countryclub | March TEST DRIVE!

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meme: tdm

March TEST DRIVE!

MARCH 2023 TDM

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: A Bowl of Miso Soup]
[Image Two: A Lonely Lighthouse at the edge of a pier.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Two super-imposed people with time elapse city lights surrounding them.]
[Image Two: Two people with glowing energy flying between their mouths.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Gif of "Run" written on a wall in blood as someone stumbles past.]
[Image Two: Zombie Dog from Resident Evil.]

[NAVIGATION]

TDM Questions • Reserves • Taken • Applications • Full Navigation

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A Weirdly Banal Arrival

WHEN: End of March to mid-April
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Uh, you were a squid and now you're you!

April begins as a quiet month. It's actually bordering on a disturbingly quiet one. Even the Trenchies seem almost briefly on edge on the first of the month when there appears to be nothing going wrong at the time of the first sleeper's arrival. Squids swim to the shore with ease, the currents being helpful rather than harmful, and the transformation is surprisingly easy and painless. Outside of the outright strangeness of having been a squid only moments ago, you are not greeted with any difficulties upon arrival. The weather is just cool enough to appreciate a jacket or extra layer at night, and there are no storms other than occasional spattering of rain in the early mornings, when nobody is up. You arrive to a city that seems to be as at peace as is possible when it is steeped so deeply in blood rituals and strange monsters.

You are greeted by the greeters, who have bags that contain your possessions and clothes for you. All of them look towards the lighthouse with nervous gazes, remembering past years' problems this time of the year, but nothing seems to come of it. After the first day, the Trenchies feel comfortable enough and begin setting up booths where new residents of the city can ask questions. There are booths set up each by one of the local representatives of the Arcane Scholars and the Disciples, who seem to be trying to convince every sleeper to come to them for their answers, enticing them with a broth not unlike miso soup to help fill up. You'd better get used to eating mushrooms, they will both tell you. The broth is warming, hearty and gives a feeling of peace to even the most disturbed of souls. Otherwise, it does little else.

Of course, the Trenchies have a little ulterior motive in trying to entice people. They're quite busy participating in a little playful rivalry, trying to convince people to favor their ideals over others. Both booths will ask the same question. “Do you believe it is better to have someone strong to work beside, or to know enough to walk on your own?” The odd question hints to the perspectives of both groups, but either way they're keeping “score” in order to give each other a hard time if more answer one way or another. Should you answer Work Beside, you might be given a voucher, entitling you to an extra batch of incense from the Disciples. Should you answer Walk On Your Own, you will be given a voucher for a free book by the Arcane Scholars (or a free visit to allies sin the Luminarium, if you're not the reading type.). If you feel like you got embroiled in something bigger, not to worry! You didn't. They're just clearly being a little bit petty, and everyone else seems to think they're being a bit silly. Either way, welcome to Trench.

F.A.Q.

Anyone who wishes may answer the question, new or old, but you can only get ONE voucher, so “choose wisely?”
Further inquiry will show that there really is nothing going on here other than some librarians and pthumerian priests being petty with each other.

Getting to Know Each Other

WHEN: All of April
WHERE: Around Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Out of Body Experience, Body Disassociation, Body Swapping

Argonaut likes to think of itself as a helpful soul. With newly minted sleepers arriving every day, it hopes to help them get to know their situation better and better, and what better way can there possibly be than to walk for a day in each other's shoes? Surely they'll thank the helpful little explorer for this new adventure on which they have embarked, without being asked if they actually wanted or needed it? Whatever, this will be fun and after the last few months, Argonaut thinks people could also use a little bit of fun to go with hope for a new tomorrow!

