expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #2

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TEST DRIVE MEME #2

TEST DRIVE MEME #2

Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and sometimes subtle 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 (with the stated limitations).

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

info | world

BE OUR GUEST

You may possess any number of questioning thoughts as you traverse the blindingly white room and are dropped into a darkness beneath your feet, but perhaps those same thoughts will be replaced with an awe and curiosity as you come to. Expiation has you now and you have joined the ranks of the Chosen, a seemingly select number of individuals who have arrived with parchment either in-hand or near them, detailing physical and mental statistics in addition to a particular crime to which you have been accused.

How you choose to spend your time here is largely up to you...

IT'S A WINDMILL, NOT A GIANT

As you begin to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land about you, you'll find that not too far from where you've woken there's a rather grandiose tower windmill. Its blades rotate at a casual pace as it faces the ocean and its accompanying shoreline. It appears to be in relatively pristine condition, implying that it is cared for well and often, likely by the locals of the town of Aldrip, which can be easily spied from the elevated level of land upon which the windmill sits.

Outside of the main structure is a collection of wooden crates in various display. Some of these are closed. Some are open. If you observe for long enough, you'll eventually find that a few relatively muscular sorts arrive on the scene to retrieve some of these crates and take them back the distance toward the town that lingers at the base of the mountains. If you choose to inspect the crates, you'll find some of them filled with heavy canvas sacks that contain flour. If you choose to ask the town locals retrieving them about this, they will explain that the windmill companion you have woken near is just one of the many implements that the locals use to provide sustenance to dining tables, festivities, and more.

You have the option to help the locals carry crates back, potentially to curry some favour with them, or simply take some sacks of flour yourself. Crates require more than one person to carry due to the weight, but two able-bodied adults should be able to handle the job quite well. A sack of flour can generally be carried by one, but perhaps you'll find yourself needing some assistance anyway. Maybe ask one of the others who've woken up near you. It certainly seems you're not alone in this new endeavour.

WHERE ONLY THE BRAVE MAY GO

If windmills and manual labour aren't your thing, you may find yourself drawn to the seemingly mysterious cave at the foot of the mountains, not far from the windmill in question.

The locals refer to this cave as Lorentia. Jagged rocks poke out around the entrance and have been sculpted and shaped to resemble what appears to be the massive sharp-toothed mouth of a dragon. It is possible you may be momentarily stopped by one of said locals who will explain that the Lorentia Cave is a passage system that leads through the interior of the mountains, though due to some collapse of the inside, the passageway does not go in far and is currently blocked off for the safety of local citizenry. In other words, proceed with caution.

If you're still feeling brave and care to take a peek inside, by all means. No one's going to stop you.

The interior of Lorentia Cave consists of both narrow passageways and some larger, more cavernous like rooms. There are assorted mining implements scattered along the ground, propped up against the walls, and carts that are filled with various ores, rocks, crystals, and more. The locals of Aldrip use Lorentia Cave for largely mining purposes and many of the things that are retrieved can be used for the smithing forges, the crafting of weaponry, or fashioning into jewellery and other accessories that are sold locally and taken to other towns on the continent.

There are some crudely designed signs that note to take care and depict simple skull drawings, indicating that certain paths may be a little more dangerous to traverse than others. If you are especially lucky (or unlucky, as the case may be), you may even spot some skeletal remains from some less-than-fortunate souls who got caught in a dead-end path and simply never made it out again.

If you listen closely, sometimes you hear the flutter of wings and a distant roar. Maybe it's best not to linger...

NO SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

MAXWELL'S SILVER ROCK-HAMMER

The townsfolk are welcoming to newly-arrived, something that has largely been met with a fair amount of scepticism and wariness from prior arrivals. That said, they continue to be hospitable, eager to share stories and songs about their land, their people, and their traditions.

A jewelcrafter is displaying their work today, putting their various wares out for locals and members of the Chosen to admire, or perhaps to purchase. Part of their demonstration is opening geodes with rock-hammers and showing off the impressive inside of colour and masterful natural works of art gifted to them by the land's bounty. They may choose to speak a little on how they revere the land, the resources they've been given, and how all of this has been bestowed upon them by the very gracious Those Who Were There, a mysterious and seemingly celestial higher power.

For those who are interested, they have the opportunity to offer some assistance to the jewelcrafter by opening some geodes as well. There's plenty of rock-hammers to go around and the most recent retrieval from Lorentia Cave's mining appears to have been very successful. The jewelcrafter is so moved by the offer of help that he's more than happy to let those who aid him keep one opened geode for themselves at no cost.

Congratulations on your new piece of decor!

FORGING BONDS IN THE FIRES OF PASSION

If you were a brave soul who made visit to the Lorentia Cave and came back with some weapon or armour crafting materials (including skeletal remains), you'll find that the smithies of Aldrip are eager to do business and many of them enjoy their craft for the sake of being passionate about what they do.

They'll waste no time in starting the forge and should you have a specific piece in mind you are requesting, as long as they have the materials on hand, they'll even be willing to show you the general process from start to finish on a rough draft of the piece in question. If you're feeling especially keen to help, they may offer to let you work directly on your project, though they will express apprehension and a wary eye for those who fail to have prior experience with such gruelling tasks.

Once your piece is finished, you can either wear it immediately, learn the best way to maintain and keep your equipment, or put it out on public display to show the rest of Aldrip and its residents, new and old alike. If you choose to let the smithies keep your piece, they'll pay you the cost of the materials you've brought them, plus a small percentage markup depending on how much personal effort you put into the craftsmanship personally.

Better yet, you may have just come out of the situation with a permanent bond. The smithies have an appreciation for those who share similar interests and may be willing to provide future discounts to those who purchase their wares.

FEEDING THE MASSES

YOU'RE A REEL CATCH

Aldrip locals always have a need for food and with many Chosen having recently arrived, that need has increased exponentially, for now they have a larger number of mouths to keep fed and stomachs to keep happy. To help inspire this retrieval of food, Aldrip is hosting a fishing competition and anyone who's interested in participating may do so, provided that they follow the guidelines set in place.

All participants must use local fishing equipment and this will be provided by the various merchants in town free of charge, save for those who wish to keep their fishing tackle. All fish caught within the local rivers, ponds, and the nearby ocean are acceptable for submission. Citizens (local or Chosen) are forbidden from using magic or technology as a means to catch their quarry. Anyone found breaking these rules will be disqualified and will be fish'd (that is, they will have raw flopping fish thrown at them).

The winner of the competition is chosen by having caught the largest fish (determined by size and weight) and will be announced at the end of the competition. The applicable winner may keep their fishing tackle free of charge and have their winning fish cooked in the style of their choice by the locals, which can then be shared amongst the people if they so choose (a fantastic way to make friends). The winner will also have a mediocre fish sculpture awarded to them with their name chiselled into the details in honour of their glorious victory.

OOC Notes:
Both TDM participants and characters already in the game may participate in the fishing competition. Please use the designated comment if you wish to partake. On the 13th of March (after applications have closed for the cycle), the winner will be announced and drawn by RNG. We will announce who the winner is on this TDM post (in these notes), the moderator plurk, and the OOC community.

I'M A [X], NOT A FISHER

If you're not a fishing kind of individual yourself, there's still plenty for you to get involved with.

Aldrip has need of people who are capable of preparing meals, especially seafood. It is probable that many participants of the fishing competition will end up fishing up things that are not fish or eligible for submission, but still edible. These include crabs, lobsters, jellyfish, octopuses, clams, and other related sea life. If you have experience with cooking or simply want to help out, the Aldrip locals will welcome you with open arms and may even pay you for your assistance.

