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countryclub2023-01-25 12:08 am
reddosmod) wrote in countryclub2023-01-25 12:08 am
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JANUARY TEST DRIVE MEME!
JANUARY 2023 TDM
A TYPICAL ARRIVAL WITH A SWEET TWIST
WAIT FOR ME
YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY
CODING
Another month, another test drive meme! Our test drive memes are open to anyone interested - regardless of whether or not you join our game!
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Bloody Candles]
[Image Two: Anatomically Correct Chocolate Hearts in a Coffin]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Woman in restaurant, dressed in pink, surrounded by mannequins.]
[Image Two: Creepy looking mannequin staring]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Hands touching and holding at sunset]
[Image Two: Girl Screaming with her Mouth Fused Shut.]
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
Prompt One
[Image One: Bloody Candles]
[Image Two: Anatomically Correct Chocolate Hearts in a Coffin]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Woman in restaurant, dressed in pink, surrounded by mannequins.]
[Image Two: Creepy looking mannequin staring]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Hands touching and holding at sunset]
[Image Two: Girl Screaming with her Mouth Fused Shut.]
WHEN: Last Week of January through all February
WHERE: The Shores, Boardwalk and throughout Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mild Body horror for arrival, additional warnings for Blood Bonds and the Chocolatier:
* Blood Bonds: Blood ceremony, bodily ceremony, telepathic/empathetic connections, possible forced/coerced relationships.
* Choclatier: Themes of temptation (non-sexual and/or sexual), addiction, blood sacrifice, severely warped personality/reality including temporary amnesia, inability to use body, paranoia, vomiting organs, homicidal feelings, mild body horror.
WHERE: The Shores, Boardwalk and throughout Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mild Body horror for arrival, additional warnings for Blood Bonds and the Chocolatier:
* Blood Bonds: Blood ceremony, bodily ceremony, telepathic/empathetic connections, possible forced/coerced relationships.
* Choclatier: Themes of temptation (non-sexual and/or sexual), addiction, blood sacrifice, severely warped personality/reality including temporary amnesia, inability to use body, paranoia, vomiting organs, homicidal feelings, mild body horror.
For those who are arriving, they are fortunate. The worst of the ice and chill of the Season of Bone is fading. Any ice flows are breaking up and it is safe for little squidlings to come to shore, wakers present to help them with cups of hot cocoa and heavy robes to ward off of the cold. Nothing, however, removes the almost bleak and dreary state of the world. All of the beach seems washed with a sort of white that remindes the mind of bleached bone. Transformation from squid to the sleeper's natural form is slower, because of the cold, but does not pose any real difficulty.
Warm Food is prepared in the form of stews, complemented by bread that tastes heavily of mushroom. Unlike prior years, no roses are given to the new sleepers, though there are roses found throughout the city of trench. All of them, however, are black as midnight and there is an ominous sense to them should a sleeper think to reach out and pluck the blooms. Should someone do so, they will feel an increased paranoia about their relationships for the next few days and the natives of Trench will give them a wide berth, refusing to sell them anything at the shops and shooing them away, though there is no outward sign of anything being amiss. Whispers in town hint that the Doorway is in a poor mood this year.
Nevertheless, the patron pthumerian of the month can be seen around Trench. Bonding Rituals remain very popular this month and many seek to curry her presence during their rites. She shows no outward sign of discomfort or disapproval, yet there seems to be more blood than usual on her ivory blade as she stands in silent vigil wherever a ritual is performed.
Anyone who yearns for a bit of sweetness that they might associate with the waning chill of winter will find themselves meeting a sudden and disturbing fellow (CW: Some Blood/Disturbing Content in some chocolates. Please check warnings in prompt). The chocolatier, who was seen in past years, still wanders about and appears to any who yearn for a happier time in the otherwise gloom of the month. His offer is simple. A little bit of blood, for a little bit of sweet. What is the harm in it? Why his sweets even have mystical properties to make life interesting!
FAQ:
* The Chocolatier option remains identical to what happened in 2023, and is available throughout the last week of January and into February. The chocolates offered have not changed this year.
