ABRAXAS MODS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
abraxasmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxasooc2021-07-18 11:55 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2021-07-18 11:55 am
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME #2
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the second 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 two 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 previous TDM has some answers to relevant questions as well, and feel free to look at 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, whether they are prisoners or honored guests. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, please see our NPCs page.
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.
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 baring 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.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. 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 sighs, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, 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, you're an honored guest here," 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 (the newcomers who were summoned back in June 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 spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a potential threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world) and are awaiting trial.
"Drat," Ambrose says with a frown, "And here I thought we'd worked out all the kinks this time."
The High Mage looks up from his book, wide-eyed as he stumbles back. If you look behind you, you'll notice that in the time it took Ambrose to browse his book, the tarot card hanging behind you has reversed and is now hanging upside down. An apprentice runs to snatch it from the pillar and put it back with the rest of the deck.
The apprentices seem apprehensive, but Ambrose regains his composure and resists the urge to insult their newly summoned captive. Instead, he turns to the apprentices: "Get them clothed and we'll send them to await trial."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate).
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. Despite your prisoner status, they will answer your questions to the best of their ability.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and will be blunt and honest but not overly negative about it.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. The guards will even interfere if the honored guests are being overtly cruel to the prisoners from now on.
Questions
How many slots are open?
Currently, there are only four slots open for new players. We will process activity check before opening applications, so we will have a better idea of the exact count then. Existing players can apply for a second character withour restriction.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
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 Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff 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 (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from the original TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes!
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
The first prisoners in June were just thrown in their cells without being told they are awaiting trial. Will they be told differently now that the new prisoners are here?
Yes, all prisoners new and old will be told that the Court has shown mercy on them and they will be given a fair trial sometime in August to determine their fate.
Whether or not that's actually true - and whether they believe it, even if it is - is another story, but they will all be informed.
Can my character leave the castle?
Honored guests can leave the castle itself, but cannot leave the surrounding town.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
For this TDM, it will be easier for welcomed characters to side with Thorne and for imprisoned characters to side with one of the other two factions, so we encourage you to take a look at the factions and see where you might want your character to go.
However, that is not set in stone and if you change your mind, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will affect characters throughout August, but our August event will wrap up the honored guests vs. prisoners plotline, so your character won't be imprisoned for too long. 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 both scenarios 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 two 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).
Our previous TDM has some answers to relevant questions as well, and feel free to look at 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, whether they are prisoners or honored guests. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, please see our NPCs page.
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.
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 baring 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.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. 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 sighs, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, 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, you're an honored guest here," 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 (the newcomers who were summoned back in June 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 spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a potential threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world) and are awaiting trial.
Scenario Two: Imprisoned
"Drat," Ambrose says with a frown, "And here I thought we'd worked out all the kinks this time."
The High Mage looks up from his book, wide-eyed as he stumbles back. If you look behind you, you'll notice that in the time it took Ambrose to browse his book, the tarot card hanging behind you has reversed and is now hanging upside down. An apprentice runs to snatch it from the pillar and put it back with the rest of the deck.
The apprentices seem apprehensive, but Ambrose regains his composure and resists the urge to insult their newly summoned captive. Instead, he turns to the apprentices: "Get them clothed and we'll send them to await trial."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate).
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. Despite your prisoner status, they will answer your questions to the best of their ability.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and will be blunt and honest but not overly negative about it.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. The guards will even interfere if the honored guests are being overtly cruel to the prisoners from now on.
How many slots are open?
Currently, there are only four slots open for new players. We will process activity check before opening applications, so we will have a better idea of the exact count then. Existing players can apply for a second character withour restriction.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
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 Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff 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 (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from the original TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes!
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
The first prisoners in June were just thrown in their cells without being told they are awaiting trial. Will they be told differently now that the new prisoners are here?
Yes, all prisoners new and old will be told that the Court has shown mercy on them and they will be given a fair trial sometime in August to determine their fate.
Whether or not that's actually true - and whether they believe it, even if it is - is another story, but they will all be informed.
Can my character leave the castle?
Honored guests can leave the castle itself, but cannot leave the surrounding town.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
For this TDM, it will be easier for welcomed characters to side with Thorne and for imprisoned characters to side with one of the other two factions, so we encourage you to take a look at the factions and see where you might want your character to go.
However, that is not set in stone and if you change your mind, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will affect characters throughout August, but our August event will wrap up the honored guests vs. prisoners plotline, so your character won't be imprisoned for too long. 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 both scenarios 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 two 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).
return to main navigation
ii
Nero didn't expect to see one of his own so soon. In fact, he didn't expect to see one of his own, at all. It's been decades since he's actually seen another elf, if he's being honest. But that is due to the seal that's on his person than anything else.
His head cocks to the side as he scrutinizes the elf. A young welp, huh?
