TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[abraxasmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the very first 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 here. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.

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.

"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.

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 (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.

There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.

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 great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).

Scenario Two: Imprisoned

The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"

All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."

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). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.

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. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.

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 tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.

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. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.

---

Questions

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.

Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.

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.

Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.

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?
Yes, 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 have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. 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).

Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.

Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.

---

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Comments

eddie dean | the dark tower | sun arcana

[opioid]

1 — meet the cellmates

[ Well, this is about as cooked as his goose is going to get.

No two ways about it, Eddie is fucked. Spit-roasted, to be metaphorical about it. Stranded and locked in a jail cell like a common criminal, if literality is more your jam. It's not Eddie's. Ever since he woke up naked and half-drowning he's been spiralling further and further away from the literal, and he'd rather not come back any time soon. Call it a defence mechanism, call it refusal to accept the truth, but being dragged out of his own world and into another at the heels of a dying gunslinger is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing, or so he'd thought. He really didn't think he'd have to get used to it.

It's not exactly the same, though. First of all, he's clear-headed this time, not bipping and bopping through withdrawal. He's never been so grateful to be sober as a judge, even if there's a funny little voice at the back of his head wondering if he's tripping. Second of all, and most alarmingly, he's alone. No Roland, no Susannah, no Jake, nobody halfway close to familiar. Just a cell stocked with people he doesn't fucking know. ]

a) [ Eddie spends an awful long time sulking in the corner like a kid in a dunce cap at one of those old-timey schools. Maybe he should try to make one out of dirt and dust or something just to complete the look, with this scratchy burlap sack of a tunic and pants that don't sit right on his slim hips. And fucking sandals, as if this is some kind of vacation. He certainly feels like a dunce, but he's not resistant to conversation, not really. If he makes eye contact, he lifts his chin in something of a greeting. ] What're you in for, then? Or do you not know either?

b) [ Roland would have something curt and judgemental to say about the sulking, he knows, and as soon as Eddie has that thought, he whips off one of his pathetic little sandals and propels himself up, stalking over to the bars and thumping furiously at them with the sandal. It's not much of a sound, but it's better than nothing, and Eddie can shout loud enough to really make a scene. ] Hey! Fuckin' hey! You bunch of goddamn scuzzballs, this is inhumane! You ain't even told me my goddamn charges! [ And then, because of course, still thumping on the bars, Eddie starts to really yell. ] Attica! Attica! Attica!

2 — recreation

[ Eddie's a do-er by nature, not content to let things just sit and pass him by, but he's starting to think that a paltry hour of outdoor activity is just doing him more harm than good, making him crave what is being cruelly held from him, doled out in tiny packages.

Still, he'll use the opportunity. Neck craned, eyes narrowed, Eddie scans the yard for any sign of Susannah, who he hopes to God isn't here but wishes fervently that she is, or Jake, for whom Eddie just wants peace and quiet, or Roland, who – well. It'd be a relief to see him.

As he's looking, he folds his arms and tips his head to one side, to talk to whoever's nearby. ] So, you know which prison gang you're gonna join yet? Sharks or Jets?

3 — visits

[ Back in the cell again, Eddie's pacing this time, irritated and wound up by the brief, intangible taste of outdoors now that he's back inside again. He turns a sour face to the bars when he hears feet passing by, expecting to see another fucking guard, but it's not a guard this time, he can see that by the way they're dressed. Moving curiously closer, Eddie wraps a casual hand around a bar and presses his forehead against them, gaze alert. ] If you're down here hoping to see Central Park Zoo, you're in for a whole world of disappointment, my friend.

4 — wildcard

[ hit me up! i'm crowders if you wanna hash something out, otherwise just go crazy. for canon familiar pals, i'm pulling eddie from the start of wizard and glass. ]

3 - visits

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine shakes her head as one of the ones kept down here comes to the bars, dismissing that assumption. No, she isn't here to see the 'prisoners' on exhibit. They're all prisoners, really, some of them just have nicer accommodations. Regardless of what the locals say, she doesn't see any reason to fear the unlucky abductees put in literal cells.]

No. Just...looking around. They're not trying to keep us out of here, no matter how many times they say you're all 'a threat'.

[And again she can't help but wonder what gets someone labeled as such.]

Not that anyone's elaborated on that so far. The natives aren't exactly free with detailed information.

[opioid]

[ Well, that's news to Eddie. His eyebrows shoot up in cautious interest. A threat. ]

I don't feel much like a threat right now. Except to the world of fashion. [ Yuk yuk yuk. ] I mean, what the fuck is this? I feel like I robbed a sack of potatoes.

[ He gestures at his scratchy little outfit, lip curling in disdain. ]

So did you wake up underwater in your birthday suit too? Or is that just for us threats?

[nadine_he_loves]

You don't really look like much of one, either.