* Blood Bonds are available all year round, and the method of getting one is easily learned from any local in Trench, or from a Sleeper. While they can be performed every year, they are more powerful if performed in this month (Player discretion) and the Doorway is more likely to be present to bless them personally.
Warm Food is prepared in the form of stews, complemented by bread that tastes heavily of mushroom. Unlike prior years, no roses are given to the new sleepers, though there are roses found throughout the city of trench. All of them, however, are black as midnight and there is an ominous sense to them should a sleeper think to reach out and pluck the blooms. Should someone do so, they will feel an increased paranoia about their relationships for the next few days and the natives of Trench will give them a wide berth, refusing to sell them anything at the shops and shooing them away, though there is no outward sign of anything being amiss. Whispers in town hint that the Doorway is in a poor mood this year.
Nevertheless, the patron pthumerian of the month can be seen around Trench. Bonding Rituals remain very popular this month and many seek to curry her presence during their rites. She shows no outward sign of discomfort or disapproval, yet there seems to be more blood than usual on her ivory blade as she stands in silent vigil wherever a ritual is performed.
Anyone who yearns for a bit of sweetness that they might associate with the waning chill of winter will find themselves meeting a sudden and disturbing fellow (CW: Some Blood/Disturbing Content in some chocolates. Please check warnings in prompt). The chocolatier, who was seen in past years, still wanders about and appears to any who yearn for a happier time in the otherwise gloom of the month. His offer is simple. A little bit of blood, for a little bit of sweet. What is the harm in it? Why his sweets even have mystical properties to make life interesting!
FAQ:
* The Chocolatier option remains identical to what happened in 2023, and is available throughout the last week of January and into February. The chocolates offered have not changed this year.
* Blood Bonds are available all year round, and the method of getting one is easily learned from any local in Trench, or from a Sleeper. While they can be performed every year, they are more powerful if performed in this month (Player discretion) and the Doorway is more likely to be present to bless them personally.
WHEN: Anytime in February
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body Horror, Loneliness, Depression elements, Being Trapped in One's Own Body, Psychological Horror
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body Horror, Loneliness, Depression elements, Being Trapped in One's Own Body, Psychological Horror
Sleepers have been working to put an end to the strange plague afflicting pthumerians. Still, while there has been success, something seems off this month nevertheless. Even if she is not ill, the Doorway appears to be in a foul mood and it is felt by many. There is a moody, brooding sense that permeates the whole of the city, as if something were supposed to happen that did not. It's the awful sense that one gets when they expect to meet up with someone for something important and, without warning, that person does not show and there's no explanation. That light gnawing at the pit of the stomach when worry or irritation sets in grows steadily worse. Is this about someone specific, or a general malaise? It's hard to tell what sets it off. For some, it comes waiting by the coast in the hopes a loved one arrives this month. For others, maybe someone was just busy and ended up late for lunch. It might not even have a visible cause.
Whatever happens, the dreadful reality settles in almost immediately. As they wait, the person begins to feel their body stiffen. It does not feel like the lockjoint disease, but rather a sudden and whole-body hardening of the person. Within seconds, they feel their body solidifying into a state almost like a mannequin. Unable to move, they can feel a dread cold leeching into their heart as they are forced to watch, to wait for whoever was supposed to be there. Why aren't they here? The longer that they are there, the colder that they feel, and if they are in a secluded place it could feel quite perilous. However, no monsters can seem to harm the person, their body nigh indestructible. The frigid state, however, denies them the ability to sleep or even blink, forced to watch the world as a prisoner in their own mind.
Palebloods are somewhat fortunate in this state. All palebloods trapped this way find themselves able to telepathically communicate with loved ones or people close, regardless of distance. Their voices, however, are always in a state like the wail of a ghost regardless of their mental state. For anyone else, they can manage to mentally connect through the network to plead for help using an omni on their person, though only in Text form until they are released. So, at least they are not trapped without escape, unless by chance they forgot their omni, but you wouldn't be so foolish as to leave home without your phone would you?