If cooking isn't your forte, you'll find that some of the Aldrip citizens enjoy a betting pool from time to time. If you have some coins or something else you don't mind putting up for gamble, you might just come out with the whole pot if you put your currency on the winning fisher. Anyone found to be attempting to rig the betting pool and competition, however, will be returned their bet. We don't take kindly to cheaters here.

At least not openly.

Fishing can be a sometimes dangerous pastime. You may find a fisher who has gotten themselves accidentally hooked on their line or perhaps when they were freeing a fish, the hook got lodged into their thumb. Aldrip welcomes those who have healing abilities to help assist those more unfortunate situations, so fishers can go back to casting out their lines to make the most of the competition. That said, there's nothing in it for potential healers, just the notion that you've done a good deed.

Threaded | Flat

𝗕𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧

(after so long in a cubicle of a prison, it feels so nice to stretch his long legs, feel the breeze that isn't artificial, and even have a little parchment that states he's being punished for something that isn't even the worst he has ever done! how splendid! for a second, this could even pass as an afterlife, if there was such a thing - well, if this is punishment for his actions, then he could have been worse.

a step after another, nearly in a skip brings dazai osamu to the windmill, just his head poking out to see the people moving the crates. he'll ask, curious, with a smile, and thus, decide to bring some--

except, wow, heavy. effort. no, thanks. instead, he'll wave another poor lost soul.)

Hey, hey! You're bringing this to the village, right? I could totally use some help! Can you carry it and I'll keep watch?

(keep watch from WHAT)

𝗡𝗢 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚

(of course the locals would be wary. people from all paths of life, all different places, just showing up here could make anyone suspicious. beneficial truly is to treat the newcomers with kindness not to poke an unknown bear, right?

well, it suits dazai just fine. once he's made it to town, he can't help b ut notice the jewels, the rocks, and his hand moves to his chest, where his own piece of a gem used to be - now he's just in this white prison suit.

alas, he'll come closer to listen to all the information given, there's always little gems to be taken from idle conversation, too. he's not partaking, his thin arms won't work for this, but he can keep company instead.

although, frankly, one might wish he didn't.)

Woah-- you must be really strong!

('no longer human' nullifies special abilities by touch, which so happens to be dazai's ability. so, well. he is going to brush against the person, just for funsies. byebye if your ability is superstrength.)

𝗬𝗢𝗨'𝗥𝗘 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛

(listen, it's not cheating if you have a lot of knowledge. the place that dazai chooses, very well done so. the baits have been scented to attract more fish, he's made them even smaller for presentation, and sometimes he'll even dip the bait into some colored powder to make it pop to a fish's poor eyesight.

now we await.)

𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗

(my inbox is your inbox. go for it, and if you'd like to plot, feel free to pm this journal!)

i. be our guest
[Someone must really hate him at this point. This is the second time that he's been kidnapped in the entirety of his life, and the first time was enough for him. Although, he didn't have much of a choice. He was here now, and the parchment in his hand... Well. Second degree murder wasn't far from the truth. He always knew that murdering that man in self-defense would come back to haunt him, and so it did.

Whatever the case, he's here, and finds himself walking through fields to get to the windmill not far from him. He stares up at it, then over at the crates. Cautiously taking a step forward until one of the locals approaches him from behind and informs him of what's inside, and where to bring them.

It wouldn't do any good to upset the locals, and he would never steal to begin with. So, as a sign of good faith, he takes one of the sacks of flour and throws it over his shoulder. One hand resting in his pocket, as he starts to walk toward the area where he was instructed to go.

He may, or may not bump into you, as he's distracted by his surroundings and making sure that he doesn't die in this new place.]

ii. no something for nothing

[After lending a helping hand, he finally makes it to the village that he had been seeking out. A bit surprised that the townsfolk are so welcoming to outsiders, given the situation at hand. Still, he's not one to turn down someone's kindness, despite his more introverted nature. Even if the new situation at hand makes him nervous to boot.

After being dragged by some of the locals here and there, he's finally brought to the crafter. This is where he immediately tries to turn around, now reaching his limit on any social interaction. Astralin trying his best to be polite and skirt beside them, but even at his height at 7'0, they definitely have him cornered in. With kindness, of course.]

iii. wildcard
[Hit me up with anything else! He's a bit of a social hermit at first, but he'll open up if you push hard enough. Feel free to DM or message me at

hepaticas]

Edited 2023-02-27 15:18 (UTC)

be our guest

[Well. Given how violently his night ended just yesterday, Shinjiro can't say he expected anything at all— and yet the windmill is still a surprise. The scroll is less so, but he simply glowers at it and rolls it up to shove it inside of his coat after a brief skim; sure, whatever, that's deserved. If wandering around windmills is his punishment for his myriad sins, then... so be it?

Alright.

He spends longer than necessary just lurking, watching people move crates and sacks and not being very approachable where he's stationed himself leaning up against the wall of the windmill. He's not in the mood for people just yet, and also lowkey wondering if summoning a Persona to help carry crates would cause a scene... likely so. Ugh, tch, etc. He'll do it alone, at least until he can't actually lift the crate and move it, and then he looks like he's going to kick it in frustration—]

...Sheesh.

[But he settles for standing there looking embarrassed about a crate, instead. So when he finally looks around for help, of course, it's like this:]

You. You're still just standing around? Come and grab the other side. I won't make you walk backwards, so steer for us.

feeding the masses

[It's not like Shinjiro is super into community service, or anything, but a man can watch a pile of seafood grow with no one to use it properly for only so long. He doesn't so much volunteer to cook something as shoulder his way between two people and just pick up a knife, at first, which given his height and overall Surliness is a bit of a shock. The locals stare up at him and he stares back for an overly long beat, before he awkwardly offers:]

Look, that's not how you debone a fish. Let me do it. You didn't even deal with the fins first...

[So that's where he simply installs himself, here at Meal Prep, tching and barking his disapproval at anyone who might want to play around with cooking and attempting a more gentle assist if you are just, you know... bad. If you just suck at cooking but really would like to help. He's trying.

At some point a local has handed him an apron, which he is now wearing over his big winter coat, really completing the Look. Upon the completion of a passable dish he nods, the faintest ghost of a smile on his face for a whole few seconds.]

It's not perfect, but it won't kill anyone. [shinji this is a bad compliment, take two,] Uh— It looks fine, whatever.

......Are you going to try it? You made it, so...

[If you are only here for the grub and not the cooking, you get served one (1) delicious Shinjiro Dish, and rest assured: it's sublime. But he also stands there with his arms crossed looking disapproving, once he sets the plate down.]

You're going to eat all of it, right? Don't push the vegetables off to the edge.

misc/wildcard

[howdy, hit me with whatever you like...! pm me for questions/plotting. also he's coming from a p3p femc route, if you know you know.]

i. ⚔ be our guest \ physical god crashes into a tree and poleaxes himself

[Sephiroth is dreaming.

He's been dreaming for a long time now. A day, a week, a decade, or a thousand years it hardly matters. Time becomes abstract from within the Lifestream.

He exists beyond time, beyond his own bodyscape. His flesh lay in a cocoon of crystalized Mako and his mind is everywhere, staring hatefully out at the world from behind a hundred eyes. Men and women who share Sephiroth's cells are pulled to the Reunion, crawling to him to sacrifice themselves for his resurrection and divine ascension. And he can feel them, always skittering around his infinite mind, responding to his call while not always knowing why.

He is watching them when barriers come up around his consciousness, closing him off from his Reunion. He feels himself collapse, becoming small when he had been all-encompassing and terrible. Downward he falls, into the depths of his own soul and out into a vast white. Voices speak but he doesn't listen, too fascinated by this feeling of being crushed into a singularity. Is this how dying stars feel?

