TEST DRIVE MEME #4

[expiationmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME #4

Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and some horror elements. We ask that top-level comments are reserved for new characters and players looking to experience a taste of the world and overarching storyline. Characters already in the game, however, are free to use TDM prompts in their own catch-alls and logs. Feel free to submit any TDM / prompt-related questions to the corresponding comment below.

New players / characters looking to app are free to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Preexisting players / characters may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs.

You may find the below link helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.

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AS OF AUGUST 2023: We have decided to reduce the waiting period for new updates / canons to two months. So if your canon is two months old, your character is appable as of now.

The last thing you recall is waking in a room of blinding white light. You hear voices around you, speaking in muffled tones; you get the distinct impression that they’re talking about you. And you’re on the verge of figuring out what they’re saying, you’re so close...but then the floor drops out from under you. You’re falling into blackness.

You come to after falling through this dark void, and when your vision clears, you find yourself on a…beach? Many wake up covered in sand, but some wake in the shallows of the ocean, too. Surf’s up!

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...

SAND AND SALT (ARRIVALS)

     

After dusting off the sand (or drying off with a towel, if they had a really rude awakening), newcomers to the area find themselves greeted by the locals and directed to the city of Aldrip, where they can find food, shelter, and dry clothing, should they need it. There's mention of an inn, though some mutter that it's getting a little crowded, so maybe characters should find a roommate or make nice with the locals so they can crash on their floor—at least temporarily. Once they're in town, they'll notice that there is plenty of construction going on: building materials everywhere, half-finished structures waiting to be finished. Maybe you won't be sleeping on the floor for too long, after all.

Those who choose to remain on the beach will find the locals setting up for something that looks like a festival. Colorful tents are anchored in the sand, filling with strange-looking goods, delicious-smelling food, games, and other activities. Locals call this the "Festival of the Sun," a celebration of the hottest days of the summer, where crops begin to swell bountifully and the seas become warm and refreshing. The festival has not yet begun, of course, and there is plenty of opportunity to help out. Chosen who wish to lend a hand will find themselves enlisted to help set up or decorate tents—or even to run some of them, if they're so inclined. Grab the balloons and streamers! (Or…colored scarves and flowers, maybe.)

---

FESTIVAL OF THE SUN

     

The festival kicks into gear in the afternoon, and there are plenty of activities to draw attention. There are boat racing competitions and a sandcastle contest, as well as a grand seashell hunt taking place on the beach. All of these are free to enter, and the contests offer prizes both for participation and for winning. Participation prizes are small tokens of memorabilia: seashells, shark teeth, dried flowers, things like that. Contest winners will find themselves gifted a refreshing treat or a free meal.

Other tents boast all sorts of different games, food, and trinkets for purchase. Merchants will accept coins or other goods in exchange, but if you find your pockets empty, they may also have to help work the booths if they need a well-earned break. Better get to work, and don't forget to give your most winning smile!

Later in the evening, the locals light a bonfire and host traditional songs and dances as the sun begins to set. All clean-up work will be left until the morning; according to Those Who Were There—the locals' patron deities, apparently, though they offer little information about them—it's bad luck to work this evening after the sun sets.

THIS IS ECOLOGY

MAKE A FRIEND

     

It seems there have been new additions to Aldrip and the surrounding areas. Even the locals are surprised to see large, flightless warking birds now charging around the meadowlands in packs, not to mention the cute piglets with bunny ears and other strange animals that seem to have appeared. There’s even something that looks like it’s made of rock roaming around–its bark is worse than its bite, though. You may even find that if you befriend them, you can ride on them.

Most are harmless, but Chosen may find a few more monsters than usual roaming the area, too. It seems best to be careful—especially after dark and in the forest, when some of these creatures feel emboldened to roam a little closer to civilization.

[[WILDCARD: Players can use anything from this post to interact with! It doesn’t even have to be the ones we mentioned in the prompts.]]