HOW TO CURE THE CONDITION:
Several options exist. Anyone with a "Blade of Mercy" (a gift given last February) could use it to sever whatever connection caused the person to feel like they are waiting, though that might very well sever the emotional connection entirely! The very person that they are waiting for could arrive, in which case a kiss (on the cheek, on the lips, gallantly on one knee to the back of the hand. Whatever works for you!) or an apology for tardiness should suffice to warm the heart. If there is no source, or if that person cannot arrive (or chooses not to), any friend or even new acquaintance can try to help the person not feel quite as alone in their waiting through some reasonable means. Any cure-all for corruption will also help with this condition.
The locales do not have any idea officially how to cure the condition, but they may suggest some of the above simply because it seems helpful at the time. At the worst, the condition does eventually fade with time.
FAQ:
* This can happen in a public location, or entirely remote, wherever you wish.
* The above "Cures" are not exhaustive. Any reasonable act that establishes or re-establishes empathy for the person trapped will cure them.
* Paleblood Telepathy is not limited by distance. However, non-palebloods must have their omni on their person in order to mentally link to it.
* This condition does not lead to death, but if allowed to persist is a reasonable source of higher corruption.
* If untreated, it will usually clear up in a couple days, or at most a week. If a player wishes to use this as a form of hiatus in February, they may, in which case it can last all month.
Whatever happens, the dreadful reality settles in almost immediately. As they wait, the person begins to feel their body stiffen. It does not feel like the lockjoint disease, but rather a sudden and whole-body hardening of the person. Within seconds, they feel their body solidifying into a state almost like a mannequin. Unable to move, they can feel a dread cold leeching into their heart as they are forced to watch, to wait for whoever was supposed to be there. Why aren't they here? The longer that they are there, the colder that they feel, and if they are in a secluded place it could feel quite perilous. However, no monsters can seem to harm the person, their body nigh indestructible. The frigid state, however, denies them the ability to sleep or even blink, forced to watch the world as a prisoner in their own mind.
Palebloods are somewhat fortunate in this state. All palebloods trapped this way find themselves able to telepathically communicate with loved ones or people close, regardless of distance. Their voices, however, are always in a state like the wail of a ghost regardless of their mental state. For anyone else, they can manage to mentally connect through the network to plead for help using an omni on their person, though only in Text form until they are released. So, at least they are not trapped without escape, unless by chance they forgot their omni, but you wouldn't be so foolish as to leave home without your phone would you?
HOW TO CURE THE CONDITION:
Several options exist. Anyone with a "Blade of Mercy" (a gift given last February) could use it to sever whatever connection caused the person to feel like they are waiting, though that might very well sever the emotional connection entirely! The very person that they are waiting for could arrive, in which case a kiss (on the cheek, on the lips, gallantly on one knee to the back of the hand. Whatever works for you!) or an apology for tardiness should suffice to warm the heart. If there is no source, or if that person cannot arrive (or chooses not to), any friend or even new acquaintance can try to help the person not feel quite as alone in their waiting through some reasonable means. Any cure-all for corruption will also help with this condition.
The locales do not have any idea officially how to cure the condition, but they may suggest some of the above simply because it seems helpful at the time. At the worst, the condition does eventually fade with time.
FAQ:
* This can happen in a public location, or entirely remote, wherever you wish.
* The above "Cures" are not exhaustive. Any reasonable act that establishes or re-establishes empathy for the person trapped will cure them.
* Paleblood Telepathy is not limited by distance. However, non-palebloods must have their omni on their person in order to mentally link to it.
* This condition does not lead to death, but if allowed to persist is a reasonable source of higher corruption.
* If untreated, it will usually clear up in a couple days, or at most a week. If a player wishes to use this as a form of hiatus in February, they may, in which case it can last all month.
WHEN: The First Week of February
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Choking, Asphyxiation, Body Horror, Dependency, Possible Death
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Choking, Asphyxiation, Body Horror, Dependency, Possible Death
Self-reliance is a powerful tool in the city of Trench. You have to be able to take care of yourself, lest the dangerous elements on the fringe of the city overtake you and claim you in the night. Right?
The Doorway could not disagree more. To her, people depend upon each other. Corruption is only cleansed through the presence of others and conversation, connection. Cures and potions are, in her thought, unreliable. Even going to the Blood Ministers is more of a last-ditch effort when all else fails as she sees it. Sometimes? People need a little gentle reminder, a push to get them to rely upon each other more. Unfortunately, what a Pthumerian considers a gentle push to be tends not to be so gentle.