Again he falls and this time he launches himself forward and upward, extending a large black wing to stabilize his flight. He feels again. Not the thrum of his planet but small, minute details; wind under his feathers, wind in his hair, and the rough splintering of a large oak tree that has become, far too suddenly, solid.

---⚔---

People walking near the Lorentia Cave may sometimes see black feathers drifting through the air. If they grasp one they will feel a message voicelessly buzz across their mind:

Come to me.

Then the feather dissolves into dust.

If one chooses to investigate the message they will find what looks like a prone figure wrapped tightly in a black wing lying at the bottom of a sturdy oak tree with broken lower branches. The cocoon of feathers obscures whoever is inside.]

ii. ⚔ where only the brave may go \ more than just dragons hiding in the dark

[After he recovers, Sephiroth walks back to the cave. The dark, foreboding depths feel inviting as he ducks into them. Deep down, he wants this to be his cave at the bottom of North Crater but he knows it isn't.

Still, as his slitted pupils quickly adjust to the change in light, he can't help but feel that the cramped spaces and arching stone have a comforting familiarity. He picks a tunnel to walk down, stopping when he reaches a dead end and feels the bones of old, unfortunate explorers crunch under his bootheels.

Here, he tries to gather his thoughts and focus on the unusual sensation of being confined to a single physical body again. Since he isn't carrying a torch he isn't surprised when someone stumbles upon him in the dark, nearly colliding with his flank.]

Watch where you're going.

iii. ⚔ forging bonds in the fires of passion \ where is here anyway?

[Sephiroth hikes back to Aldrip with a rucksack slung across one shoulder loaded down with ore, crystal, bone, and stone. He strides into a local smithy and silently upends the contents over their counter.

They stare a moment before getting to work on his request: Forge a blade, and keep whatever is left over. He doesn't actually need a sword. His weapon of choice, the Masamune, is called into his grasp through his magic whenever he needs it. But what they make teaches him a lot about Aldrip. Are the weapons usable or merely ornaments? If usable are they balanced to work on human enemies or are they more for hunting?

He folds his arms over his broad chest and watches them work, listening to them chatter to him and amongst themselves. A few names keep coming up. So, not wanting to disturb the blacksmiths, he turns to the nearest other client and asks in a low tone...]

Who are Those Who Were There?

iv. ⚔ wildcard

[Other ideas? Let me know! DM me or head over to PsiYamaneko. My plurk takes PMs from anyone.]

Edited 2023-02-27 19:49 (UTC)

[Back home, Akechi managed to get himself thoroughly blown up and shot, before he woke in the white space where the voices whisper, accused of a crime that strikes him as terminally unambitious. He's stuck in Aldrip, where he's recovering; this is driving him quietly insane. Fortunately, a bit of stir-craziness has nothing on how he was two weeks ago. But he can't get out to the cave—by far the most interesting place he's heard of—nor is he in a position to hurl heavy sacks or crates around, which he would rather have scorned to do anyway. Being nearly killed twice may have been good for his sanity, but it's had little effect on his disdain for manual labour.]

maxwell's silver rock hammer

[Shut up, he didn't see the piles of opened sparkly rocks and immediately come to a dead halt; he's not actually a crow, and, as events have proved, he was never a Phantom Thief. And if you've seen one idiot hit a rock with a hammer, you've truly seen them all. Akechi tries to drift away, but of course, the jewelcrafter grabs his arm—he pulls it away with a frigid stare—and pushes a rock into his hand.

Akechi is not exactly a great expert with hammers, nor does he look like he should be. He knows nothing about rocks, beside the fact of their existence. But when it comes to absolutely wrecking shit, right down to and including himself, he's a grand master. He takes a look at the nondescript—and startlingly light—rock he's been handed, gauging it from all sides. The jewelcrafter hands him a hammer with an encouraging smile, and Akechi smiles back as he switches hands, polite and perfect, with his eyes screwed shut so they don't look flat. And then, ignoring the jolt of pain that goes through his shoulder, he hits the fucking rock as hard as he can.

It shatters beneath the impact, into a mess of dust and deep blue shards. Akechi touches his lip; he glances up at the jewelcrafter.] Oh dear. I don't think that was supposed to happen. [Meanwhile, the poor jewelcrafter is having some kind of embolism. Apparently the rocks have some spiritual significance.

Actually... considering Akechi's situation, that's quite interesting, and a little alarming. He starts to listen more closely. And then, ignoring the jewelcrafter's protests, he takes another rock from the pile and sits down next to someone else, glancing sideways to get their measure. Maybe less force this time, he thinks; no point making enemies unduly. Though he can think of ten better ways to curry favour with a god.]

There's supposed to be a right place to break an egg, isn't there? [He sounds distracted by the rock he's turning in his hand. Yeah, it looks like a fucking rock.]

you're a reel catch

[There's no getting around this one: Akechi can't fish for shit. He learned this once to his cost, as Sakamoto and Takamaki muttered pitying asides behind his back....

He shoves the memory back down into its box; he doesn't care about that either. But it has been rankling since the summer, and there's nothing like throwing yourself into a competition and learning a new skill to help you get over the fact that, actually, you didn't wake in a weird pocket of the Metaverse after all; you aren't anywhere you could hope to exercise immediate control over your situation and your fate; you wouldn't be surprised if this was, in fact, your afterlife.

It's all just too consistent; too strange. No shadows to fight—hell, no ability to fight, unless he wants to wave his fishing-rod and hope pleading for mercy counts. All things considered, he'd rather die than feel pitying eyes on him like that, ever again.

And if you made a chart of all-time great fans of the outdoors, Akechi would be at the bottom. There's no getting away from the fact that this is desperately boring, and that sitting here with his own thoughts is the last thing he wants to be doing; every so often he finds himself looking around for an anthill to kick. He knows he has the right idea—shady water, twitch the line occasionally, make sure the pond you've parked yourself beside does, in fact, have fish—but they're all refusing to bite; somewhere must have a special on gnats.

Which leaves Akechi sitting here with a treetrunk to his back, taking notes on his phone, shoulder and hip aching bone-deep from the gunshots he took before arriving, glaring at a fucking pond when anyone else participating in this joke of a competition will have got out to the sea. And then someone comes up and casts a deeper shadow on the water, which is not the last straw by any means. But certainly it's a straw.]

Please don't disturb my fish. I might have to kill you. [He's joking. Look at him, he's such a nice boy; wouldn't hurt a fly. Except that he's got eyes as tired and flat as a week-old lettuce. He might cheer up if he catches something; might.]

wildcards r us

[[ooc: any ideas? pm me! or now i'm on plurk at

alysabet]]

Edited 2023-03-01 01:07 (UTC)

Be Our Guest/ Knight Terrifies Local Peasants.
[Whoever drafted this parchment had a cruel sense of humour. There were a few ways to interpret treason after all. On one hand, a washed-up knight like him has no place in a capitalistic Kazimierz. On the other, it could be accusing him of failing to stop the country’s so-called ‘progress’ into the greed-driven ‘utopia’ it is today.

Regardless of his captor's motivations, it was quickly becoming clear that he didn't belong here. The locals at the windmill all shrink away, intimidated as Młynar sizes them up with his piercing golden gaze. He meant no harm- but his menacing aura as a seasoned veteran drove them back. Frustrated, the Kuranta man decides to take matters into his own hands and inspects the crates and sacks lining the area. If the locals are of no use, he'd take matters in his own hands.]

Typical. Empty praise back home, and wordless fear here. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse.

[Młynar really should work on that RBF. He might actually make a friend someday if he stopped glaring all the time.]

I'm A Knight, Not A Fisher
[After clearing up the initial misunderstandings, Młynar eventually reaches the village. However, he quickly realizes that he’s unequipped to help the locals despite his best intentions. There’s no paperwork to be filled in a place like this, nor does it seem like anyone needs a spare blade.