It happens seemingly without warning. As you are walking along, a small and fluttering moth of gold happens to flutter right into your field of vision. This only happens when you happen to be facing someone else, and there is no warning whatsoever. As soon as it enters both of your fields of vision, golden light erupts disturbingly from your mouth and theirs, rushing towards the other person's mouth, while you feel deeply cold inside. A second later, and you are staring at yourself from within this new body! Any magical or psychic powers that you had which are not of Trench origin (such as blood based powers) have traveled with you, but all blood-based powers and physical powers (such as super strength) remain in your own body. No power, however great, seems to be able to undo this change and you appear to be stuck like this!

The transformation lasts for exactly 24 hours. Regardless of how separated you might be at the time, a month will again appear to you after the end of that period, turning you back into your normal self. Feel free to attack the moths if you'd like. It isn't as if Argonaut or their followers don't die often enough after all. However, this is only possible after they have surprised you with the transformation, should you find your body swapped with another. Well, at least it's temporary, so this isn't so bad right? You just have to endure being someone else for a day. Of course, the bad news is that argonaut dies a lot, which means that their memory is not exactly perfect. So, it is entirely possible that if you happen to be in sight of another person, you might get bodyswapped with an entirely different person!

Don't worry. They'll get this right. Eventually.

F.A.Q.

This prompt is easily avoided by simply not encountering a golden moth this month.
Argonaut's moth agents cannot be noticed before they surprise someone and cause the transposition of souls, but they can be attacked and killed easily afterwards if desired. If encountered in this fashion, their ability cannot be resisted.
Body Swaps last for 24 hours at a time, not a minute more or less, and cannot be undone by any other means. However, body swaps can continue into the wrong body, day after day, for as long as you the players wish to do this. By the last day of April, Argonaut themselves will step in to “Fix this” and everyone still body swapped will return to normal on the morning of the last day of the month.
Blood Powers are body-locked and do not transfer. Powers that are Mental or Skill-based may transfer if you wish (or not if you do not wish them to transfer). Powers that are inherently physical such as an armored hide or supernatural speed do not transfer.
No memories are conferred by transferring bodies, only a new body to walk around in for a day. Good luck!

Run

WHEN: The First Week of April
WHERE: Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Monster Horror, Running for One's Life, Possible Character Death

Everyone needs a little exercise, right? Something goes wrong in the rest of Trench, or perhaps someone thinks that it would be a good time for everyone to get out and get some exercise. Either way, the result is that the moaning lantern network seems, for the first week of the month, to not be working properly. The only lantern that appears to be connected to any of the lanterns in town is the one that attaches to the distant Outpost that was established months ago by sleepers, away from Pthumerian influences for the time being. That tiny enclave's lantern appears to still be lit and working, allowing teleportation outside of the city of Trench, but no other appears to be working correctly. You might get lucky after multiple attempts at different lanterns, but it feels really hard to get any sort of connection. It appears that everyone will just have to explore the city of Trench the old fashioned way, by foot.

Well, that's irritating, you might think, but it's far from the worst thing in the world. Perhaps you do need some exercise. First there was the wooden root barriers and now this. Well, at least your legs still work, so you might as well get to walking. All seems well and good when you're traveling inside of the districts, but it's when you get outside of town that things get a little dicey. See, while the hunters quickly mount defenses at the edge of each district to ensure its security (almost as if this sort of thing might have happened before), they can't also keep the paths between districts nearly as safe, and the monsters that sometimes lurk outside of town seem to know it. (This has definitely happened before.)

As soon as one district is out of sight on the road leading to the next, you can hear it. Howls. When you turn back, you see zombie dogs and feral, burning hell hounds in the distance. They snarl. They snap. They bark. Above all, they are coming for you, so you had better either be ready for a fight, or get to really testing those legs of yours! The good news is that the hell hounds, zombie dogs and monstrous wolves are definitely defeatable. The bad news is that there's several of them, so it really is a question of whether you have the skill to beat them back until they stop coming, or you're willing to run. Your odds are better if you do run. They're fast, but they're not as fast as normal, living hounds it seems, which gives someone with a running start a fighting chance. You'd just better treat this as a wind sprint to get to the safety of a friend or the hunters. You wouldn't want them to catch up would you?

