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ABRAXAS MODS ([personal profile] abraxasmods) wrote in [community profile] abraxasooc2022-01-20 09:31 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #5

TEST DRIVE MEME

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

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

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

Arrival

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

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

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

Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Finally!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scenario Two: Welcome to Cadens

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

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

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

"Sorry about the circumstances."

She gives you a good hard look before standing again.

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

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

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

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

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

For your own safety.

Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn

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

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

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

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

She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Questions


How many slots are open?
Currently, there are 23 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 without restriction.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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a_better_man: (fuck me)

Mat Cauthon - Wheel of Time - Wheel of Fortune - Thorne Arrival

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-20 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
1 - First Impressions

At first, Mat was terrified. The darkness, the threat of drowning, the circle of strangers and the ritual room he found himself pulled into. The only immediate thoughts in his mind were they had found him, his worst fears had been right, he'd fucked up in staying behind and now he was as good as dead...

Only that was all wrong. This is not the White Tower and these are not Aes Sedai. Nowhere close. The rush of new information has done little to ease his fear of confusion, honestly only added to the latter. None of it makes any sense - he's never heard of any place called Thorne, can't comprehend that there's a place where men can call on the One Power and use it without consequence. His questions and protests have mostly been dismissed, and the answers given don't make any sense. He doesn't know a damned thing about magics or relics or any of that. And being told he's important...he's special...

That's how this whole mess started in the first place. Joke's on them, he supposes. He's a miserable savior. When it comes down to the wire and the pressure is on, Mat Cauthon fucks off. Only it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy to do that here, in a place he doesn't know hardly anything about. Why'd they have to grab him? If his soul is the one he suspects - and the rest suspect as well, he knows they do - then these people just hammered the last nail in their coffin. He meant what he'd said to Moiraine - the world doesn't need a Dragon like him. This world doesn't, either. Bad things happen where-ever he goes.

But maybe that's all wrong. He does feel better than he has in months. Maybe it all had just been the dagger, and the only thing marking him as 'special' was being ta'veren. If that's the case, this is a damned odd place the Wheel decided he needed to be.

He'll figure something out. He always does. For now...

They've given him finer clothes than he's ever had in his life, and promised a bed and food free of any charge. While he knows it's too good to be true, there's a catch - they want something, of course, they always want something from him - he's not so stupid as to not take advantage. When was the last time he could afford a full meal? And they've said he has freedom to roam the castle, and the city it stands over. May as well poke around a bit.

So here he is, a tall and lanky young man in the white silk tunic and trews the mages gave him, the sign of the Wheel of Fortune emblazoned on his tunic. He's roaming the halls of the accessible parts of the castle, opening whatever doors will open and poking his head out windows to get a proper lay of the land.



2 - Dining Hall


"This is really all just free for the taking, then?"

Mat stares at the laden table, sure he's mistaken. There's more than enough there to feed the whole of his little mountain village! There has to be something more to it, no one just gives food away. But he is no fool, and light knows where he'll be tomorrow, so for now...take advantage while he can.

With a furtive glance around, as though he's sure to be stopped any moment, Mat descends on the table. He doesn't even bother with a plate or utensils, simply grabs a roasted bird leg in one hand and a round of bread in the other, already tearing bits off both with his teeth as he sits. Even as he settling himself at the table he's looking at the other dishes, overwhelmed with the sheer bounty before him.

And it's good! No gristle or stringy meat, no wood powder to cut the flour in the bread. He devours what's in his hands eagerly, messily, not giving one good damn about the crumbs and grease in his beard. He reaches for more, finally at least taking a plate and piling the food on...though now and then his hand dips into his tunic, stashing bread away for later.

Just in case....