However, his experience did offer him one unexpected talent: a strange affinity for cooking. Years of travelling as a knight-errant had made it a necessity. Back then, his partner Toland had been too much of a brute to cook competently- so he found himself whipping up meals when they were on the road. Thus, the villagers had made the decision to involuntarily volunteer him into preparing the day’s catch.

Despite some objections to the task, Młynar proves effective in his work. His knife moves with uncanny precision- first to cleanly remove the scales, then to cleanly open the belly and remove the innards. It was ugly work, with uglier squelching sounds, yet it was a necessary precursor to the wonders to come it hit the skillet over the fire.

The fish sizzles and pops as it releases a fragrant aroma into the surrounding area. The knight then adds a slice of lemon to the pan, infusing it with flavour before basting it with a mix of wild garlic and melted butter. The buttery sauce bubbles and coats the fish, giving it a crispy golden crust. Lunch is served, for those who are hungry enough to approach the tall horse-man. He’s far less imposing than usual right now- instead of his usual glare, he bears a satisfied expression, and his tail seems to be swishing around contentedly.]

Edited 2023-02-28 22:36 (UTC)

Be Our Guest
[Fortunately, Chuuya is good at manual labor, and fairly willing to help out. It's food for their bellies after all, so contributing only seems fair.

Some might find it very strange that the short man is quite capable of carrying an entire crate by himself without seeming winded, but he's cheating, technically: there's a faint red glow surrounding the crate hefted in his arms, the weight made much lighter by gravity manipulation.

Or maybe he sees someone struggling, and with a tap of a gloved finger, their load suddenly feels much lighter.] Looked like you could use some help.

No something for nothing
[And similarly, Chuuya is not shy about helping out the jewelcrafter. He uses the hammer here, though-- it's far wiser to use one of these than to crush geodes with his ability, though he's sure he could manage the delicate touch required.

He seems to know a little bit about jewelrycraft, for that matter: he's quite happy to engage in discussion with the jewelcrafter about it, mainly about different ways to cut stones.

No one has to know that it's because he used to run the port mafia's jewelry smuggling operation. He picked up a lot of knowledge from it, okay.]

A reel catch
[Chuuya isn't exactly a fishing sort of guy, but he doesn't see any harm in trying it. It doesn't help that a certain asshole is also participating, which naturally gets Chuuya rising to the challenge.

...He's not very good at it, though. The tiny, wiggling fish gets leveled with a scowl, Chuuya in the midst of a staring contest with those beady little eyes.]

The hell kind of fish is this? A baby?

Wildcard
[Go wild, I can roll with anything.]

Edited 2023-03-01 01:41 (UTC)

Be Our Guest

Caleb is less awed about where he is and more resigned as he walks along. He's a tall man, with red hair that is more like a sunset then a carrot. He has striking blue eyes and seems to enjoy wearing the color purple as some form of the color is in each piece of his clothing from his tunic to the scarf wrapped around his neck.

He holds his parchment loosely in one hand as he looks around. "This is an interesting place," he mutters with an accent that sounds vaguely German. "I wonder where the town is?"

Where Only the Brave May Go

Caleb has been in caves before and in searching his new home for possible spell components he's wondering if he might find some interesting stones inside them. He keeps one hand along the wall as he moves along enjoying the feeling of the rough stone under his palm.

He misses not having his familiar anymore, Frumpkin would have been good for scouting ahead, but what's done is done as so Caleb slowly moves along eyes glancing left and right as he looks for something interesting.

i - Be Our Guest

[She wonders if this is what death is like. Falling into nothingness. She was near the Cauldron when her body distorted and faded away. So maybe this is what it's like for them to rejoin it. But it also doesn't feel right. This is different. This can't be --

She doesn't have time to think on it before everything goes black. When she comes to, this is also not what she expects. Her brooch lies next to her, her transformation having fallen away after she passed out. That part's not unusual. The parchment leads to more questions.

Is this some sort of punishment? Being tossed away to some other world? She can't deny what she's done. She won't hide from it, even now. The Galaxy Cauldron is full of mysteries Chaos never told her. She knows there had to be much kept hidden. Chaos was just using her, but she was also doing the same. In a way, this is all almost all too fitting.

She keeps to herself for most of the way, having finally made her way to the cave, mostly ignoring any locals who attempt to speak with her. It might look a little awkward to anyone who spots her heading inside. Having both long hair and a dress down to your feet isn't the best way to go cave exploring.

But after traveling a few feet inside, a golden light surrounds her, leaving her in ...

Well, a short skirt still might not look super practical, but at least her outfit looks kind of like armor and her hair is now not everywhere.]

ii - No Something for Nothing

[Galaxia finds this place all too strange. It is not that different from the various worlds she's visited -- at least the people aren't. But people are generally the same everywhere. And she assumes, like everywhere, all this hospitality is just a disguise for the darkness underneath. Still, she'll go along with it for now, even if she doesn't really blend in all that well.

She stops by the jewelcrafter, watching him work, and ignoring any attempts at conversation. It might be part of her ego showing that makes one of the geodes float to her palm. Energy crackles around it before the rock splits in two revealing the pretty colors inside.]

A beautiful brilliance, but as worthless as the humans to cling to such material things.

[She swings her hand down almost as if she's tossing the stones pieces behind her -- which she kind of is. She won't care if it hits someone. In fact, despite some protests, she's going to move on to another area if someone doesn't try to get in her way.]

iii - wildcard

[Want to find her randomly around the area? Go for it. I'm down for anything. She can be either transformed or not, doesn't matter. Feel free to hit me up at coeurl for anything specific.]

Waking Up to a Windmill

[The last thing Zack remembered was looking up at the sky as his eyesight failed. It was a comforting sight. So blue, so warm, so forgiving. A part of him had resented that he'd never see his parents in Gongaga again or Aerith or even see Cloud safely to Midgar, but he was sure that his friend would be okay. And he knew that Tseng would watch over Aerith, if push came to shove.

The warmth of a late spring sun seems to hit him and he feels his face scrunch up. Was there a sun in the afterlife? He hadn't thought about it. Maybe? Would he get to see Angeal? Or maybe Genesis? Slowly, he opens his eyes and sees some weird structure overhead that sort of remind him of Kalm. Gingerly, he stands up, but it's obvious that he's hurt still. Not as bad, but still hurt. He pats down his belongings, noticing the warm, sticky, congealing liquid on his clothes, until he finds what he's looking for: Cure Materia.

After using it on himself, Zack still feels achy and sore—not unlike it feels when he exercises a bit too much—but it's liveable. (Can you get body aches when you're dead?) Then he takes a good look around.]

Uh, this is new. Did I somehow get near Kalm?

[He spends a few more minutes looking around until he sees the crates.]

Huh. Flour. Guess that makes sense. [He spots someone else nearby and asks questions, getting the lowdown on the mill and the flour.] Yeah, if you need a hand, I'd be willing to lend it.

[What else does he have to do in the afterlife, right?]

Getting Lost in a Cave

[Eventually all of the crates are taking to the village at the foot of the mountains and his curiosity gets the better of him when he sees all of the caves. He's never been one to back down from a challenge. He's lived his whole life wanting to be a hero and doing everything he could to reach the levels of Sephiroth and the other SOLDIER First Class members. He was the last to reach that rank, but he's always wanted to be the best. So, there's no way he's backing down from exploring some strange cave.

In a way, it's sort of like the caves in the mountains of Wutai. He's never really been to them, but he's heard enough about them from the whispers of the soldiers during the war to figure that there's got to be something in there worth checking out.

As he stands at the entrance, Zack looks over to the person beside him and grins.]

Think we can find some jewels and riches in there? That would be pretty cool.