[He just looks like any guy she'd see on the street back home. Before the plague, obviously. She can even hear the New York in his voice. It's something of a comfort, she's met more than enough people that didn't even know what America was.]

But I don't know any more than you do. I did get hauled naked out of a well, it was not a great experience. But they've got the rest of us upstairs, in this one part of the castle. We're apparently...I don't know, valuable or important in some way for our great deeds? Which sounds a lot like crazy talk to me - I was an elementary school teacher and I'm pretty sure the most important thing I've ever done is not get sick and die.

[The only other 'deeds' of note to her name were...killing two people. Directly, at least. And marrying Flagg, but those all seem like things that would have her right in that cell with Mr. New York.]

[opioid]

[ Eddie got sick, he wants to tell her. Eddie got sick and he didn't die, and that's probably one of the greatest deeds he's ever done. And yet here he is, behind bars, like he probably would have been if Roland hadn't showed up inside his head that day.

Maybe that's what this is. Maybe the world's gone backwards, Roland and Susannah and Jake and Mid-World and everything else yanked away from him because he doesn't deserve it.

That's crazy talk, of course it is, and Eddie visibly shakes his head as if he's trying to knock the crazy loose. Not least because this jailhouse doesn't look anything like one he'd have been thrown in if the DEA had bagged him that day; it's definitely not some federal prison. Too medieval for that. ]

I bet you inspired some kid to get real good at algebra, [ Eddie says wisely. He's trying not to be dour about this, especially because she seems friendly enough. And really, who is he to doubt that an elementary school teacher has done enough great deeds to not get locked in jail upon arriving in a strange new world? ] And then he turned out to be Albert Einstein.

3 hihihihihiiii

[towerjunkie]

[ Roland's thorough in his exploration of the castle. In particular, he's thorough about finding every vantage point he can get to study what's outside this impressive prison they've been brought to. He doesn't learn as much as he'd like.

So he heads for the dungeons, having heard the others speaking of people brought here just like them, but without the favor of that head magic user. And it seems to be purely the whim of that old wizard Ambrose that separates them. Roland doesn't expect to find any different when he goes to see for himself.

Eddie's Dean's face at a set of bars is unexpected, but only really for the time it takes him to exhale and and murmur by the gods to himself. Then he dropped down to a crouch, putting himself more at eye-level with the man. ]

Jake has spoken of this Central Park Zoo. I'm not so certain you wouldn't be a fitting resident.

[ A teasing remark. More sincere is the way his eyes take in Eddie for signs of mistreatment or malnourishment. ]

HELLO HELLO

[opioid]

[ Is he surprised to see Roland here? No, not really. The first time he met the guy, Roland was inside his head; he gave up being surprised when it comes to Roland a long time ago. So he's not surprised. But that doesn't mean he's not relieved as all hell.

At first he'd just been a figure, someone new and not a guard, and then something about the way he walked, the shape of his shoulders, set a little fire of hope in him. And by the time he's catching that familiar mutter of by the gods he knows exactly who it is, and his heart leaps into his throat, and he clings to the bars like he's going to try to melt them with the heat of his body. ]

Hey, those furry fuckers live in the lap of luxury. I'd kill to get a spot there.

[ He's fine, mostly. Unharmed, of course, except for the fact that his dignity's been beat to hell, but Roland's never seemed particularly concerned by that before. But if Roland's here, then that means the others probably are too. ]

Susannah? Jake?

[towerjunkie]

I've not seen them.

[ He's still looking the man up and down for signs of mistreatment, injury, or infirmity. He's pleased to find few signs of it, and guesses that it's only the man's pride that will really have taken a walloping.

That dignity, in Roland's estimation, used to be worth little more than horse apples. Less than that, for those at least had a use. But Eddie deserves better than this cell, now. ]

Do you know any more than the others of why you're here?

[opioid]

Do I look like I know any more than the others?

[ There's a thread of irritability catching in Eddie's voice now. It's only because it feels like taking a thousand steps back, if they've all been separated and now it's just the two of them again, just Eddie and his old buddy Roland, like those long awful days on the beach between his door and Susannah's. He has to remind himself that Roland isn't his enemy, not here, and sometimes he knows as little as Eddie does, and the consternation is visible on his face a moment later, his brow pulling together in the middle, lips pressed to a flat line, and rather than apologise for the waspishness, Eddie thinks back to what he'd seen and heard immediately after being yanked out, in case any of it is of use to Roland. ]

I woke up in a... fountain, I think. There was this spook dressed in a robe, Ambrose Rhett. He said this was Thorne, the Kingdom of Thorne. He had this big book, I think he found my name in it or something, and then he said...