3 - Settling In


These were apparently the quarters for people like him. The stolen folk. Mat's not sure what else to think of it as, he was stolen away from his home and life like some unlucky child in a gleeman's story. He's still cautious, still unsure. Kindness like this never comes without a price. But light damn it, he's tired and the last decent bed he'd had he hadn't even been able to enjoy. He approaches one of the open doors, shoulders hunched forward and fingers twisting a bit of thread he'd pulled from somewhere, peering in.

"They said any free bed's up for grabs..."

Those. Those are much nicer beds than the ones at the Green Door. Nicer than any bed he's ever laid eyes on. High and plush and curtained...and this is what they give their freeloading stolen folk? How wealthy is this country?
Edited 2022-01-20 18:22 (UTC)
funbreaker: (pic#14106056)

2!

[personal profile] funbreaker 2022-01-21 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
At this point Thancred has done a cursory search of the castle, at least those areas of it that are not heavily guarded, which means that it's about time to ease up enough to tend to vital needs such as sustenance. In truth, his appetite has yet to return to him, but he knows better than to deprive himself of food when he's in an unknown and unpredictable situation.

The veritable feast is enough to raise some warning bells, however. He's been treated with respect since his arrival, like a welcome guest, and yet he can't help but view the castle as a gilded cage of sorts. As he lifts up a piece of bread to inspect it, he notices another man partway down the table who's devouring the offerings fervently.

It's not hard to recognize the behavior of someone who doesn't know when their next meal is coming. It was another lifetime now, but Thancred used to live that way, scrabbling for every bite he could pilfer.

That thought alone is enough to send him over to the occupied stranger, likely also newly arrived if he was to hazard a guess.

"The food isn't like to sprout legs and run away from you." He offers the light greeting, and then adds for good measure, "You may want to slow down."

Eating that much with a stomach unaccustomed to it can only end in tragedy.
a_better_man: (unsure)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Mat's eyes flick upwards even as his brows draw down in suspicion. He knows he's not the only poor bastard to have been hauled out of the ether, but he's yet to see a familiar face or hear a familiar accent among them. This time's no different, there's nothing familiar about the man.

Unceremoniously, Mat scrubs his sleeve across his face and pauses in his eating.

"Those sound like the words of a man who eats proper meals on the regular."

This could all be gone come tomorrow and he's been barely eating for the last month. He needs his fuel, needs to put a little more meat on his bones.

"Anyhow, don't know what the price is going to end up being, so I want to make sure I get my metaphorical money's worth while I can."
funbreaker: (pic#14106043)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2022-01-22 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
There is the confirmation of what Thancred had already suspected, and he nods in concession of the stranger's point. "At the moment, yes," he replies, a mild implication that there have been times in his life where that was not the case, but he isn't here to pry too deeply.

There is a pause of consideration before he reaches out to grab a mini quiche, taking care that it is not from any of the serving plates that the other man's been focused on. There's enough to go around, surely, but he knows that one's thoughts are not necessarily rational when half-starved.

"Fair enough," he says with a roll of one shoulder. "I also happen to know that overeating after going without for some time can only lead to tragedy. 'Tis the only reason I saw fit to caution you."

Yet he also wonders what the catch is here, and how they'll be asked to repay all this hospitality. After taking a bite of his quiche, Thancred adds, "I assume you arrived by the same means that I did? Pulled out of some fountain in the altogther?"
a_better_man: (tired)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-22 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Risk and reward," Mat quips, in reference to overeating. Of course he'll be suffering for it later, but it's worth it. He'd rather like to see what it's like to feel sick stuffed full of food, as opposed to being empty.

"And yeah, that's how they got me. One moment I'm on the road minding my own business, the next...naked and dripping wet in a ritual chamber. Hell of a welcome, that."

But, he supposes, if he was going to be plucked up and diverted from his plans, this is better than some possibilities. He's not stupid enough to think Moiraine would just forget about him. Still. The implications of his being taken are not wonderful. He thinks it has to say something, that he has been taken but Rand and Perrin are assumedly still back home, on their way to the lands where the Blight swallows the world.