Wild card

[OOC: This is a voice test and hopeful way to app in Zack to the game. If there's something that you want to do that I haven't put up here, feel free to write it up or contact me on Plurk at

makochan so we can hammer something out. I'm easy. ;)]

1. the windmill (be our guest)

[ A sentence, a judgement... a strange dream. Maybe she'd just blacked out again, and lost another year. It felt about as likely. But she's got a pretty good view of the surroundings here, and the landscape doesn't bear the same scars that she remembers from her ruined world. ]

[ But she gamely joins in with transporting the flour back to town, although at one point she turns to someone else who seems just as fish-out-of-water as she is: ]

Isn't anyone afraid we'd steal their goods? We could be bandits, for all they know.

2. the caverns (where only the brave may go) 💀

[ Lorentia Cave doesn't resemble the caverns of Mt. Zozo, not really. Here, the main passageways have been clearly shorn up and made safe for miners and hikers alike, with signs of people coming-and-going to be found everywhere, whereas Mt. Zozo had been uninhabited (save by bears and giants and one particularly reclusive samurai). ]

[ At the same time, the rumours of dragons has her alert, walking fearlessly past even the most ominous of warning signs (no matter how many skulls and cartoon-swear-symbols are scribbled on them) into the deeper levels of the caves, and puzzling over some skeletal remains down one passageway. ]

[ Murmuring to herself, heedless of anyone in earshot: ] Human? Or...

[ Alternately, if she spots someone else who's gotten themself in a tight spot, whether they've gotten lost or fallen down a mineshaft they can't easily climb back up, Celes's head pops up over a ledge or overhang, waving amiably to whoever's below: ]

Need a hand?

3. the beach (you're a reel catch)

[ If anyone had asked -- alright, no, not anyone. But if a hypothetical person had asked, Celes would have said the whole thing felt like a cruel joke. ]

[ It's fine. Really, it's fine! There's plenty of contestants. Nobody was going to sicken or starve if she wasn't up to snuff. It's fine. ]

[ Anyway. At the beach, there's a young woman standing in the shallows, with her trousers rolled up to her knees and a forbidding expression on her face. To be accurate, you'd find her detaching a too-small fish from the hook and -- with rather too much force than is strictly necessary -- yeeting it back into the waves. One would almost expect the poor fish to skip over the waters like a pebble, but it disappears into the depths with a subdued plop. ]

🏹 Exploration is Good For the Soul 🏹

[Fran has scoffed and ignored the letter found among her belongings. It takes her a while to find her bow in the tall grasses, but the strange windmills in the distance catch her attention soon enough. However, she doesn't really care about them. They're not important to her at this point. Finding someone or something to help her navigate is, since her senses are completely off with the disconnection to Ivalice and the Mists that guide everything.

All she sees is people in the strange world and Balthier is definitely the more talkative betwixt the two of them, so she ignores the groups near the windmills and stalks towards the town to try and listen in on others as they speak so she can find out where she really is and what's going on.

There's some conversations about what could possibly be going on in the caves and she feels a familiar tingle down her spine that says she should point her attention that way. As she steps in and looks around, she's reminded of the cave system underneath Archades and she frowns before attempting to reach out once again with all of her senses. Only to be met with full silence on all fronts but the natural smells and sounds of a cave and lots of human pheromones.]

The Occuria seem to be reveling in removing me from the land of my foremothers.

🏹 Time to Cash In 🏹

[After her time in the caves is done, Fran has a very nice collection of raw gems, geodes, and ore that she figures will fetch som gil and help her pay for information. It's not exactly what she would like to do, but the stirrings of her stomach and the setting of the sun means she has to find some food and shelter for the evening before starting anew.

So, she heads into the town where she can hear the sound of hammers on anvils and billows keeping furnaces alive. She stops in front of one such, and begins negotiation with the woman who is running the shop and places a few items on the tables.]

I would like to trade this in. [She is surprised when the woman looks her up and down and offers to let her use some of the items to craft better armor. It's true that she's wearing light leather items, but they help her move faster in battle. However, it's not that she's insulted. No, in fact, the Viera is amused at the offer.] We do not have these things where I am from, but I am happy to learn something new.

[Who knew that at nearly a hundred years old, Fran would learn the finer details of... blacksmithing?]

🏹 Fish For Dinner 🏹

[Things seem so peaceful here, reminding her a bit of a few of the outer villages of Ivalice. So when one of the competition promoters approaches her, she looks down at him before nodding and signing up.]

I see no harm in doing so.

[A girl has to eat. And with no one else around, she has to find a way to make a living as well.]

🏹 Wildcard 🏹

[OOC: If you want something with Fran that's not here, please hit me up on plurk at

makochan for something and I can write you a starter, or feel free to have inspiration take you to strange places!]

[ The last thing she remembers is... well, it doesn't matter. She's here now, inexplicably summoned into another world, and it's neither a world of her own making nor a fragment of one called by any of her own champions. Answers, if there are any, will surely come later. Rising to her feet, she folds the parchment detailing her crime within the palm of her hand. ]

Windmill

[ An aura clings to this woman's form, wispy and golden, emanating from her like the gentle arcs of a sun's corona. Rather than being harsh, the light surrounding her is neither blinding nor caustic. Instead, it's a gentle, soundless radiance, and although no physical warmth is attached to this light, it has an almost welcoming quality.

But it is dimmer than what it usually would be, for whatever reason, and that dimness reflects in this woman's posture as she looks across the fields leading down into the nearby town. Placing a hand upon the windmill, she leans against the structure for support, and it's then that she spots you... or anyone at all. ]

It's a rather lovely world, isn't it? [ Her gaze is kind as she addresses you, but the weariness within her eyes is unmistakable. Nevertheless, her lips curve into a smile as soft as clouds. You might be a stranger, but it seems that she's no less sincerely glad and grateful to meet you. ]

Geode Cracking

Will you try your hand?

[ Hello. Hi. There is a woman next to you offering you the hammer to crack open the geode. Also, she's floating.

Don't take ~~weapons~~ hammers from strange spirit women in all white and gold? What are you talking about, she got this hammer from the craftsman. Perhaps she wants to see your strength and finesse. ]

Fishing

[ Given the tackle, reel, rod, and bait, she appears just as ready as anyone else to try her hand at fishing! And given the rules of the competition where no powers will be allowed, she, too, is finally standing with her own two feet firmly planted upon the wooden pier. With a graceful flick of the fishing rod, she casts the line out to the river, where the lure falls into the water with a gentle, satisfying plop. At the successful cast, a smile tugs at her lips, hinting at some amount of pride, or perhaps nostalgia...

It's then that she spots you, perhaps with your own set of fishing gear. With her free hand, she gestures over to a spot next to her. ] Come. There is more than enough room, and more than enough fish.

Wildcard

[ hit me. cosmos can be found anywhere, from glowing in the dark in the caverns to meandering all around town. ]

[Well, this might as well happen.

"Go with the flow," had kind of been her M.O. for the past year, and even with the entire world yanked out from under her, again, there's really not much reason to stop now. Kicking her feet and causing a fuss without a single ally really, really sounds like way more effort than its worth, at least until she knows more about what's going on.]

1. it's a windmill

[In spite of this weird situation, she's feeling more invigorated than she has in weeks. Taking in what's going on around her, she grabs a bag of flour and hugs it tight to her chest. She's done a lot of physical training between Tartarus and sports club, so while there's no way she can go about hoisting a whole crate herself, a single bag of flour is totally doable. Of course, she's never been the type to keep to herself, so in short order, she sidles up next to someone else,]

Want some help with that? [and unceremoniously drops her own bag on flour on top of their crate,] It'll be easier if we lift it together! [But she also did just make it heavier...]