It happens at random, though it seems to happen most of all when it involves people who might not want to be close. You come into contact with a person, and just as you start to speak, you feel your throat throttle. It is like there is an invisible noose around your neck. No visible rope exists, but the air is cut off. You double over, gasping for air that will not come. Even if you don't or can't breathe you find yourself choking like a flopping goldfish out of water! As you reach out for help, you can see to your horror that the person you are trying to meet is choking too! What do you do? There is only one cure to this situation. You have to get to the other person quickly. There's still time. Maybe you can find some sort of solution if you get there. Deep down, you know you just need to be closer.
The moment that the two choking sleepers make contact, they will be able to breathe. The relief of oxygen entering the lungs comes instantly, though there is a problem. Any time you break contact, you begin to choke again. So long as you are able to stay in contact, you're safe but any attempt to break that contact is potentially life threatening. There is no solution other than to hold onto each other, hold hands, whatever it takes to maintain contact. For how long you ask? Oh, for at least an hour. But it's not like anyone's actually going to give you a timer on this. Will you just put up with it, or will you keep experimenting only to be choked repeatedly.
FAQ:
* Anyone can be affected by this, no matter physiology. It defies magical powers, biology and even blood powers.
* The effects last no more than 6 hours at the absolute max and most of the time it will end within 1 hour.
* Effects will cease when the two participants go to sleep (No accidental chokings). As a result, the effect will always start at least an hour before you might normally go to sleep.
* Yes, you can choke to death if you want.
* There is no knowledge of the effect amongst the locals and no warning about it, so there is no real warning on how to "cure" this other than the compulsion to get close to the other choking person and trial and error. Or Patience!
* No, the Doorway isn't sorry.
The Doorway could not disagree more. To her, people depend upon each other. Corruption is only cleansed through the presence of others and conversation, connection. Cures and potions are, in her thought, unreliable. Even going to the Blood Ministers is more of a last-ditch effort when all else fails as she sees it. Sometimes? People need a little gentle reminder, a push to get them to rely upon each other more. Unfortunately, what a Pthumerian considers a gentle push to be tends not to be so gentle.
It happens at random, though it seems to happen most of all when it involves people who might not want to be close. You come into contact with a person, and just as you start to speak, you feel your throat throttle. It is like there is an invisible noose around your neck. No visible rope exists, but the air is cut off. You double over, gasping for air that will not come. Even if you don't or can't breathe you find yourself choking like a flopping goldfish out of water! As you reach out for help, you can see to your horror that the person you are trying to meet is choking too! What do you do? There is only one cure to this situation. You have to get to the other person quickly. There's still time. Maybe you can find some sort of solution if you get there. Deep down, you know you just need to be closer.
The moment that the two choking sleepers make contact, they will be able to breathe. The relief of oxygen entering the lungs comes instantly, though there is a problem. Any time you break contact, you begin to choke again. So long as you are able to stay in contact, you're safe but any attempt to break that contact is potentially life threatening. There is no solution other than to hold onto each other, hold hands, whatever it takes to maintain contact. For how long you ask? Oh, for at least an hour. But it's not like anyone's actually going to give you a timer on this. Will you just put up with it, or will you keep experimenting only to be choked repeatedly.
FAQ:
* Anyone can be affected by this, no matter physiology. It defies magical powers, biology and even blood powers.
* The effects last no more than 6 hours at the absolute max and most of the time it will end within 1 hour.
* Effects will cease when the two participants go to sleep (No accidental chokings). As a result, the effect will always start at least an hour before you might normally go to sleep.
* Yes, you can choke to death if you want.
* There is no knowledge of the effect amongst the locals and no warning about it, so there is no real warning on how to "cure" this other than the compulsion to get close to the other choking person and trial and error. Or Patience!