The prophesied one could only be one of them, after all. And he knows he's the most likely candidate. But that's his business, and anyhow, it could all be some mistake.

"Can't fathom what they'd want from me."
funbreaker: (pic#14106041)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2022-01-24 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Thancred has already delivered his warning and this stranger is clearly aware of the risks of what he's doing. There's no point in pushing it any further than that, so he simply continues to nibble on the available finger food as they have their conversation.

It appears that the means of summoning is similar for all of them, and so Thancred can only assume that the fountain had served as part of the ritual. What significance that bears he could hardly say, and it would not be the first time since his arrival that he wished to have either Y'shtola or Urianger at his side to shed some light on the situation.

Thancred literally chews over the question implied by the stranger for a few ticks. "Well, they told me that they had somehow heard of my exploits from across the stars." That is not a comfort in any sense of the term, but he keeps his tone calm as he continues on. "Given their propensity for magick here, I cannot begin to imagine what use I would serve them either, unless they are looking to grow their ranks in other areas."

Truly, 'tis bad comedy. Why him?

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chosenfordarkness: (whip stone dull hi)

3

[personal profile] chosenfordarkness 2022-01-21 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
The provided quarters are more luxurious than he'd anticipated, though he can't really say what he'd expected after being pulled from the water. Not any of this, for sure. This was all... beyond him, and it feels remarkably like being doused in ice-cold water or having a rug pulled from under your feet. At the very least, it's giving him time to think and too much time to process what he'd been doing before he got here.

Anakin's pulled sharply out of his own head by an unfamiliar voice. He hadn't really been looking at anything, sitting on his bed with his elbows on his knees, staring past the cobbled pattern of the floor. He grunts in response, motioning to the unoccupied beds.

"Nobody's come to claim those that I've seen." He gives the newcomer a once-over, analyzing him. "I'm assuming you're new, too."
a_better_man: (unsure)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Whatever gave it away?"

The words lack much sarcastic venom, Mat's attention more on the empty beds than the fellow occupying one. But it's easy to spot the others, they're all in the same damned uniform after all. He hovers in the doorway a few more moments, finally giving a proper look to the room's current inhabitant. Looks about his age, probably, nothing immediately threatening about him. Just another poor bastard going through the same madness.

Mat even manages a quick nod of acknowledgement before his eyes slide away again.

There are open beds, and he's taking one. He crosses the room and tosses himself down with a grateful sigh. Blood and ashes, what the hell was the mattress stuffed with? He practically sinks into the bedding as he stretches out, flat on his back, long limbs splayed to either side of him. He's never felt a bed like this. He's heard that fancy lords and ladies in far away lands slept on feather stuffed beds...was that what it is?

"This bed's officially been claimed in the name of Mat. Fuck me, I feel like I could sleep for a week."
chosenfordarkness: (tad swat cheese head)

[personal profile] chosenfordarkness 2022-01-21 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
"I'd say it's the general look of uncertainty that does it."

His gaze follows the other new guy over to his chosen bed for lack of much else to do, but he's hoping to get a bit of a read on him. He certainly doesn't carry himself like someone who could be a potential threat. Anakin can't really say he's come across many of them since getting here. None that really cause him concern, he's faced bigger, badder droids.

"Well, nobody's stopping you. Good to meet you, Mat. Anakin Skywalker."
a_better_man: (disbelief)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Turning his head, Mat shifts his lanky frame to look at the fellow who's identified himself as Anakin Skywalker. That's a name that sounds like it came right out of the Age of Legends. But Anakin doesn't exactly look like a hero of olden days. He looks...well, more or less like a lad from any village around where Mat grew up.

It's both comforting and painful.

"You've got a very low base line for what counts as 'good'. So they nabbed you, too, eh? Any idea why?"