2. where only the brave may go

Helloooooo~!

[Oh, sorry, were you having a peaceful time here in the cave? Don't mind Kotone, cupping both hands around her mouth and calling out into the darkness just to hear the echo.]

Echoooooo!!

3. forging bonds

[When she wasn't yelling into the cave just to ~~cause problems~~ see what would happen, she was retrieving equipment! It's just like a Tartarus run, except way, way less profitable. For now, she's sitting in the corner with a piece of paper, sketching out a naginata. There are a few other pieces nearby, one of which has a sketch that looks like some kind of pistol, though she seems to have abandoned it for now. If someone ventures over, she doesn't hide what she's doing, but she does glance up with interest.]

Oh, hey! Are you going to have something made, too?

4. wildcard!

[mix and match a prompt, do your own, or PM me for Something Else!]

PUT OUR SERVICE TO THE TEST

[ between a cramped box of skeletons and a vast sea of white oblivion -- lies farm country. apparently.

but as far as escape routes go, he probably shouldn't be so picky anyway.

in any case, it takes a while to get his bearings with the green fields and charming denizens and a violently crumpled-up sentence stuffed deep into his uniform's back pocket. going from trying not to think to overthinking's a whiplash he didn't exactly sign up for, and the whole thing feels more dreamlike than any of the nightmares he might've had while boxed up and waiting on the void. so maybe he walks, and then walks, and then walks... and ignooorreesss... pretty much everyone he might pass by for a while, even when a man walking around blindfolded's bound to earn some attention.

your attention. and maybe you're insulted by the fact he might be brushing you off.

or maybe you've been following him around this entire time into parts unknown, knowingly, into where only the brave may go because hey, this man with his eyes covered may not know exactly where he's going? because this toothy cave's pretty deep, with your footfalls echoing in the empty space and you're both probably lost by now. nothing either of you could have done about it. it just happens, suddenly, like the pitch blackness of the cave where the entrance had been a distant light just five minutes prior, and there's the sound of some flying beast in the distance, the cave walls thundering with its shout.

and maybe your body shakes a little, too, when a skeleton hand suddenly falls on your shoulder, and there's the blank echo of a - ]

Boo.

EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE

It's tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime! Foooorr! Everyone's favorite gameshow!

[ fade-in. town center. there's this public menace testing the townsfolks' hospitality and this jewelcrafter's fine and friendly patience by waving down people to take a look at the array of open geodes that are displayed pretty haphazardly along the tiled street. he's very loud and very annoying. he's also wearing a blindfold, but that's less important compared to the other two things, don't even mind it. ]

That's right, that's right! Step right up and get yourself featured live on public television! Which is conveniently missing despite these novelty keychains that seem far removed from the realm of science and what we know about electronic transmission! No, pay no mind to the smoke and mirrors and vague gestures at a cultish religion! It's time to guess the color!

[ cue the YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY and the golf clap! as well as a grandiose sweep of his arm as he extends a plain rock in your direction! ]

So.

[ guess the geode color, right? simple enough. except this strange man's not even holding a hammer nor does he wait for your guess before the rock just cracks open with what seems to be sleight of hand or some kind of invisible force... and, possibly more importantly: ]

Your underwear's blue today.

[ ... it really has nothing to do with anything, but the geode in his hand's purple btw. ]

DON'T TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE CAN FEED HIMSELF, IT'S NOT THAT HARD

[ ... he's not competing.

that much is clear when he's got no pole and he's standing along the sidelines with crab legs roasting near an open fire. the way they're propped on sticks and sticking out of the sand looks absolutely horrendous, what, when it looks like some kind of giant spider on fire when he's got those thorny shells just jutting all around the campfire like that. it's a good thing that sort of off-putting sight doesn't scare away the fish.

... but the fact that this grown-ass man is in the tidepools and possibly throwing sea cucumbers and unwitting octopi into the sea next to where some poor sap's line's being cast may possibly be a detriment. idk he doesn't fish, how would he know. ]

Oh. That's a big one.

[ is he talking about your fish that he just scared away with all of his tossing, or the giant moray eel that the two of you just grabbed onto for some reason when you decided, foolishly, to join him on his tidepool adventure???

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ ]

UNO REVERSE

( please feel free to hit me with any kind of prompt if the three above are too deranged/aren't deranged enough! i can also handcraft another starter, just note that it will probably be just as dumb, i'm sorry for only being slightly sorry. )

Edited 2023-03-05 09:20 (UTC)

1) It's a windmill, not a giant

[After everything that's happened to him in the past few weeks - and given the last thing he remembers before the white void was sitting on the common room couch, feeling more tired than he has ever been in his life - Izuku honestly would not be surprised to suddenly wake up and discover this whole thing was some strange, guilt-induced dream. It's rapidly proving to be much more real than he's really comfortable with, though, and he's only had a dream that felt this real and uncontrollable even after he recognized it as one once, and...well. He's a lot more existant in this one. Besides, if the Vestiges were responsible for this he'd think at least the First or Seventh would have given him a head's up by now.

Frankly a part of him is still half-expecting to wake up.

But Izuku is nothing if not willing to roll with a situation to better understand it. Getting information is the first step to formulating a plan, after all; it's a source of normalcy in the midst of all of this, as well as just simply how he is. He's also an uncurable meddler, so when scouting out the windmill presents an opportunity to help people of course he takes it without a second thought. Whether you're in need of a crate-carrying parter or struggling a bit with a flour sack, expect him to approach you with a friendly smile.]

Excuse me, do you need a hand? I'd be happy to help!

2) Maxwell's Silver Rock-Hammer

[There's something about someone being openly passionate about a job, skill or hobby that Izuku knows very little about that always makes him want to learn from them. The jewelcrafter's pride in their work, the demonstration of opening geodes, the opportunity to try it himself...it's a siren's call to the teen.

In this case, however, that exact same passion is making Izuku extremely nervous about messing up. Sure, there are plenty of geodes waiting to be opened, and it's not going to ruin the jewelcrafter's business or cause undue harm to mess up opening one, but the pressure is there all the same. Izuku wants to do this well, so he watches the demonstrations with rapt attention for honestly much longer than he needs to before he starts his own attempt - someone waiting for their own chance would be understandably frustrated by his apparent stalling and honestly he wouldn't be too surprised if he got snapped at. He is technically hogging a hammer, after all.]

3) Wildcard

((If you'd like to toss some broccoli on your plate and none of these options are appealing, come at me. If you'd like something specific then PM his journal or hit me up at

AngelLeriel (my account accepts PPs from anyone) and I'd be happy to hash things out!))

i. something something don quixote

a. [A bright blue sky, people living without fear, without the tinge of hopelessness that Nova Chrysalia inevitably inspired in everyone… It's been a long, long time since Noel has seen anything like this. Like so many people who've come before, he arrives with a parchment. Chosen? Worthy? Deserving? He doesn't buy any of that. And as for the crime listed...well, like many others, he spends no small amount of time trying to get rid of the damned thing. Tries to ball it up, tear it apart, anything—to no avail, of course. Frustrated and maybe a little bewildered, he shoves it in a pocket.

It quickly becomes clear that in order to figure out what the hell he's doing here, he's going to have to get moving. So he does.

There's a tiredness in his eyes that his apparent age doesn't readily explain. He's seen a lot, he's done a lot...but this sure is different, even for him. So when he spots the windmill over the crest of the hill, he can't help but stop, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.]

You ever see anything like this? [He nods at the giant structure.] What d'you think it's for?

b. [It doesn't take him long to figure out what that structure is for. It's not like anything he's really experienced—there was no need to mill crops in a world where nothing could grow—but as long as he's here…might as well try to help out. Who knows, maybe he'll start to figure out what he's supposed to be doing here. It can't be something as simple as hauling bags of grain.