* No, the Doorway isn't sorry.
no subject
elster goes along with the motions easily enough, looping her arm behind ariane's back. ich habe dich, she murmurs, that half-melodic voice for her lover's ears alone in the moment. she walks, slowly and carefully with ariane in tow, glancing to her to gauge her status. she doesn't respond to the comment about how it isn't her fault. it was, surely. she was responsible for the ship and for ariane's safety, and her results there were a categorical failure.
but there was never enough time to do all that needed to be done. ]
Still. I never meant to just leave you like that. [ i didn't think we were both out of time. her fingers curl around ariane's bicep, bringing her a touch closer. ] Should we ask them where to go? [ she indicates the locals who they had both roundly ignored. ]
no subject
Elster doesn't respond right away, but that's all right. She doesn't need to. Ariane knows she takes her time to think, and Elster's presence and gentle reassurances are more than enough. More than what Ariane thought she'd get, after enough time in cryo. She just wanted everything to stop. She never expected a new beginning. ]
I know. [ Of course Elster didn't mean to leave her. She came back.
Quieter, mournfully: ] I should have taken care of you, too. Slept with you, or -- or something.
[ She's getting a touch desperate here. Ariane doesn't want to ruin Elster's dream, though, so she redirects. ]
Sure. That's a good idea. [ Ariane waves in the direction of the nearest local. ] Excuse me. Can we ask you something?
no subject
elster pauses, at last, rummaging through her welcoming bag with her free hand. there are definitely more than six items in here... still, the journal is there, as they had said. the map, good, that will be invaluable. her eyes almost seem to flash for a moment as she commits the map of the city to her nav system's memory. ]
No risk of us getting lost. Small favors. They suggested Sanguine Station while we found our bearings, so from here... [ one of those telltale pauses as she looks inwards, and then— ] All right.
[ she rubs at ariane's arm, keeping her close as she starts to walk again. ]
How do you feel?
no subject
How Ariane feels, however, is a complicated question. It's her turn to look inward, although Elster might be able to guess, based on her slow pace and tendency to lean upon the other. ]
...Strange. [ That's not helpful. Ariane pauses, then tries again. She's out of practice in more ways than one, apparently. ] I don't feel sick anymore. It doesn't hurt the same. [ But it feels like she should be. It would be easier, in a way, for her to hurt again. Her body remembers how. All Ariane would have to do is lie down, and let it happen, and then - ]
I don't want to wake up. I just can't wake up. [ Everything will be fine, as long as she stays like this. As long as she stays in the dream. ]
no subject
... I think we may have already woken up. And even if we haven't... [ where did dreams end and reality begin, over all those centuries? it was an endless dream about dreaming, folding reality over and over itself, splitting it apart at the seams and knitting it back together at the wrong angles. ]
Even if this is some shared delusion, it doesn't change anything.
[ elster takes a slow breath, pressing a kiss to the top of ariane's head. ]
Tell me if you start to get tired. I can carry you. [ all that occupies elster now is getting ariane somewhere where the two of them can begin to reorient themselves. ] Once we... understand this a little more, I think we should get you to a doctor.
no subject
It's perfect. [ This place. This dream. Ariane reaches a hand up to Elster's cheek. ] You're perfect.
[ Elster's plan is a sound one, although Ariane can't help but smile at the idea of seeing a doctor. There's something so quaint about it. That's where people go when they're sick. They're not sent out in space to die, or placed in cryo, or have to beg their loved ones to kill them. ]
I'll go anywhere. [ With you, Ariane means. But she thinks Elster will know that from the warmth of her voice. ] After the doctor... what do you want to see first?
[ Elster deserves it. She kept the promise. She deserves thousands of worlds, a hundred times over. ]
no subject
... I want... [ elster hesitates, coming up blank. she takes a breath, speaking a little more certainly next. ] ... Let's take this one thing at a time. All I want right now for us is a moment to breathe, and to make sure you're safe.
[ it's a deflection. she's... not great at those, but she has no idea how to answer the question yet either. ]
Nothing else matters.
no subject
Okay. Let's be safe.
[ That sounds good. A distant concept, perhaps, like a character from a forbidden book, but still nice.