Oh yes, they'd given Mat the speech on how he's important, they need him, all of that horseshit. Nothing new there. But, much like Moiraine had first been, they were very lacking in any actual details. Odds are high this one knows about as much as he does, but he at least ought to know something about who he's going to be sharing his room with. He's never had privacy before, but at least he's always known who he's bunking down with.
chosenfordarkness: (mails drip her)

[personal profile] chosenfordarkness 2022-01-21 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
He sits back, leaning against one of the posts, watching Mat. He's interesting at least, and the humor is appreciated. Anakin huffs out a laugh, shrugging a shoulder.

"You don't know the half of it." Well, that's an intense line of questioning and he reaches up to rub the back of his neck, thinking about how to handle that.

"Probably the same thing they told you. We're meant to help them save their world and we were summoned with a purpose. I'm not really interested in being their pawn." He feels that ugly pull of resentment and the it's not fair threatening to come out. Things haven't been his idea of fair in a long damn time.

"They tell you anything about your arcana?"

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londonbound: (nine.)

1.

[personal profile] londonbound 2022-01-21 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
There are a great many doors for the opening in Castle Thorne, even if one only sticks to the North Wing where the Summoned reside. Some lead to bedrooms or ballrooms, gardens or game halls. Some lead to... naked men.

That is to say: the baths.

Mat is met with a waft of fragrant steam curling from the chamber inside, which opens up into the beautifully tiled, magically supplied communal baths that the Summoned are all welcome to use. Currently, Rhy seems to be the only one occupying the smaller, more secluded bathing chamber that Mat has stumbled into (perhaps he wandered through the shared, large pool or found a side door all his own).

The former prince looks up, amber eyes momentarily wide, but he is only startled for a moment. He blinks, then smiles, raising a hand out of the water to wave in both hello and invitation.

"What are you gawping at?" His voice is imperial, but airy. Amused, but not unkind. "Do you plan to join me or not?"
a_better_man: (eager excitement)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Mat's heard of the bathing chambers in the great palaces of the cities of Andor and Cairhien. Manmade pools big enough to swim in, heated water, all of that. But it's long been the thing of fantasy, the nicest 'bath' Mat's ever had access to is a bucket and cloth by the fire. Even at the inn in Tar Valon, there hadn't been money for a proper bath.

He'd been told there were bath chambers for folks like him, and been given a vague direction. Hoping for maybe an actual tub, or even a large basin, he's entirely unprepared for what greets him when he thinks he has the right door. He's come at it from the side, bypassing the main communal chamber, but he doesn't even realize that. This is...blood and ashes! That's a whole fucking pool, big enough to fit a handful of people at once! And there's steam rising from it, and it smells of things Mat can't place but smell good! Is this what real soap smells like?

"The bath is what I'm gawking at! I've never seen one like this... You're damned right I'm going to join you! Might never leave!"

Mat's never had a private bath in his life, he has no shame about sharing. Even with a stranger. His arrival to this world had gotten the worst of the dirt and travel and sickness grime off of him, but it hadn't been a bath. He eagerly strips off the silk tunic and trousers they'd given him and slips into the sunken pool opposite the man already occupying it.

A low, long sigh escapes him as he settles himself in the water. It even somehow feels softer than the water at home, more pleasant...maybe it's only that he's never had this hot a soak before. The ponds in spring and summer were hardly what anyone could call warm.
londonbound: (eight.)

[personal profile] londonbound 2022-01-25 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
What a reaction to... the bath. For a moment, Rhy flatters himself thinking it's him that the man's staring at, and oftentimes it's the correct assumption, but he realizes quickly that it really is just the whole bath chamber. And the newcomer is staring at it like he's walked into a happy dream.

Rhy laughs. The reaction is, frankly, adorable.

Of course, he understands that many people have never seen bath chambers so opulent, and that he's been very lucky to have bathed in similar splendor all his life. So he doesn't tease, merely enjoying the fact he's able to witness a smile like that on the cute stranger.