---

STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS

     

It's not just animals that have begun to appear in the area, either. Strange new flowers and plants seem to be cropping up everywhere, as if this is a normal habitat for them. Most of them don't seem harmful, although some of the vines can be a little…aggressive. However, getting too close to some of the flowers and mushrooms could give someone a nasty surprise. This is particularly unfortunate because the locals seem quite interested in the new additions to their town, encouraging the Chosen to investigate and acquire samples.

The pollen from these new flowers isn't normal, so Chosen won't find themselves sneezing too much. Unfortunately, they may find it has some other effect on them, such as sleeping, confusion, temporary loss of sense (sight, touch, taste, etc), powerlessness, forgetfulness, or inability to speak. While these are all examples of effects the pollen might have, this is certainly not a limitation. Just about anything you can come up with—within reason—is fair game.

STRANGE MACHINATIONS

A PILE OF JUNK

     

Ask the locals, and they'll tell you all about the recent trip to the desert, including how several of them were rescued and owe the Chosen a debt of gratitude. While they're repaying this debt mostly by way of helping with building projects, they've also brought back piles and piles of…broken technology. Mostly tablets: dirty, sandy, scratched up, and missing critical components like batteries and chargers. They've very kindly piled all of these things in the eating hall at the inn, and anyone who wants to check them out is welcome to do so. It's possible that cleaning them up and matching them up with their missing components will activate them, but you may have to sift through a whole pile to do so.

But activation does not necessarily mean they're in perfect working order. They may randomly beep, as if pinging off of certain locations, or make strange static sounds if they're turned on for too long. Some of them seem to ping off of each other, too, beeping more quickly as they're brought nearer to the other tablet they seem to be paired with. When connected to the pair, they seem to stabilize a bit more. Not enough to find anything of value in the system itself, but characters might find that they can now text each other, play one of the games, or send pictures on a local network.. After about ten feet of distance, they fail again and aren’t able to be used on the local network.

---

GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

     

Whatever happened to the locals at the beginning of the month seems to have passed—mostly. Every so often, Chosen might notice the locals acting a little strangely, stopping what they're doing for a second as if they've forgotten something, repeating something they've already said, or even flickering in and out of existence.

These experiences are minor, but Chosen might notice some other oddities popping up occasionally. Some animals seem very…odd, at a glance, like a fox that has two tails or a deer with three eyes. Look again, and you might think your eyes were playing tricks on you, because they appear normal. Fish with transparent scales, plants that change color—these are examples of the occasional oddities Chosen might encounter.

They might also sometimes hear strange noises, particularly at night. Beeping or static like the sounds coming from the tablets could easily wake a person in the night—as can the sound of a voice, perhaps even a familiar one, luring Chosen out of their beds and away from the town. The source of these voices is a mystery, and they always seem to stop before characters get too far, but you'd do well to be careful after dark.

WILDCARD

You know the drill–this is the wildcard one. Just because it’s not listed in the prompts above does not mean it’s unavailable as an option. We encourage you to do whatever you’d like to utilize the setting to its full potential. If you have any questions about what is and is not possible, please don’t hesitate to ask!

TOP LEVEL DIRECTORY

Click to view:

CANON	CHARACTER/TOP LEVEL
Arcane	Ekko
Arcane	Silco
Critical Role	Mollymauk Tealeaf
Digimon	Mimi Tachikawa
Final Fantasy X-2	Paine
Fullmetal Alchemist: Broherhood	Pride
Honkai: Star Rail	Dan Heng
Land of the Lustrous	Phosphophyllite
Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story	Mitama Yakumo
Marvel 616	Quentin Quire
Omnicient Reader's Viewpoint	Han Sooyoung
Persona 1	Naoya Toudou
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment	Kei Nanjo
Persona 4	Yu Narukami
Persona 4	Yosuke Hanamura

last updated: 8/16/23, 10:55PM

Comments

[opheliac]

( 'i have to save him. i need to save him' it's the only thing running through her mind as she vigorously tries to make a wound on herself. but his hands coming to her view stills everything with the shell plopping onto her lap. her father's voice strong yet comforting all the same settles her berserk heart, and doing as she is told -- she peers up to him. )

But... But you're hurt. ( her voice horribly uneven. ) — I have to... I have to save you. I don't want... I need you here.