Ariane doesn't say much, after that, content to walk alongside Elster. Too quickly, however, that contentedness turns into focus as her knees threaten to buckle and her body threatens to stumble. Neither illness nor cryo have been kind on Ariane's endurance, and it's probably better for her to speak up rather than trip for real, and worry Elster more. ]
I think this is all I can do for now. [ A slight smile, trying to make the best of things. ] How far are we? Maybe they have copies of those dumb exercise montage videos at the Station.
no subject
A little less than a kilometer. But I hope theirs don't have all the patriotic posturing.
[ the people passing by are mostly gestalts or... something else, from the look of them. no recognizable replikas. elster pays them little mind, only focusing on ariane's comfort and getting them to their destination.
she murmurs into ariane's hair, near her ear, surprising herself with how much emotion chokes the words. du bist in ordnung, whispers the magpie. ich bin genau hier, meine liebe. ]
no subject
Ich liebe dich, she murmurs in return. Ich liebe dich. She'll never tire of saying it. Compared to the confines of her pod, this world is massive, in a way that is nearly overwhelming, but it's easy to focus on Elster. She's the only one who matters. ]
They'll have a bed, [ Ariane realizes, with no small amount of delight ] for both of us.
no subject
For both of us. [ she can't help smiling wider at how obviously pleased ariane is. when was the last time they were—happy, either of them? ] We can try the food those people gave us, too. It's got to be better than the rations.
no subject
Elster's widening smile is the best thing of all, though. Ariane reaches a hand up to touch her cheek, as if she'll be able to experience it more fully that way. ]
So much better. I bet they'll have soup, or maybe -- maybe little cakes.
[ Ariane sighs, content. ]
I always wanted to go somewhere like this. Somewhere with you.
no subject
We can go anywhere. Do anything. [ a pause. ] I've only been on the ship, and... the things that happened next. [ whatever this frame, inasmuch as it is still the same frame, experienced before answering the call to s-23 is irrelevant. she is lstr-512. ]
I wouldn't know where to start. [ but as long as they're together, they can figure it out. the sign is in sight, now. elster tilts her head downwards, brushing her lips against ariane's forehead. ]
We're almost there.
no subject
- she can't go there. Not right now. That would just ruin things. ]
I don't know, either.
[ Ariane admits, instead. The world is so huge, compared to the cryo pod.
The sign is a relief. The kiss is even better, and Ariane burrows in close, focused on Elster's presence above all else. When they're close to the inn's threshold, Ariane will gently slip out of Elster's arms, returning to her half-standing, half-leaning position, assuming it'll be easier to order food and a room that way. Sanguine Station is a much noisier, livlier place than Ariane's used to, and she's not afraid to openly stare at all the activity going on, even at the expense of realizing that others might try to talk to her. ]
no subject
Hi. We've only just woken on shore, do you have a room available? [ one bed or two, she's asked, and elster answers one without hesitation. the back and forth continues—a seafood stew of the day, a loaf of bread, some water and mead. after a moment, she takes the offered key. ]
Ariane. Should we have it sent up, or do you want to stay down here longer? [ her exhaustion, and her desire to be alone and comfortable with ariane, outweighs her curiosity at the moment. but she doesn't want to speak for her, either. ]
no subject
The conversations are noisy, musical, and beautiful. They exhaust her, a little. ]
Let's go upstairs.
[ It'll be nice, just the two of them, without any promises to keep. ]
Thank you. [ She says, finally, to the innkeep. Fortunately, they seem to be fairly used to this sort of behavior.
Then, back to Elster: ] You need to rest, too.
no subject
Third on the right, they said.
[ and elster opens the door. the space is simply-appointed, with wood floors and ceilings, a table and chairs, side tables and a bed large enough for two people.
she closes the door, locks it, and lets their bags down onto the floor with a soft sigh. she agrees with ariane, and much of her wants to sleep as soon as she possibly can.
only one thing takes priority over that.
even backing up towards the bed, elster wraps her arms firmly around her beloved, leaning down to pull her into a gentle, longing kiss. she doesn't care about the missing teeth or the wounds still healing. ariane is here, they're both alive, this is something new—
she doesn't want to pull away yet. the terror of all that has happened is all but forgotten, for now. the magpie's song radiates heartache, longing, joy, devotion, guilt, love. always, through it all, the love. ]
no subject
But this desire is even older than that. It's embedded in not only her body and her mind (and what's the difference between those two, anyway?), but in her heart. In her soul. Ariane knows she has one, in this moment, because all she wants is Elster. That's all she's ever wanted.