Not that that stops him, of course.

If you happen to be near the crates, you'll find him loading bags into them, though he stops with a faint frown when the opening to one crate is blocked by a couple of poorly-loaded bags.]

Mind giving me a hand? [His are full.]

ii. are geodes still on trend these days?

[It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the liveliness, to be honest; this is all totally new, for someone like Noel. But for all the grueling centuries he's spent in Nova Chrysalia, he still remembers a little of what it was like traveling with Serah, before all of that, before he doomed the world to a slow and pathetic end. So he does his best to look on at all of the things without drawing too much attention to himself.

…is what I'd like to say, but since some of this stuff is really new to him, he can't help but open his big dumb mouth.]

You mean all that shiny stuff is on the inside of this? [He's holding a geode, pointing at some other crystals incredulously, as if he doesn't quite believe it. The crafter is encouraging him to break it open and find out.] You sure? It just looks like a rock, to me.

iii. wish for fish on an ish wish dish

[You know what's funny? Giving all of this tackle and equipment to someone like Noel "I've never eaten fish in my life" Kreiss. He tried to protest, he really did, but no amount of "No, really, I'm not a fishing person" has prevented people from trying to encourage him to try his best.

But he literally has zero experience with something like this. So he's holding the fishing rod like a sword and standing awkwardly at the end of the dock, totally clueless. You might say he looks like a fish out of water. He's trying desperately to catch someone's eye, especially if that someone has not yet been handed a bunch of equipment. Is he hoping to foist his off on someone else? Maybe. ... Make that a yes.]

Wanna give it a try? Here. This isn't exactly my thing. [Clearly, he is very eager to shove the fishing pole into someone else's hand.]

wildcard
[open to any of the other prompts, or make something else up!]

BE OUR GUEST

[Date is really no stranger to weird things happening to him. The sight of windmills, not knowing exactly where he is, it's all par for the course! Sort of? He just has to sort of figure out what's going on here, and he's a detective, so it shouldn't be that hard.

He's been sitting there, watching some burly-looking fellas grab and haul crates of something--presumably flour--when he's approached about helping, and well... He's never been the type of guy who is considered the muscle of the operation, if you catch his drift. Carrying one sack of flour at a time would be more doable, but even then, he's not really a fan of how long that's going to take.

But hey, two people are better than one, right? He's looking around for someone to assist. Someone big, hopefully? Either way, somebody is better than nobody.]

NO SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

[Gathering info seems pretty important, so when Date finds himself in town, that's certainly the first thing on his mind. (Ah... the second thing. He doesn't have any money to visit taverns.) After listening to the jewelcrafter's spiel for a bit, he's only minimally more aware of what's going on here than he was before, so he might as well do something productive.

Smashing a rock with a hammer seems easy enough. Is there a trick to this? He's just supposed to hit it?]

FEEDING THE MASSES

[Ah, there's something going on in town, is there? No way is Date interested in a fishing competition, but he's not a terrible cook (unless you ask some people), so he's not exactly opposed to helping out with the food prep. He's hungry, and needs something to do, and people tend to chat when they're cooking. Also, it means he doesn't have to try and wield a fishing pole.

Even more than that, though, is the gambling. He's eyeing it from where he's prepping a fish. Which, coincidentally, he might get paid for doing? Oh, look at that. Coins would look great in a betting pool. If he finds himself with some, that's the first place he's going.]

WILDCARD

[Choose whatever you'd like!]

Edited 2023-03-12 07:40 (UTC)

ONLY THE BRAVE

The whole manual labour thing for people she doesn't know isn't the most appealing thing in the world, so Ellie bows out of that and goes to look around instead. She finds the Lorentia caves and can't help but be curious.

So of fucking course there's just cave ins and shit. But she noses around a little anyway, remembering the last time she was in caves.

Yeah, actually, this is a shit idea but here she is.

She stops at a sign with a skull on it. Someone else is here, nearby, so she remarks, "You think they mean that, or they're hiding like pirate gold or some shit?"

Later, on another path (or that same one, whatever), she finds a discarded sword near a skeleton. She thinks she's alone when this happens, but you might catch her plucking it away from the skeleton. It's broken and chipped, but any port in a storm, right?

"Sorry, Bone Man, but I think I need this a little more than you do."

MAXWELL'S SILVER (rock) HAMMER

Ellie is trying to question some of these people about if they've ever heard of a place called Matthias. They haven't, but the sparkly rocks catch her eye for a moment.

She gets talked into trying to open a few herself. And you know what? Actually, this is delightful. She cracks open one rock and there's not really much. But the second one has sparkling points of gemstone in it, lighter purple blending into dark.

"Holy shit!" she says, a little too loud, staring down at the rock in her hands. "Get a load of this!" she continues, shoving it at whoever is nearby to notice. Sometimes the simplest things are the coolest, okay!

FORGING BONDS

Ellie isn't bad at tinkering with weapons, but the whole blacksmithing thing is a new one on her. This still isn't getting her answers, but all she has on her is a tiny knife so…yeah, she's willing to learn how to fix the busted sword. She has a couple coins from helping the geode guy and money means literally nothing to her anyway, so she hands them over.

She's a pretty small person, but the way she swings that blacksmith hammer is no joke. Catch her just after, admiring the (more or less) fixed up sword.

"This is metal as fuck," she says. Glancing up at whoever is watching, one side of her mouth twitches. "Get it? Metal. Literally it's…yeah, you get it."

WILDCARD

[ Throw something else at me, dealer's choice!

Ellie is a CRAU from the village, which doesn't change much about her, but it gives her some experience with the idea of multiple worlds and a fairly cynical view of death/rebirth, along with a little extra dose of paranoia that might creep up on her.

Feel free to reach out for plot stuff if you like.

a. be our guest.

[ Waking up in a brand new place for the second-ish time in as many hours is disorientating, to say the least. Especially when it feels like they were asleep for both a blink of an eye and an endlessly repeating eternity. But it wasn't sleep, was it, it was-

Well. That panic attack can wait for another day, if we're being honest. It's already bad enough that they're bleeding ontop of some poor farmer's sack of flour, there's really no need to add hysterical babbling to the list of crimes apparently on record. There's things to do - people to help, directions to follow, that kind of thing. They would've barely been able to manage one sack alone before their chest wound, what with those wimpy nerd arms. Two is right out, they're half dragging it as it is. But maybe it's the thought that counts.

Either way, you might run into a very confused, very bloodstained Lion not far from the windmill, staring in open wonder at the surrounding countryside. ]

It's... beautiful. [ Quietly; they barely notice that they spoke aloud. ] Wait, which way did he say the town was again...?

b. no something for nothing.

[ If there's one thing that an Ushiromiya can always fall back on in times of stress, it's the ability to showboat in front of a crowd.

It's a little different then they first expected when the jewelcrafter coaxed them into helping out. There's no peddling of wares or elaborate haggling to be seen; just the cheerful enthusiasm of a master craftsman sharing their skills with an equally delighted public. It's... nice.

So maybe that's why they're spending more time watching everyone else's geodes then actually cracking their own. They've been fiddling with the same one for the past ten minutes, barely glancing at it in favour of chatting with the other participants. Like this, as another geode snaps open under a stranger's hands- ]

Oh, that one's rather bright, isn't it? [ And they tilt their head to the side, eyeing the flashy gem. ] I wonder why they all seem to be different colours...?

c. feeding the masses.

[ Or perhaps you've been lured over by tournament?

Lion's no fisher. That much is obvious to anyone with eyes, given how prissy they still manage to look even however-long out from their arrival, and all the curious glances they keep stealing of the contestants. It looks..... okay, it just looks really boring from where they're sitting? But everyone seems to be having fun, so it's no business of theirs what others waste their time on.