( what if he dies in front of her again? it's something she can't relieve. )

I'm sorry. I'm sorry... Just don't go away again. Please.

[conflictresolution]

[He was hurt, but he recalled being hurt far more before he had woken up on the beach. It made no sense whatsoever to him, and while his mind crowded with questions about his situation, his primary focus was Jinx. Once she dropped the shell for the time being, he released her wrists so that he could lift his hands to cup her cheeks in his palms.]

It’s okay. You don’t need to save me at present.

[He wanted to assure her that he wasn’t dying, but he wasn’t so certain of that. How could he when his chest hurt like his ribs were broken and every breath and word was stabbing pain through him?]

You have nothing to apologize for, Jinx. Nothing at all. [He rubbed the pads of this thumbs just beneath her eyes lightly.] I’m not going anywhere. However, where is here?

[opheliac]

( it's truly amazing how a small gesture like this can smooth her entire world. vi has a similar power, all she has to do is caress her cheek similar to this, and the deadly tornado magically evaporates. and just like silco did before, jinx leans into his touch -- like a crazed cat that spontaneously want pets from their owner after nipping them for twenty minutes.

she hears his question and she will definitely answer him, but his daughter just needs a few seconds. a few seconds to bathe into this new reality that her father is alive again and to erase that god awful night from her memory. with her eyes shut, jinx smiles warmly with a gentle sigh blowing out of her nostrils. )

Aldrip. ( she answers simply. and now it's time to test how much she's been paying attention to the locals and the chosen. )

— Something bigger than the Gods brought us here. Maybe. They're ropin' everyone from different realms and timelines to be here. This whole country is meant to be a prison. ... Sorta. But we're all criminals and got sentenced to somethin'.

( a brief pause to let her father sink the information in while nuzzling more into his hands. )

I'm being charged with murder and illegal trading. There oughta be a scroll on ya with your crime somewhere. Everyone's got one and it's magical too. You can't rip it apart or burn it. No one here knows what's happenin' really so... we're just living and waiting.

[conflictresolution]

[Her reaction caused a careful sigh from his nose, and he continued to stroke her cheeks with his thumbs as she provided a name for their location. It was no where that he had heard of on their continent.

The explanation was detailed enough to give him a sense that they weren't actually on their continent, and he likely wasn't dead nor dying anymore. The sheer notion that he would be charged with a crime was actually laughable; Zaun was a mostly lawless place, and those with power cultivated it for their own ends. The only rules were loyalty to each other when it came to anyone else outside of Zaun messing with them.]

Criminals is a ridiculous notion. According to Piltover's laws, certainly I'm a criminal, but in Zaun? I'm little more than a revolutionary.

[And he would revolutionize them whether they wanted it or not. Of course, being dead previously and now somewhere else complicated his overall plan. It complicated everything. He had lived his life for the nation of Zaun; what did he do without it?

No, no, he'd ponder that later. He had Jinx, and that would satisfy him for now.]

Living and waiting? Is there an organizing leadership here?

[opheliac]

( she hums as she shakes her head, finally opening her eyes and pulling away from his gentle hold. )

I don't think so. But there is someone who is pretty serious about gettin' to the bottom of all of this. ( jinx readjusts in her sitting position to be cross-legged (thank goodness her dress is long enough to do that), and pulls out a necklace charm. )

The guy made an announcement of his theories and all that's been happenin' not too long ago. I can pull it up and let ya read it if you want.

[conflictresolution]

[The tide seemed to be going out, which was good as it meant that he wasn't going to be washed up further on shore. As it was, he finally paid attention to his soaked and sand covered jacket, noting he definitely had not been wearing it when he had died.

So there was no set leadership in charge, and no one had answers. That sounded like the perfect situation to seize some control and carve out a niche for himself, Jinx and whoever might share the same kind of mindset at them.]

And who is this serious person?

[He shook out his jacket and sure enough, as Jinx had said, one of his outside pocket had a scroll that should be soaked. He pulled it out, coughing into his shoulder as he looked at the charges against him.