[ Here Eddie falters, frowning a little, and his gaze shifts away. ]

He said I was "another failure." And then [ — he continues a little too quickly in an attempt to move well past that admission — ] his assistants, there were four of them, gave me clothes and dragged me down here. I tried to ask why they yanked me here in the first place but they didn't give me any straight answers. The only thing they said was that this Ambrose fucker knew something they didn't and he was real pissed off about it. [ A pause, and then he adds, thoughtfully: ] His assistants didn't seem happy with me either but sometimes when he wasn't looking they'd be glaring at him too.

2

[hardcase]

Well, well, fancy seeing you here.

[ Susannah? Roland? Jake? Nope. Just this bastard, grinning his stupid head off once he realizes who he's looking at.

Was he wearing this face when he last saw Roland's little ka-tet? His memory's fuzzy on the best of days and he's taken many forms, so he can't say with one hundred percent certainty. Well, if Eddie doesn't recognize him that'll be a fun game, too. ]

Sharks, by the way. They've got the better name.

[opioid]

[ Fancy seeing him here indeed.

Eddie has no fucking idea who this grinning loon is, but just looking at him makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He's heard through the grapevine that magic's about as powerful in the prison as a fart in the wind, so whoever this guy is it's not some low-level thrum of power that's making Eddie's teeth sting. It must just be good old-fashioned instinct.

A warning tugs at the back of his skull. He knows you, Eddie, otherwise he wouldn't have said that. Be careful. Keep your guard up. But play dumb, you're good at that. ]

Choosing your gang allegiance just based on the name? That's bold.

[hardcase]

It's as good of a method as any other. I could also do a coin toss. Or - [ He licks his lips. ] - leave it to ka, like my dear old friend.

[ His dearest and oldest friend, although Roland would certainly object to being called anything of the sort. If the gunslinger could see him caged like this he'd almost certainly be making a case for his immediate execution.

One less vile thing in the world. No great loss. But, as always, Flagg wouldn't make it easy. ]

[opioid]

[ A shiver runs all the way down Eddie's spine like a single ice-cold finger, with the same teeth-stinging feeling as nails on a chalkboard. Ka – from any other mouth it'd be relief or celebration from Eddie. He'd called it ka-ka for a while, but there's a fondness for the word inside him now that he doesn't really want to lose, wouldn't give up for anything. It's comforting, somehow. Ka.

From any other mouth, yes, Eddie would have grinned, slapped this guy on the shoulder and said Well, welcome to the nuthouse, buddy, just how long are you staying? But there's something about this guy that Eddie doesn't like. Maybe he's just reading too much into it, but he feels like he's... not exactly up shit creek without a paddle, but he's getting to be that way, like any moment soon he's going to turn around and realise he dropped his paddle somewhere back there, and what's that up in the distance? Oh, it's just shit creek, and the current's driving him right towards it.

Fancy seeing you here, he'd said. And then, like my dear old friend. In any other lifetime he would've assumed it a coincidence, but it's like the man said. Leave it to ka.

Eddie squints. ]

Your dear old friend wouldn't happen to have a name that starts with 'R' and ends with 'oland', would he?

1b

[gunbunny]

I don't think she's here, friend- or he? They?

[It wasn't a familiar name so he couldn't be sure, but seeing how the only yelling back was people telling the man in the cell across from him to shove it, Jesper was pretty confident in his assertion.]

But there's new folks every few hours, still a chance Attica'll show.

[opioid]

[ Eddie's been so goddamn pissed about this whole situation that he hasn't really had time to see the humour in it, but for some reason, the mood he's in, that seems like just about the funniest goddamn thing he's ever heard. He cuts off mid-Attica!, and for a moment he doesn't say a fucking thing, and then he's bent double laughing as if this guy just told the world's funniest joke. He even slaps his thigh once or twice.

Jesus fucking wept, he must look insane.

It takes a minute for him to calm himself down, and then he blows out a heavy breath and straightens up, clearing his throat. ]

Thanks for screwing my head on straight, buddy. Boy, did I need that.

[gunbunny]

[Granted, Jesper knew he was hilarious, along with devilishly handsome and charming, but he also knew a bit of a breakdown when he saw one. Couldn't blame the man. They'd shown up sans their skivvies in a pond, been clapped in irons, and thrown in jail without so much as a rant about their evils and crimes. So he just sits back and waits as the man collects himself again.]

Happy to be of service. You're a breath of fresh air yourself, so far these lot seem strangely resistant to my obvious charms.

[opioid]

Ah, most people wouldn't know charm if it kicked 'em in the nuts, my man.

[ Wise words indeed. Eddie hooks a hand around a nearby bar so he can pick up his bare foot and shove his sandal back on. Outfit complete, he gets back on both feet in time to stare wistfully into the middle distance, shaking his head as if in dismay at the state of things. ]

That's the curse of being a charming son of a bitch surrounded by wet blankets.