What is their business is what comes after. It's hard to say if they've commandeered a portion of the impromtu kitchen by choice, or if a local figured out they had some skill at cooking and roped them into helping - in either case, the end result is the same: one rich brat babysitting several merrily bubbling plates and way too much seafood.

If you have a fresh catch and are trying to get their attention, it takes them a minute to clear some space, with Lion split between you and fussing over a very stubborn stovetop. ] Just a moment- just need to... get this under control...!

[ But if you try and sneak a handful of something already cooked, you might find that hand swatted by a spoon, as Lion whips around with an uncomfortably bright smile. ] Ah, none of that, thank you. You can wait until the event is finished, the same as everyone else.

d. wildcard

[ or hit me with something shiny and new! i'm open to suggestions tbh. my plurk is skulltaffy - and because umineko is A Canon Of All Time, there's a handy-dandy permissions and opt-out over here. ]

1. Be Our Guest

[ First black, then white. Timeless and endless as always, but now there's formless voices talking over him. It's only a little bit jarring - it's weird being on the receiving end - but the being shoo'd out to a new reality without any context or information is as normal as expected. Last, a cloudless blue sky. Time settles back where it's supposed to be. It's been (137 seconds/approximately 4.2 months/~~999999999999-~~) A While. Go with A While. Allocate a budget of fifteen linear seconds to contemplate laying here until becoming fully deceased.

But only contemplating. He is exhausted, but he is Alive. That means Do Something and there's a decent amount of people over there definitely Doing... Something.

If "corpse left in a closet for a year" had a vibe, this guy who walks up embodies it. Both the clothes and appearance are shredded, covered in blood stains so old they've gone past the brown stage into just pockets of Discoloration. One arm's been visibly torn off, but it doesn't to stop him from walking over to the flour sacks and tossing one over a shoulder. Mmm... doable. ]

You. Throw a second one on? Might as well be productive.

2. I'm a [REDACTED], not a fisher

[ The healers have always run a pretty loose ship. Show up, sit down until someone sees you, get healed, leave. Like okay yeah sure the waiting might take a while, but it can't be helped. They are here to be healers and that time can be better spent elsewhere. This time though, there is now a Secretary(?) in the middle with a quiet debate with one of the clerics. No, he's not going back. Patient records are important and the fact you don't have any is terrible??? Do better. - Oh, a person, go away.

Said healer is immediately relegated to Not Important status. Rude??? And in your case, there's a brief once over with too-yellow eyes - nothing visibly lethal, good - and then a... Question. If questions come in a legitimate monotone, no inflection whatsoever. ]

Name and severity of injury. [ Punctuated by a small hiss as the cleric swats at him. "Manners." ] ...Please.

Generic Wildcard Option
[ I am tired and easily bullied and legitimately down for whatever. Hit me up if you have a different idea, or want another prompt, or just want to pick on me. Plurk is

bitchesandtrolls though I haven't used it recently, or discord at catpunsito#5847. So hit me up yeye ]

1. "I got summoned to another world and all I got was this lousy parchment"

Emet-Selch finds no humour in waking up in a strange, foreign land. Especially not after he had just been enjoying a relaxing nap in the shaded boughs of the Rak'tika Greatwood. The interruption has put in him a sour mood as he lethargically makes his way through the town of Aldrip, casting a disinterested look about him.

He is to be sentenced for a crime apparently. Or so claims a piece of parchment informing him of his crime of-- what is it again? He lifts the thing to eye-level with a dour stare. Ah yes - mass genocide. He tosses aside the parchment with a scoff and grinds it into the dirt beneath his boot. Yet, the parchment seems immune to his abuse and remains quite whole and unblemished as he steps past it. A stray breeze picks it up and tosses it playfully after his heels as he walks - not that he notices.

"You there!" He points suddenly at you. Or perhaps an oblivious native near you. "Where am I and how do I return to my star?"

2. Where only the brave may go

Emet-Selch isn't one for manual labour - look at him: do his robes look like they're made for heavy lifting? - so he eschews town and wanders instead towards Lorentia Cave. It's nothing more than idle curiosity. His earlier enquiries have borne no fruit. He is apparently stuck here for the foreseeable future, until his sentence is carried out...whatever that may be.

Were he back home, he would have had his pick of any number of familiar places on the star to visit on a whim. Unfortunately, he knows nothing of this one, and the only way to rectify that is to explore. The very thought lends a sour twist to his mouth however. He irritably brushes it aside in favour of peering into the mouth of the cave. Definitely dark. Definitely dangerous. He could turn away and find somewhere to resume his nap instead.

...Or he could throw caution to the winds and wander inside.

A snap of his fingers produces a glowing orb of light which hovers steadily above one shoulder. Visibility is quickly lost not far into the cave, but his little light soon begins reflecting off mineral veins. They twist and vanish and double-back all over the walls, threatening to lead those with lesser nerve astray. A cave rich in precious material indeed.

He pauses to inspect a curious outcropping of rock in the midst a slightly wider cavern. He seems oblivious to the potential danger around him. Or is he simply pretending not to notice anything around him?

3. Wildcard

(Emet-Selch can be found grousing pretty much anywhere. For those unfamiliar, he's a grumpy sorcerer currently wearing the guise of Garlemald's First Emperor. Let me know if you have some kind of idea and we can work something out. And also let me know if you would like to avoid spoilers for a certain part of the game.)

[ ooc: do not perceive me sobs.... but also i haven't seen picard yet so please no spoilers there. anything else goes, though! she's coming from the middle of first contact, so her hair is notably BLONDE right now. ]

be our guest

[ fortunately or unfortunately, this is not the first time beverly has woken up to find herself... not on the enterprise or anywhere she knows. at least she's used to that, however difficult it may be. usually, it doesn't come on the heels of dealing with the borg and so she spends a decent amount of time getting her bearings and trying to figure out if this is real, if she's been transported down to earth somehow, or if something is playing tricks on her mind. it would be just like the borg to assimilate her on the spot rather than anything else, but she doesn't immediately see any signs that they're even here, much less her own crew. it's all very strange...

of course, beverly has never been the type of person to just sit around and wait, so after poking her nose around the windmills, she can be found doing what she does best: helping. most of the flour sacks are easy enough to carry, but though she's well-muscled and strong for a middle-aged woman, she is still human. glancing over at the nearest person, she smiles and waves them over. ]

Hi there. My name is Beverly. Do you mind giving me a hand with one of these crates?

feeding the masses

[ this isn't the first time beverly has lived without a replicator, either, but each time she finds herself missing that piece of life on the enterprise. or, well, life in the federation, more specifically. it would be so much easier if she could just program a computer to help out with the cooking. for now, though, she's stuck cooking by hand, which is easy enough for a mother like she is. she's done it before and she'll do it again. whenever wesley makes it back home.

anyone who makes their way over to her is greeted with a warm smile and a plate thrust into their hands. anyone particularly good at reading people, or who just knows the type of person she is, can probably read that she's doing this as much to help out as to distract herself from a lot of uncomfortable thoughts. she could use a break, but won't take one without being strong-armed into it. ]

Help yourself to whatever you'd like. There's plenty of seafood to go around.

[ aside from cooking, she's always got a watchful eye on what's going on. for anyone fishing who might happen to get caught on their line or some other injury during the course of their work, as soon as medical assistance is called, she hops right over, concern in her blue eyes. ]

I'm a doctor. Let me see it. [ she probably won't take no for an answer, so it's best just to let her tend the injury as she can. ] What happened?

wildcard [ got something else in mind? feel free to wildcard me. info post if needed and drop me a line if you'd like to talk something out! i'm pretty open. ]

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