Racketeering. That was all? What an absolute waste. It wasn't even the worst crime he had probably committed.]

Where do people here live? Houses, I assume, but do you have permanent accommodation? Have you been taking care of yourself? [He knew the answer to the last question anyway.]

[opheliac]

I dunno their name. Their whole announcement was written. And I've only been here for a month or somethin' so I dunno a lotta people....

( she's been keeping herself isolated mostly. jinx watches her father silently for a moment as he fiddles his jacket for the scroll. her curiosity gets peaked and the urge to crank her neck to see is rather large. but she doesn't and sits still -- he'll probably share his crime later.

when it came to questioning how she's been faring, guilt is written all over her face. and even if it didn't, her habit of chewing on her bottom lip in anxious nerves is a strong tell. )

The Inn. ( she answers the easiest part first. ) — But they ran outta rooms so... I slept outside with this guy named Wrench.

( a pause. )

At least, I think I did. He said he knew me from the future and I guess he was the one who took me in after...

( she stops for a second then redirects. if she says it out loud, it would mean what she did would make it real again. )

But I think I mighta made him up? 'Cuz he disappeared. And... Vi already had a roommate and took the Enforcer in instead of me so... I've been alone.

( she really hates to bring up vi and caitlyn, but she has to break that ice sooner or later. )

I've been staying in the forest or another village over. I came back here 'cuz Vi said she wanted to see me again a-and wanted us to start over. She's been tryin' to find a good place for me.

[conflictresolution]

[He let the idea of this announcement flag from his attention, simply making a mental note to hunt it down later and make himself familiar with the people and the theories. He was going to have to move quickly, though right now, he still felt as if his chest might cave in at any second. Perhaps once he was on his feet in a day or two.

He gave her that fatherly look he did that said all he needed to without actually verbalizing. She knew that he knew that she knew that she wasn't taking care of herself well, and it was no surprise.

He let her verbally diarrhea the chain of events and the people that she had associated with. Wrench: knew Jinx from the future but was gone now. No threat. Vi: here, still Vander's pride and joy, still being a reckless idiot with the usual sensitivity of a sledgehammer to the spine. Threat. Enforcer girl: top side, ally to Vi, assaulted Sevika, disliked Jinx, had a rifle. Threat.

While he listened, he was shaking some of the sand off of his coat and labouring himself physically to get into it one arm at a time, coughing blood clots occasionally and spitting them on the sand.]

Ah yes, start over, hmm? She has done a good job starting over with you multiple times already. [He brushed sand off the sleeves of his coat.] How does she make you feel when you're with her?

[He knew better than to verbally go against Jinx's sister openly. That was a good way to drive Jinx away, and he didn't want that. He hated the sister. Oh did he hated her, but it was more for her driving Jinx to being so upheaved mentally and emotionally.]

[opheliac]

( it's really beginning to freak her out that her father is coughing up blood like this, and maybe they should get a move on to find medicial attention. but regardless, she continues to sit where she is (for now), because jinx took it upon herself when she first got here that if she could have a second chance to fix things, to undone what she had done, she would try to listen more. so she is doing that now -- sitting (antsy-like) to show she will be a way better daughter from now. (and how long will that last?)

swinging her braid over her shoulder, her fingers fidget with a few strands -- her body language shrinking just a smidge as she speaks the truth. )

It's...It's nice when it's just the two of us and no one else. She called me "Jinx" once. ( a beat. ) — Well, not out loud, but she wrote my name. And she's been kinda with me more than a day. Eh heh heh...

( she doesn't want to point out that her father was wrong, but... he was wrong. )

[conflictresolution]

[It felt different from the burnt out storage facility at the docks. Then he knew he was dying. The shock of it was obvious, the pain turning numb as he bled out into his chest, and his desire to comfort her overrode any other instinct. There was nothing to forgive then and still nothing to forgive now. He might even survive to walk off the beach too.

