Or were those deaths things he could tut about but forget soon after, like so many others. ]

Vi, I'm sorry, but there's no way to send you back. We're all stuck here. I've been here almost a year, some people longer than that.

[dxvi]

I know, I know.

[ she grabs onto the distraction as a way to stop heading down the alternative path they're flirting with. it's ground she's covered over and over again pacing in a cement box and it's so well-tread that it feels exposing, raw to have someone else's eyes on it, even if she's left her ventricles woven together on her wrist. to hide from that pain would mean no longer using it to fuel her, and she isn't ready to do that — but she doesn't think she wants it baking in his sunlight. ]

[ she says she knows — but only logically, only with her reason. she hasn't convinced her heart of it yet, and she isn't sure she can. ]

But if Jinx shows up here... [ a secret hope, a dangerous wish. maybe she's asking because she doesn't have her own answers, and there are moments when — ]

[ when she and Jayce are so similar. ]

What would you do?

[ he'd have every right to take his revenge. so does she, she thinks, even if she has no idea if she could bring herself to pull that trigger — to finally truly give up on Powder. ]

[hextechhead]

I know it's frustrating. Have you gone into the Horizon yet? I set up a whole room of things I can smash with a hammer when things are frustrating.

[ A little glimpse of humor, or mostly just an honest assessment of how he's currently managing his rage. Vi knows that he really got into that fight, how intense it became, how angry he was. Maybe she even knows how good it felt, she's been fighting a lot longer. It messed him up, enjoying it that much. Unfortunately, he couldn't ignore the anger that still simmered in him about so much that he'd pushed inside. So he let it out in a healthy way. Or healthier, he'd say.

She would probably benefit from a whole lot of punching bags. It's always possible in there.

Honestly, until this moment, Jayce didn't even consider Jinx showing up. He wouldn't know her on sight. She has always been this haunting creature, terrifying and brilliant. Caitlyn appeared, and it was a miracle. Now Vi, which is more complicated, but Jinx?

He struggles then for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed, clearly thinking it through. His anger is instant, again, issues he's working on, but then, he's unsure. He did just tell her that he understood why Jinx wanted him dead, wanted them all dead. Once upon a time she was an orphan in the Undercity, just like Vi, just like Viktor. Jayce is not someone who can hide his thoughts, they show so plainly on his face. ]

It would depend on if she wanted to hurt anyone. Like Caitlyn.

[ She did almost kill Caitlyn on the bridge. It is one of the reasons Jayce was so on edge before the Shimmer factory. The danger of losing her was terrifying, on top of Viktor's incoming death. ]

I'm going to say something that ... is hard to hear now, but is probably even more real now that I know I'm probably dead.

[ Still in shock about that, apparently. ]

This place is insane and none of us chose to be here, but it can also be a second chance. And people can refuse that and just wait around hoping to be sent home, or they can make a life here.

[ Jayce has done that. A business, a boyfriend, friends everywhere, he looks at home here, he looks assimilated. Much more humble than the man she destroyed a factory with. ]

If your sister comes here ... do you think that would be possible for you? Because if it is, I'm not going to get in your way.

[dxvi]

[ there's a private joke, a mocking twinge of amusement that laces her scoff. is the fury in him so easily quelled that shattering some light bulbs and putting his arm through a table is enough to satisfy? leaving the bloody stamp of her fist on cold concrete ever did anything but make her rage fester and grow until she's convinced nothing could sate that burn until she heard the packing souds of meat, the crunch of bones that splinter and break, felt blood stick to her face. Vi and Powder — maybe they're sisters because inside of both of them is the will to watch the whole world burn, to gobble up city after city in the cataclysimc their shared problems. ]

[ whatever the dreamscape of Jayce's Horizon, if it's a projection of each person's thoughts and experiences, she's sure they'd look nothing alike. maybe they aren't as similar as she thinks (hopes?). it's probably a sign of growth that she comments on none of it, instead watching the ex-councilor's expression twist and travel. ]

[ a second chance... ]

[ for a moment, the question makes her look helpless; it feels impossible to wish for in comparison to those last few days she spent between topside and down. nothing could be as simple as Powder showing up and them starting over, because it's exactly what Vi tried to do: close her eyes to how their paths had diverged, love the memory of her sister instead of the creature that breathed and grew in the toxins of the underground without her, how they'd both come up crooked and broken in different places. ]

There's nothing I'd want more than that.

[ the "but" in her voice is palpable. she doesn't continue, spell out how it's just too little too late. maybe once they'd had a chance... if Vi had been willing to sacrifice Caitlyn. it's not something she feels inclined to tell Jayce — nor the fact that it would selfishly be easier to "make a life" here without her. ]

[ but it's not about what's easier. it's not about what's fair. ]

Thanks for the chat, Pretty Boy.

[ it's about duty, and her duty is to keep trying to save her sister now matter how bent she becomes. seeing little else to gain from their conversation, she kicks her chair back and stands to go. ]

Can wrap here or on yours!

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce had to create the room because the anger inside of him was so strong that he was worried about how it would show itself. He came here so soon after their fight, and it was like the violence had a foothold in him, like he never thought possible. He does remember the feeling in the factory, how powerful he was, how blind his fury was, how good getting it out felt until he counted the bodies.

He'll never be the same, he proved that much, his stomach not strong enough to sustain the consequences of his anger. So it works, but he often sees it as a weakness for him, that he still needs it. Jayce can't logic his way out of wanting to smash things. Although he hasn't had as much reason to want to destroy things as she does. The fact he lived a fairly blessed life until recently says that well.

Jayce can tell from her reaction even before she says the words that it's what she would want, given the chance. And so it means if it happens, at least until Jinx proves too dangerous, he would support it. He's hardly up on his high horse about giving a killer a second chance. That's as much true about him as it would be about her. There is sympathy in his eyes and he nods at her. ]

Vi.

[ He doesn't stand to stop her or anything, he stays where he is, because if she wants to go that is fair. There is a whole lot going on here, Vi has a lot to think about. ]

Cait lives with me. Don't let me being there hold you back. You're welcome to come over any time.

[ Jayce wants up front for it not to be him as an obstacle for whatever friendship (?) is going on with his surrogate sister and Vi. If Caitlyn does end up wanting to move to the inn, she knows that's always a possibility, but for now, any guests of hers should be welcome. But it also alerts Vi to the reality that if she comes home with Caitlyn, it's a shared space. So no one is surprised. ]

[dxvi]

[ back already turned, she has the decency to stop walking when she hears her name. she doesn't turn back, instead listening to his invitation play out. an olive branch, probably — an attempt to pacify, like she's a rabid dog who needs a bone to distract her. maybe she is. ]

[ she thinks to say something, head ducking. something defiant, maybe: as if you could stop me. something honest: I didn't feel comfortable there before and I won't now, with or without you. the opulence, the swaths of ivory and gold, the only mess to be found in the whole place where the underground bled up and pooled on Caitlyn's floor with tacks and string and mug shots, her competent and confident scrawl of accusations. ]

[ ...a handful of heartbeats and nothing comes, the chip on her shoulder heavy as it leashes her throat and drags her back out the door of the Sarstina. ]