1b

[girl_at_the_window]

[Susan Delgado is having a bad day. Given how it started, though, bad is better than she could have hoped for. Bad is still big enough to encompass alive.]

[She can't say, mind, that she's all too happy to find herself, for the third time in a single day, imprisoned. This prison is, too, a worse place than the last: this cell is purpose-built, and she can't imagine that there's any Olive or Maria coming to unlock it any time soon. Nor will her Roland be coming for her. Susan doesn't want to believe he's dead (doesn't want to, but on some level, believes it anyway), but she's damned sure that this place is past his reaching. Well, she's done one jailbreak this week - no reason not to try for a second.]

[Hence her silence for the past while, as she methodically tests the strength of each bar. Her back is turned to the others, her jaw set. As the minutes pass, the tension in the teenager's shoulders becomes more and more clear, her teeth starting to grind.]

[There's another thing that makes Hart Thorin's storeroom a sight better than this cell. In the storeroom, nobody was yelling.]

[Susan Delgado is having a bad day. Susan Delgado is holding herself together with a few threads of self-control. And Susan Delgado is getting really pissed off with this screaming.]

[After a few minutes of Attica! (whatever in blue fuck that means), she wheels on him, grey eyes narrowed, fists clenching.]

God and the Man Jesus, they ain't about to let 'ee out for bursting their eardrums, so will 'ee shut the fuck up?

[opioid]

[ Eddie expected to ruffle some feathers with his display of hoarse-throated yelling that'd put Pacino himself to shame, but what he didn't expect was to feel genuinely castigated, and by a teenage girl at that. Of course, the last thing he needs to do here or anywhere is underestimate anyone because of age or gender or any other damn thing he can see about them from first glance.

But he's not underestimating her. Not really. He just didn't expect it, that's all.

It shows on his face, a look of pure surprise, eyebrows shooting up into his hair, and reflexively he takes a step back. Atti— he'd managed before she spoke, and when she did he'd swallowed the last syllable, the ca. ]

They're not gonna let me out but they might pay a scrap of fuckin' attention to me. [ It's stubborn, defensive, as if he hadn't spent a few seconds just staring at her and feeling cowed. ] This is... [ He gestures intently with his both, flinging them up and around. ] It's against the Geneva Convention, is what it is!

[ For someone who isn't one hundred percent sure on what the Geneva Convention is, Eddie sounds incredibly confident about that. He thinks it has something to do with the humane treatment of prisoners of war, so it sort of fits. ]

[girl_at_the_window]

[She doesn't know what geneva means, or what it has to do with jails, or indeed what any of the conventions of his world (because this is another world, somehow, has to be) are. Frankly, she doesn't care, because there's a few things she does know about prison, and they're enough to make her fix him with an even more scathing look, folding her arms.]

Sure. Give 'ee a scrap of attention, and a bloody nose for the trouble. And when they break your jaw to shut you up, I ain't helping 'ee.

[She sighs, giving the (unfortunately solid) bar she was working at one final shake for good measure, and sinks down onto the nearest bunk, watching him.]

So long as they remember to feed us and water us, I'd guess the less attention they pay us, the better.

3 (canonpoint is probably just as she goes through the unfound door)

[ohsusannahmio]

... Eddie?

[That's a voice that ought to be immediately familiar to Eddie Dean and if he casts his gaze down, he'll be able to see his wife's own face staring at him with an expression of heartbreak and amazement both from the other side of the bar. The person behind her that Eddie had seen first, the one that wasn't a guard, shrugs and moves on, while Susannah Dean rests on her leg stumps in front of Eddie's cell, holding herself almost preternaturally still.]

But you're...

[opioid]

[ Oh, thank Christ.

He'd know her voice anywhere, and there's no fumbling to work out where it came from – he looks down immediately, and there she is, resplendent even in this awful place. He gets to her level in an instant, fingers slipping between the bars, hoping to touch her face. Earlier he'd wished to see her, so badly that it ached, but he'd hoped to anyone who was listening that she wasn't also locked up behind bars. An honoured guest, at the very least.

And here she is now, free to go where she pleases. The relief is palpable, like a wave over him. His gaze isn't just loving but alert, scanning over her like he's checking to see she's still in one piece. ]

Innocent, I know. I didn't do nothin' to nobody. Are you alright?

[ohsusannahmio]

I-- Don't know. Yes. No. Maybe. Eddie... what's the last thing you remember?

[She looks-- worried. Stressed. A little bit scared.]

It's just-- I don't think they drew us here from exactly the same time. There's a girl here, Nadine, from 2021.

2

[chaos_and_curls]

Good question. Neither of them can dance as well as I can. I'm more in a league of my own. [a smile] And who might you be in this world of filth and chains?

[opioid]

Well, when you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way, y'know? From your first cigarette... yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah.

So you're striking out on your own, huh. That's bold, my friend, very bold indeed.