In his jacket, he felt just a touch more himself. Certainly he was soaking in salt water, covered in sand, bleeding slowly into his clothing, but with his jacket, he felt a bit more whole. Now if he could lever himself to his feet soon, that would be a step in the right direction.]

You understand it will likely never be just the two of you aside from fleeting moments. [He sneered and didn't bother to hide it. Vi was such a threat to what he had built with Jinx, and it burned him like the bullets that had torn through his chest.] I am your family, Jinx. No matter where you go, who you associate with, and what you do, that will always hold true. I don't want you to be hurt by her over and over again. Betrayals coming like a thousand small cuts to you.

[He ran a hand through his hair to push it from falling in his face, smearing around sand in it. He sighed from his nose and bowed his head, voice softening.]

I only wanted to protect you.

[opheliac]

( as much as she wish it wasn't so, jinx knows her father did raise a good point. while it had been nice being just the two of them, there's still caitlyn who she made very clear she was highly important to her. and if that enforcer wasn't enough, there's mizuki too. a girl she met here who had the same hair color and hairstyle as jinx. her older sibling explained they are just friends and there's no deeper meaning than that, but... did she had room with her too? especially with a girl who is around jinx's age with a similar hairstyle? she can't seem to shake the feeling she is seeking for "powder" within mizuki or... mizuki became her "powder".

with her head ducking down, his daughter shifts to tug her legs close to her chest -- arms holding them tight and her chin to her knees. her lips thin as she debates to say something and she most didn't. somehow, the words spat out quickly with a hint of hurt to them. )

You could had protected me without lyin' to me. ( a small pause before she lets out another bombshell. ) — I have the gemstone still. I've got it hidden and I've made it known that I have it. And Vi still doesn't care that I got it.

... She never cared like you said she did.

[conflictresolution]

[While she was silent to contemplate what he had said, he took his time to feel through his pockets for the items he always packed there. He patted down the outside pockets then reached his hands into the inner ones, locating most of the items that he almost always carried. A few were missing, but most were there. Some good news for once.

His hand paused and he looked across the short distance between them at her accusation, sullen though it may be. Such a teenager still. She didn't grow up fast like everyone claimed that she would, not like the others of her age.]

I assumed she would come for it. After all, the only reason she was released from Stillwater was to be the Enforcer's sniffer dog for the undercity. [He pulled out a silver case from his inner coat pocket, opening it to examine the contents. Smoking a cigar was probably the second to last activity he should be doing to his lungs.] She hurt you when she walked away, and I didn't want you to experience that hurt again.

[The gemstone was of more value for them and the Enforcer even if it wasn't useful to Vander's girl. Vi happened to value the Enforcer more than a stone.]

[opheliac]

( that... is true too. and hearing it all over again has her gripping onto the sleeves of her dress as he rummages around in his pockets. at this point, jinx isn't really focusing too much on her father or what he is doing, but more into her own thoughts. the voices within her are hissing reminders of not just of what happened back home, but here too. )

... She hurt me when I got here. ( jinx quietly admits, voice going back to it's uneven wavers. )

There's this... — this girl she met here. Her hair is almost like mine, blue and in braids. And I think we're kinda the same age too. That's her other roommate. She said they're just friends and she helped her out once, but did they had to live under the same roof? So what if she helped her out? Does that mean they gotta live together?

... Vi thinks I'm reading too much into it.

[conflictresolution]

[His hands stopped with the case at her words, and he set it on his lap instead. He watched her quietly, the waves lapping on the sand nearby and the birds overhead crying their annoying noises. He could tell there was plenty more that came with this initial stay here.

Slowly, he steepled his fingers together as he considered the information. Another girl with similar characteristics as Jinx. He actually wondered if Jinx's sister was just stupid or actually was looking to ostracize her sister.

With a groan of pain, he pushed himself to his knees and crawled the short distance until he seated himself down next to her.]