"I honestly didn't think I'd come across one of my kind." His hand slides to rest on his hip as he bends down slightly to take a better look at the other's face. "How do you do, cousin?"
no subject
He looks up as Nero leans down to inspect him, not the least bit cowed by the other man's height - rather, Link gives him a brief nod of greeting, which most who knew him back in Hyrule would already know to take as a, 'Well, thank you. And you?'
... what Link says instead is, "Do I know you?"
It's an earnest question. Link is so used to running across people who remember him from 100 years ago, or at least had heard legend of him - and he with no memory of them. Not many of them were relatively young-looking Hylians, but even that could have an explanation, he knew.
no subject
His shoulders lift then lower in a quick shrug. There are elves that he can't forget and elves that he can. But he has enough of an ego to say that most would not forget him.
"You'd know if you knew, anyway." It is the easiest answer that he can give. He breathes out a loud sigh, uncertain what he should be feeling at this moment. First, he wonders if he tell him that he shouldn't use any magic? No, if he brought that up, it'd definitely name him a pariah of the their people.
"The name's Nero, though. And what's yours?"
no subject
He has the sense from Nero's sigh that the man must be holding something back, too, but doesn't question it. Not yet.
"I'm Link," he answers, easily enough... and then doesn't volunteer any further information, instead taking an assessing look around the room. He was hoping he would find something useful here - a weapon, extra clothing, perhaps even a map - as he had upon waking in Hyrule. No luck. Maybe elsewhere? He looks back to Nero, as if just remembering that the man is still right there.
"Have you been here long?"
no subject
Is it right for him to call them such without knowing their connection? Probably not. Will he stop doing it? Probably not. Also, does he really consider it to be a pleasure? Probably not.
"No, I just arrived through the puddle." He jerks his thumb over his shoulder to indicate where they were summoned. Nero can't help but let out a chuckle over how the man ooh'd and aww'd over his naked, confused self. Way to make a guy feel welcome. By throwing a party over his dick.
It isn't and wasn't like that, but whatever.
"And you?"
no subject
"Likewise."
He pulls at the hem of the tunic he'd been given, the one with the strange symbol on it. It represents Strength, he'd been told.
"I'd like my own clothes back," he admits. It sounds like such an inconsequential thing, once he says it aloud... but Link didn't even realize until he'd arrived, stark naked, how sentimental his Champion's garb had become to him.
no subject
He attempts to tuck his hands into his pockets but ends up just rubbing his hands along his tunic instead. Nero makes a mildly annoyed face -- eyes narrowing slightly and lips pursing.
"Right? You know how hard it is to find a jacket that can withstand a week of carnage and still look good?"
The elf wonders if Link actually does. 95% of the elves that he knew were racist xenophobes but overall pacifists, which probably was their saving grace. It was the other 5% that ended up making the news in the land of mortals and humans.
"But, hey, don't feel too bad. The clothes we grow attached to will need to be changed out after a few decades anyway. So, why not take this time to spruce up your style, Cousin?"
no subject
Nero has a point - clothes are just temporary - but that point doesn't do much to quell the looming stress of starting over, all over again.
"Right," Link agrees anyway, resolving to cast that tiny niggle of dejavu and dread aside for the time being. "And our powers will soon return."
That's reassuring to him, at least.
no subject
It is then that Nero drops his smile. He still doubts that his powers will return to him. Oh, he'll be able to use them, but not without wrecking his entire body for doing so. Which, again, begs the question how he is going to go about convincing Link not to use his magic.
Whenever he or another elf uses magic, he gets punished for it. That was why he kept a few countries' distance between him and any elf for the past few decades. There is a limit to how close he can be, but he's never tested it. Who would? He isn't a masochist! He's a sadist, thank you.
"You know, it might not be a good idea for us to use our magic right away." Nero decides to put it like that since he hasn't gauged Link's level of sadism yet. A cheerful and smiling face doesn't mean that the person is a good individual, after all. "I'm not sure about you, but my own can cause quite a bit of destruction."
Not a whole lie, at least.
"These people are trusting in us." As fucking stupid as that is. "At the moment, we're honored guests but any misstep and we could end up in the dungeon or worse... labeled as dangers to society." Which, he would find hilarious, honestly. But not hilarious if his whole body ends a bloody mess because Link casts one spell.
"We don't have any place to fallback on if things get messy. So, it's best to hide what we're capable of, don't you think, Cousin?"
no subject
It makes sense. Many people would be afraid, even though their hosts claimed to know what they were capable of and seemed eager to recruit them for whatever war or battle or - whatever - that they had all been summoned here for. That did not necessarily mean those mages trusted them just yet.
"Maybe you're right," Link concedes, folding his arms over his chest with a small, thoughtful frown. He wishes to tap back into his abilities as soon as possible for very personal reasons, but he doesn't have to use them. "I managed without them for a long time. It won't be a problem."
no subject
He reaches his hands out to first lightly set them on either side of Link's face. It is only a second later that he starts to squish the young elf's face between his palms, attempting to make it so the other's lips purse out with each compression.
"Me too. But boy! I feel bad if they're banishing young ones like you these days." Nero can't help but laugh at the notion. But it's nice that the other is willing to listen to him. "How old are you? Thirties? Forties?"