"I'm the last person who'd advocate for an attractive man to leave my bath. At least not without me." Rhy cocks his head with a rakish grin, making no secret of the way he's watching the other disrobe. If he's rebuffed, he'll think about that then; for now, he enjoys the view.

"You must be one of the newly Summoned."
a_better_man: (unsure)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-25 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
There's no rebuke from Mat. Considering it's been months since he had regular meals, and most of those months were spent walking and riding, he'll take it as a compliment. The flight from Two Rivers has left his naturally lean frame bordering on sickly. Hopefully he'll have a chance to put some meat back on while he's here. But he's certainly not going to begrudge anyone who appreciates the fact that he's a very handsome lad.

"Is that what you call us? Yeah, just had my ass hauled out of some mystic pool."

Unfortunate welcome, that. But it makes sense, in a way. They'd likely want their kidnap victims biddable and disoriented. Easier to control that way. Hell, it works. Mat hadn't put up a fight, he'd been too confused and frightened to even try.

And now there's no point.

"Still sorting out my situation, as it were."
londonbound: (twenty-one.)

[personal profile] londonbound 2022-01-26 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
Rhy nods. He slides a little closer along the bench, leaning back against the stone and propping a heel up on the edge of it, resting his elbow atop. His head tips, observing his new companion curiously.

"Yes. We have been Summoned. Though for what, precisely, is unclear. I've been here two months, and I'm still sorting. You'll be at it for a while, I'm afraid."

He offers a sympathetic smile.

"I'm Rhy. And you are?"

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leitstern: (Hysterical)

1

[personal profile] leitstern 2022-01-21 10:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Jasper stares at the weighty tome balanced upon his lap. His indulgence in researching this nation's history is poor distraction from circumstances preceding his arrival. His appearance in this land both a blessing and a curse.

The bedside chair he occupies is firm and supportive; its high back upholstered in silk with a cushion beneath his body. Light streams through the window behind his chair - offering a fine view of the land for anybody willing to walk over and look. He turns his shoulder to feel the sun upon his face but jerks back when the door opens to admit a stranger. He feels like someone has thrown a pail of icewater against his bare back - and sounds like it too.]


It is a pleasure to have company but really you ought knock first. Or do you intrude into one's personal quarters on a whim?

[His cold voice reveals how it is rather unthrilling to have company at all.]
a_better_man: (pleasant)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
You want a knock, lock the door.

[Mat doesn't seem bothered by the idea he's just interrupted someone while exploring. An open door is practically an invitation - and an 'open' door is anything without latch or bar in use. Fellow wanted privacy, should have taken steps to ensure it.]

And unless you're a native, which I don't think you are, these quarters belong to our mysterious hosts. We just get to use them as compensation for kidnapping.

[He stays in the doorframe, taking up a good deal of its length with his scrawny height, long arms crossed. Mat's curious about the others, the ones taken like him. None of them have come from his home, as far as he can tell.]
leitstern: (Homesick)

[personal profile] leitstern 2022-01-21 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah yes. The unfortunate truth that these "personal quarters" are hardly so personal at all.

Jasper bristles in his chair. He angles forward with his hands grasping the arms - and promptly collapses backwards. Intrusion is bothersome enough that he grits his teeth. He looks down at the floor in thought and finds he can hardly bother himself to rise out his chair to escape it.

Perhaps he ought be grateful this gentleman is at least refusing to block the light of the window.]


Compensation indeed! I am certain that cheers everyone up.
a_better_man: (unsure)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
It's better than I got last time my life was uprooted by mysterious powerful magic folk.

[Fleeing his home, possession, sleeping on the ground...this is at least a step up from the last few months. But it only smooths over the upset so much - and the distrust not at all. But he'll take advantage of it, all the nice things these people of Thorne are so generous with.

Mat watches the other fellow a moment, as though sizing him up. While he supposes he's a bit more inclined to trust the others in the same boat as him, he is not generally a trusting sort. Everyone's out for their own agenda, after all.]