Is she recreating Powder in this girl? [That's how he read the scene, knowing Jinx as he did.] Surely she's not so obtuse as to not make the connection of how the situation perceived from anyone else looking in on it. You're her sister. Why aren't you her priority, Jinx?

cw: voices

[opheliac]

( at first, there's a quick look of panic to hear her father wincing, but it melts away when he settles next to her. shit. what if he is getting worse while they're sitting here? but she is also afraid to move him too. maybe she can venture off around the beach and seek for help, although... would it be wise to leave him alone in this condition? maybe it's better to just follow silco's lead, because only he knows how well he's faring and what he's feeling. but it won't be long until she craves food again and that will be an annoyance on its own.

but being attentive to his words and his thoughts, it becomes a little clearer to her that maybe her mind wasn't twisted by thinking vi might had been drawn to mizuki due to the likeness after all. sure, vi was here alone, mizuki was here, and they became friends. she'd be squared away with that if that was it. but was them living together really necessary? the rooms weren't crowded until recently, after all. even when jinx explained her frustration to why them living together bothered her, vi didn't seem to get it. family stick together, they live together, and yet they're not living together like families should be. instead, she is with this girl and the enforcer in the same damn room... with her snuggling up against caitlyn or mizuki or both -- while she's been alone with her endless nightmares.

and it's true, vi did throw the suggestion of all four of them to live together, but why is she an afterthought of this whole ordeal? like silco said, she is her little sister. mizuki came before her, fine. but she and caitlyn both got here at the same time, so why did she picked caitlyn over her? why does she keep picking people before her?

'because you're different.'

the voice sounded similar to mylo's but mixed with some unknown one too. and it's that comment alone that has all her meekness and uncertainty dissolve, and mold into the fire her father use to see a lot in her eyes. and speaking of them, they glisten pretty heavily as she stares off into the ocean -- leaning a little further into silco with her forearm to his. jinx doesn't reply back to any of his questions, not that she can answer them anyway. )

[conflictresolution]

[Silco had never needed to say much when she was in a mood like this, though he understood that it hadn't been this bad since he had first taken Jinx in and recently when the sister and crystal came into their lives. He expected that maneuvering her through such a mental crisis would be a touch more difficult than when she was a child and completely alone tagging at his heels as he swept through the undercity.

Everyone would grow up, though once he became more familiar with the lay of the land here perhaps there were opportunities to let her just be a teenager.

When she made the choice to lean against him, he lifted his arm slowly out of the way so he could gently set it across the back of her shoulders. The people setting up for whatever was happening didn't seem to be staring, not that he would care if they did. He showed Jinx affection where he would show no one else, and right now, he knew that she needed it.]

I will always be in your corner. Never forget that, daughter.

[He sighed and it came out like a wheeze. Perhaps he would wait on that cigar for the moment then.]

It's us against the world. It has since the day we met, but we'll carve out a place for ourselves just as I promised. There or here, it doesn't matter.

[And yes, part of that was his fear of losing her, no matter how calm and put together he was for this conversation. Vi was a threat, and Silco dealt with threats in a very particular way. However, he wouldn't let emotion get the better of him this time; he'd plan better now that he was back to having nothing except Jinx.]

[opheliac]

( the rage seem to subdue when his arm comes over her shoulders and cautiously, she leans more into him to let her tense muscles relax. once again, she bathes into his words -- taking in the 'always', 'daughter', and 'it's us'. because she knows with silco, it had always been that way and she had always felt irreplaceable when it came to him. if only she felt that way with vi too, then her world would be downright perfect. maybe in a weird crazy world, the three of them can all learn to get along and become a family. but anyone with eyes can see the distaste the two of them have for each other -- regardless how much she pours her heart out the good qualities the two of them have in store. they both have good things to bring to the table, and both... not so good. if only they would stop focusing so heavily on the other's bad qualities. )

( jinx hums sweetly to him before peering up to her father, a tender hand place on his chest that isn't bloody or injured so much. her expression is gentle now, a complete contrast from seconds earlier. )

We gotta get you fixed up. — Think you can walk? There are doctors here and a few magic users. They should be able to help.