That's still rather young for elves all things considered. They stop aging as soon as they become adults, so it's often hard to tell how old anyone is.
"What'd ya do to get banished?"
no subject
He isn't exactly used to people, let alone being manhandled. At least Nero isn't as big and as free with his person as a Great Fairy.
"Uh, banished?" Link repeats, obviously only further confused. But, if one wanted to phrase his 100 year sleep in the Shrine of Resurrection that way - it wasn't Not a banishment - but how would Nero know about that? This is all so bizarre.
"I lost a war?"
Eventually Link is going to figure out that they aren't talking about the same thing. He will.
no subject
Of course, even elfin children are able to use one or two mind control spells, it what makes them so precocious!
Nero comically tilts his head to the side. His eyebrows furrowing at Link's confusion. Just as he is attempting to rationalize it, the young elf drops something of a bombshell on him. "You lost a war?"
That is absolutely fucking impossible.
The elves do their best to stay out of all wars; they don't initiate shit with anyone. It's the whole 95% being pacifist racist bastards. Even if the 5% decided to start some campaign, the elves wouldn't call it a war. They'd treat it as something not connected to them. Certainly, a person can have a one-person war -- in One and his case, it's more like a two-person war -- but that's different.
"What do you mean that you lost a war?!"
no subject
There is a niggling little feeling in Link's mind that the two of them are missing each other somehow, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He knows that many of those summoned here come from different worlds, but this man is a fellow Hylian. He'd said so himself.
"You know of the Calamity, 100 years ago...?" Link tries, gesturing with his hands as if setting up a helpful timeline. Calamity Ganon is a scourge that has threatened their world for over 10,000 years, or so he's been told. His memories may be missing, but every Hyrulean he'd ever met knew the tale. "And the hero with the sword that seals the darkness?"
no subject
That is all he can say at first, but he's able to say more.
"100 years ago, the Intoners ruled over everything." Nero can't believe he has to explain this, at all. "There wasn't any war. If you could call a one-sided massacre a war?!" Of course, he wonders if he should get into the whole history lesson, but it seems like he really doesn't have to, because it hits him.
"What the fuck are they telling the whelps back home? Is that how they explain why we're practically endangered?!" And also? "What the fuck do you have to do with the so-called war that happened 100 years ago?"
sdlkfdsfd two pointy-eared idiots walk into a room 😂
'Practically endangered'... also accurate, though he'd never thought to put it in those terms before. It is deeply unsettling.
Link isn't sure he wants to hear what kind of terms Nero uses to describe the hero who failed them. Here he'd thought the older Zora were unforgiving.
"I was asleep for a long time," Link explains - as if that illuminates anything - his voice a little too even in tone, his expression too calm. His fingers curl into fists, itching to grip onto the hilt of his sword and swing until they ache. His sword was taken from him, however. Suddenly, Link feels its absence like a missing limb.
Belatedly, it occurs to him to ask: "Who are the Intoners?"
WHO'S ON FIRST!!
His eyebrows furrow as he can't help but think that's the most extreme reaction to a teenager sleeping in that he's ever heard. What the fuck is going on with the clans? He straightens his posture to look out past Link, like he could actually see where the other elves are. Honestly, he just wants to talk at this point about what fucked-up mentality that they gained in the last hundred years.
"What do you mean who are the Intoners? Are they not explaining that shit?" He jerks backwards as he can't help but be even more surprised that they aren't talked about. Slapping his hand over his forehead, he lets out a loud, pained sigh. "I guess they're all dead now, so there's no reason to remember them. But, I feel like there's something to be said about knowing the history of the world."
His hand slides down his face. "Link, we're going to live a long, long time. We're going to see the world change in ways that humans only wish they can or pleased they can't witness." That means certain things need to be remembered; certain things need to be held onto memory. "Just because something is dead and gone doesn't mean it should be treated as it didn't happen. History can be rewritten however anyone likes, but we are the ones get get to see it with our eyes."
Nero feels his eyes sharpen as he fixes his gaze on the elf. It is so nice to be able to part some wisdom to someone. "Remember it. Treasure it. Hold onto it. History is nothing but memories to us, anyway." He refuses to have things be rewritten to something convenient. He wants it to remain the mess that it actually is. Let it be warped by emotions, but never rewritten into a beautiful story.
"Anyway!" That lesson out of the way. He claps his hands together and continues with answering Link's question. "Intoners. They were the Goddesses of our world. They ruled over everything and with their song... they could tear armies and countries to bloody, bloody ribbons."
He smiles. "We didn't fight against them. We let them take everything. When they attempted to step on our autonomy, we did something... we were too arrogant and got our teeth kicked all the way in. But don't worry... they're all dead and gone, like I said before, and we're still here."
His smile widens. "Get it? We're still here."
Like cockroaches. Elves will keep living and get to continue to watch the world burn around them. So, Link should learn to enjoy it early rather than give into peaceful thinking, right?