Ariane kisses back, and the song becomes a duet, a dance, something impossibly old and newly born. She does not worry about her mouth being ugly or out of practice. This, unlike walking, is something she knows.
She kisses back, and she wraps one arm around Elster's waist while another reaches up so that Ariane might tangle her fingers in Elster's hair. Right now, she's not heavy on her own feet. It's love. It's always love.
I HAVE BECOME WHOLE AGAIN. ]
no subject
she doesn't focus on any of that, though, eyes slipping closed as one of her hands weaves into ariane's hair. it doesn't matter that it's thin, or much longer and more untamed than it was before, or patchy in places. it's her.
ich. sie. wir. it's you. it's me. it's us.
finally, after a time—she couldn't begin to guess how long, she's better things to focus on than her internal clock—they both need to breathe, so elster breaks away and inhales deeply, touching her forehead to ariane's. she can't hear the song in the way ariane can, not without her help, but... this feels right. it's the only thing that's felt right in hours, cycles, weeks, centuries. her thumb strokes at ariane's cheek, free hand rubbing at her back. something occurs to her, and she speaks barely over a whisper, amusement creeping into her tone: ]
Do you think we can call this a successful landing, Ariane? [ not even using officer yeong as a joke. she did, once, occasionally use ariane's title to tease her after they started growing close; the early earnest uses in the brief, stiff exchanges they had at the start were something else entirely. but the humor in that vanished, the longer the ship drifted and the worse things became. ]
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Ariane laughs at Elster's joke, and the sound surprises her as much as it delights her. It's a breathy, almost faint thing, yet full of joy (if mixed with a little self-righteous spite towards the Nation that sent them to die). ]
Even better. A successful mission, I'd say. But I don't know if I feel much like reporting it to command, truthfully. [ A whisper, a secret: ] I think this place should be just for us.
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None of it feels real, yet. But it is. I know it is.
[ it has to be. as much as "reality" is a fuzzy concept at best, now. ]
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[ Whispers Ariane, hushed and in awe. After thousands of cycles, Elster remembered more than just a sad, old promise. She watches Elster's eyes slip closed, rapt, and Ariane smiles again, so that Elster can feel that, too. ]
It is.
[ Don't they get to decide what's real, at the end of the day? ]
You're tired. Do you want to sleep first, or eat? I think the food will be here soon.
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[ even if she did, for a time, before she was brought back to the fore in this frame. ariane reminded her, after all. it was there with the others, showing her what was important amid the chaos. elster's given pause by one thing, though.
food sounds nice. she wants to try it, to try everything ariane missed or read about, to put a name to the scattered sense memories from another. but... ]
... Food can wait. You go ahead. I don't know when I last slept. Really slept, I mean. [ it might as well have been years ago. elster doesn't open her eyes, but she smiles, breathing growing steady and slow. the telltale signs of her beginning to drift into her inactive mode. there's got to be a more comfortable way for them to do this. ] Stay?
[ a part of her is almost scared to sleep, as safe as she feels in this moment. like she might be alone again, back in the nightmare, as soon as she lets go. ]
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[ Ariane understands the fear. Shares it, even: what if she goes back to sleep, and wakes up there? What if sleep only brings more pain?
It's clear Elster needs it, though. Sitting at the edge of the bed isn't the best way to go about resting, so Ariane takes Elster's hand, leading her up towards the pillows and blankets. ]
You can rest on me, if you want. I'm not really tired or hungry, but I would like to hold you.
[ Being in a body that moves again is overwhelming, more than anything. But Elster isn't. She's perfect. ]
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I'd like that. [ her head settles onto ariane's thighs. at one point, the sight of her in that short white dress would have filled her head with... frustrating thoughts, but that's one of the absolute last things on her mind now.
for the moment, her mind is quiet, even as the fallout of all that happened roils below the surface. ich liebe dich, she breathes out, feeling the tension slip from her body. ]