[conflictresolution]

[Silco always had the goal of Zaun, but he had come to understand that such a goal was pointless if it would lose him the only family he had. When he thought about it, he could actually sympathize with Vander and the choices made towards the children. Did he ever think that it would be him in such a position? No. Yet, he and Vander had danced around the same ideas for much of their lives, never quite in step.

So if there was no Zaun, there was Jinx. He'd come to terms with that after reading what Zaun would cost, and even back then (which remained recent in his mind), it wasn't a difficult decision. In fact, it was downright easy for him.

His one regret was not going to find Jinx immediately after the treatments with the doctor, not that she would be found if she didn't want to be. Still, the act of searching would put him out there for her, to be more upfront of how much he cared. She wasn't alone.

Distracted from his usual quiet thinking, he lifted his head and focused his eyes from where they had been staring at the waves. He grunted softly at her patting to his chest, holding in a cough.]

Are the doctors trust-worthy? [Silco speak: I'd rather do this between us.]

[opheliac]

Uh... ( she trails off for a moment over that question, because she is almost the same as her father when it comes to the whole "doctor" thing. )

I don't actually know.

( jinx admits sadly before adding on, lightly patting his chest to give him some kind of comfort and support. she still thinks giving him some of her shimmer would be the best choice of action here, but... she will only do it if he says so. )

I met this guy named Blackbeard. He's an old, cool, scruffy guy and we blew up some stuff together. ( not important or maybe this is? ) — He's one of my customers that I gotta build a gun for, for an exchange for money or... whatever he's gonna give me.

( still possibly useless information, but she gets to the point. )

He told me there were doctors here 'cuz he was worried about my condition. I told him a lil' about shimmer. ( she speedily adds just in case talking about the drug is a no-no. ) N-Not everything! Just, y'know, the normal crap. Good for fuel and yadda yadda. And he was worried about me goin' through withdrawals. So... he brought up the whole doctor stuff and I oughta see one.

I haven't, though.

[conflictresolution]

[Her response certainly didn't provide him much confidence on showing anyone vulnerability to his current state of being. Besides, if he looked at the 'town' with all of its open areas and open sky and uncluttered buildings, he had his doubts that they had the technology to be of much help for his current ailments. It might simply be a 'take it easy and heal' method at this point.

He patted her shoulder lightly in return before he slowly eased his arm back to side. He shifted his weight where he was sitting, preparing himself mentally and physically to attempt to rise to his feet. He was walking himself off of this beach; there was no other choice as far as he was concerned.]

Withdrawals are a concern, given the necessary methods of treatment. However, a doctor is unlikely to be able to help with that, and if you haven't seen one, they likely aren't trustworthy.

[With a wheeze, he was shoving his hands into the sand and rolling his weight forward to he could get his feet under him. It was a painful struggle the entire way, and his teeth were bared as he staggered to his feet.]

We'll investigate the state of injury ourselves, and only if absolutely necessary will we include an outside party.

[opheliac]

( again, he brings up a good point. after all, she's been harping at usagi that she needs to be careful and not be so open to trust everyone around here. because according to the rumors around this place, every single person here is a criminal in some shape or form. and being one herself, one of the common tactics is to be friendly to form allies... or become a scorpion to sting a frog's back once they swim you across the river.

his daughter dips into frantic worry again as he preps himself to gather up to his feet. she keeps herself as close to him as possible without smothering him, an arm over his shoulder this time and a hand to his chest. jinx is more than ready to help him give an extra boost if needed. )

Silco, please. Let me just... give you some of my blood. I-I have shimmer, remember? Maybe if I just drop a lil' of my blood on your wounds or somethin', you'll feel better.

( does it work that way? she doesn't actually know. she has only seen people gulping down the stuff. )

[conflictresolution]

[He didn't fight her assistance when it came to getting to his feet; honestly, her arms around him might have been the only reason he managed the feat in the first place. He swayed under the weight of his water logged clothing, shivering in his clothing in the effort required to remain upright. It was humiliating how much effort that took and how much his chest burned and legs felt liquified.

In so public a place too! No matter, he was up and that's what was important.

Her concern for his well being was appreciated, and he showed that by not refusing her assistance at present. He was shaking his head to her request.]