You alright?
leitstern: (Accord)

[personal profile] leitstern 2022-01-21 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Perfectly fine, I dare say. Though I do fear with this current season there is little chance of warmth.

[The cold light of the sun reminds him of the warmth beating down upon his homeland. He had never expected to miss it dearly. Hardly knows whether he has the right to miss it at all. He remains ensconed in his chair and regards the man with a curious eye.]

What about yourself?

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itookashot: (pic#14855146)

2.

[personal profile] itookashot 2022-01-21 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"I know, right?"

Jesper replies with a mixture of incredulity and delight when he settles down across from Mat to figure out what to snatch for his own meal. He's only seen this much food once or twice and it's definitely not typical for anyone in the Barrel. It's good too, not that he has the most discernible taste when it comes to anything that he can shove down his throat. He doesn't eat as much as Mat but he happily chews on a bird leg and glances around.

It's very shiny here, that's the first thing he noticed. Shiny and rich. His hands itch to start getting sticky and see what he can get away with. There's no guns at his sides which is for him the absolute worst part of this situation, but if he was reliant on guns alone, he wouldn't be any good to his gang. (Though some might say he isn't without them.) (Like Kaz.)

He watches Mat really go at it with some sympathy, he's seen people properly starved before, there's been lean months for him in the past. He's dark skinned and gray eyed, tall and skinny, and currently wearing the most boring clothes he's worn in years. The Wheel of Fortune sign is on his own tunic, something he notes and points his fork at.

"Oh hey, we match. Any idea what that is?"
a_better_man: (pleasant)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
A nod is offered in return at first, Mat glad to acknowledge someone else who appreciates what an odd and miraculous circumstance this is. And it's just a bit of a comfort, seeing other folks around his age.

But he does, eventually, begin to slow down. No one's come to chase him off, there's seemingly no time limit on eating... He's halfway through a bite when the fellow across from his speaks, and he nods again, more enthusiastically this time. He holds up a finger so as not to talk with his mouth full - he has some manners.

"Wheel of Fortune. Didn't ask much about it, had other things I wanted to know - not that I got many answers. Something about an arcana, we've all got one. But I like the sound of it, the Wheel of Fortune."

Maybe it's a kinder Wheel than the one that guides his world.
itookashot: (pic#14855158)

[personal profile] itookashot 2022-01-21 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Jesper's used to be in an entire gang made up of youths, although until recently always ruled by a man his Da's age, and there have always been people who underestimated the Dregs due to their age. To their detriment. But he prefers that too, old people exhaust him. So judgy and grumpy.

He waits patiently along his fingers have a tendency to tap over the surface of the table, nervous energy expended in some way. Jesper is rarely still, although it's easier to be without his Grisha skills eating away at him. He was told they'd be back, although he didn't acknowledge he had any. His eyes brighten at the explanation for the side, grinning.

"That suits me then, I'm a gambler. Well, not currently, but I do like fortunes and what comes along with it." That's why he is enjoying the glory of this place without much criticism. He never gets pampered, alright, and he was looking forward to a little of it back home, but here he is. "I'm Jesper Fahey."
a_better_man: (grinning)

[personal profile] a_better_man 2022-01-21 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Mat's own eyes light up in turn. Well now!

"Oh yeah? As it happens, the dice and I are very good friends." Usually. More often than not, at least. But it seems like he's met something of a kindred spirit. His interest is piqued and his attention shifts fully from the feast to the fellow.

"Mat Cauthon. Wonder what sort of gambling they've got around here. I've heard there's places that use cards, or bones. And I bet there's taverns, down in the city. I haven't been yet."

Depending on how things are in the morning, he'll probably make the trip tomorrow. Not that he has any coin or possessions, but that's never stopped him before. A few charming words and a pleasant smile can go a long way.

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