Your Shimmer is for you, Jinx. In it's current state mixed with your blood and in your body, it won't have the effect you hope for.

[He took his first small step to make certain his leg wouldn't give out on him.]

I'll have to survive with wound cleaning and bandaging for now. And I will survive.

[He coughed, wheezing from pain but unwilling to accept anything less. He had survived Vander's betrayal, and he would survive this.]

Help me off the beach, Jinx.

[opheliac]

( the shimmer is for her? it won't have any effect? what does any of that mean? can the serum only heal people when its in original state and not inside her? again, she is not doubting her father about the information seeing he has been around the stuff more than she ever did. it's just a disappointing thing that if things grow dire, her shimmer blood is basically useless. or maybe it isn't. a talk (or lessons) to have with her father about it all in depth later. because it's not as singed gave her any information how this new body works at all.

for now, she keeps a hold on silco the best that she can ask she follows each step he took. his daughter looks on ahead at the festival party goers and how... busy it's becoming. so going that way might not be the best bet -- he or the two of them could easy get bumped or people asking too many questions when he made it clear he would rather not have outside party involved. jinx rattles her brain for different options, considering the inn since maybe everyone is out and about than indoors.

... then an idea hatches. if everyone is out and around (maybe), this could be a good opportunity to break in someone's room and get resources. her immediate thought is to charge into her sibling's room to gather all what she might need for silco. and if she knows her sister (at least trying to know her), she would have a lot of bandages and a medical kit lying around. if not, the stupid enforcer would had definitely stored some in their room by now. right, okay. that's going to be the plan. get him to the inn, break into her sister's love nest, and take whatever she needs. )

Let's go this way, to the Inn. Maybe there's less people there now.

[conflictresolution]

[He understood it was going to take more of an explanation, and he fully planned on swinging back around to that once they were off the beach. Public was not a place to discuss the uses of Shimmer, least of all if she also had the Hexstone hidden away somewhere. It potentially made her one of the most powerful people here, and he wanted that kept secret for now until they had a done a risk assessment.

Of course, she had made it very clear on their last encounter the heightened sensitivity towards perceived untruths or hiding information. The misunderstanding had ended with a chest full of bullets.]

Once we're off the beach, we can discuss Shimmer more in depth. I'm not inclined to risk someone overhearing and trying something foolish.

[He was perfectly fine was just finding a bolthole to settle in, somewhere dark and musty that was so similar to little places to hide in the undercity. Fancy was the last thing he needed right now, but he wanted to be off of the beach. They were too vulnerable here and now there were too many people to concern themselves with.]

Is that where you are currently living?

[opheliac]

( she'll agree to that. besides, there's still so much for the two of them to catch up on. there's the the matter of telling him what happened after his death... not that it mattered now, but... he might be curious about it. and jinx also needs to inform him the one big ally she made here who she, in her thoughts, is the strongest person in this continent. moving carefully and keeping him close, her face falls in that guilt again -- but hopefully he isn't paying too much attention to her and more on his steps. )

... No. I don't live anywhere. But I was thinkin' if everyone is out here, then some rooms gotta be empty right now. I can break in, grab some things and patch you up.

( jinx doesn't want to confess the next thing, but she knows she has to give an explanation to why she hadn't took a room for herself this whole time. )

I've been weak. ( she admits this quietly enough for him to hear. ) — Every day I feel energy leaving me. I'm goin' on low with ammo and I've found a few scraps here but... no tools to make anything. So I've been doing lil' odd jobs for the locals to, I dunno, get me somewhere.

( which explains her outfit possibly. a person can't keep wearing the same things day in and day out. and so basically what jinx is getting at is she is a prey than a predator at her current state. and she's been trying to not rock the boat with the chosen, especially with any magic users. )

I've chatted with a few good ones here, though. If they see you banged up like this, I know they'll be nice enough to take ya in at least for one night.

( notice she is saying him and not the two of them. but that's because his health and comfort is a higher priority. another night in the wilderness won't kill her as long she doesn't stay too deep in the forest. )