F.A.Q.

Lantern network lanterns are very inconsistent during the first week of the month, unless to reach the far distant Outpost. Returning is possible from the Outpost, but for some reason only to the lantern that was used to reach it by that person. Teleportation powers also seem to be limited to a distance of about a football field and line of sight.
This event can be avoided in the Outpost, by traveling in large groups or by remaining inside of single districts. Teleportation lanterns can work, but only very sporadically during this period.
Beating monstrous hounds is possible, but requires skill, strength or powers and probably numbers, as they will attack in packs, enough to be legitimately threatening. Death is possible from this event.

CODING

Threaded | Flat

[[ note: Bluestar has never spoken to a human before, so she calls them Twolegs. She is prone to coming up with her own words for concepts that are too far outside of her wheelhouse. ]]

i. Arrival

Water. She hates water - why does it always have to come back to water?

The distress is almost enough to temper the fresh new terror, when she's lifted off the beach in the arms of a Twoleg! And that, on its own, is enough to encourage her back into her cat form. Bluestar is still half-slimy and half-furred with wobbly excuses for legs, when she bolts out of her Waker's arms and stumbles back toward the foam.

But she can't go back in the water, can she? No, she needs to find somewhere to hide... as soon as her legs feel well enough she takes off, but the best spot she can find is behind someone's backpack. Whoever lifts it will get the surprise of a very angry, very puffed-up russian blue hissing and swatting at their hand with fully extended claws.

ii. Arrival, part 2

It takes a while for Bluestar to calm down, after waking up. There's a lot to get used to. The Twolegplace, the squids, the complete lack of cats... curling up in front of a 'bowl' of 'soup' feels like the least confusing part thus far, but she still struggles with the concept of it. Food that's basically a liquid, meant to be drunk while warm... she wrinkles her nose at the smell, but the taste is warm and salty like prey. She supposes she can't complain.

She hasn't tried looking in her bag yet - it's about the size of a coinpurse, slung around her neck. The robes would be too confusing and uncomfortable, anyway. Instead, she steels herself before addressing one of the Twolegs sheltering near her.

"Are you new, as well?"

Her accent is English, if they're familiar. Calm, carefully measured, even while she's far out of her depth.

iii. Dogs!

She's still getting used to the Twolegplace - it's hard, even knowing full well that she's better off here than in the forest. So far she hasn't spoken to a single cat, let alone smelled anyone familiar, and every hair on her body tingles with dread whenever she has to speak to a Twoleg. So she's been spending most of her time alone - exploring, trying to gain some familiarity or at least map out her basic needs. Fresh water, prey, a warm-enough spot to sleep.

That's all she's focused on, when she hears howling. Howling, nearby - she doesn't need to know they're monstrous, dogs by themselves are too much danger for a lone cat, and she hears at least three distinct voices. Her ears pin back, and she glances around for- someone. Anyone. A Twoleg will have to do, they know their territories better than she could ever fathom. So she'll be running up to the nearest one she finds, and trying her best to cut off their path without getting kicked.

"Dogs! I need you to control them, or- find a den! You can do that, can't you?"

❥ i'm just a ghost out of his grave | arrival: one
cw: n/a

[ This world is.... new. Waking, woeful, and he wanders. So much of it doesn't feel familiar. There is a different hum in the air. The magic is soaked in blood. The spirit is restless with the thought: blood, blood mages, blood magic. Bound, broken, twist him into what he is not — a demon. But he is... safe. The Amulet will keep him himself, won't turn him, won't bind him to another's beck and call. Solas's magic charged within it will keep him safe.

But oh— the hurts. There is... so much here. A world that is so wrong, but filled with hurt — and he knows that he can help. There is so much for him to do—! And he can help the hurts, hold them for a moment before smoothening them with balms. Comfort, care, compassion. ]

She's not really mad at you. She's just upset because you're punishing yourself when you shouldn't feel guilty. She doesn't want you to hurt yourself over it. Talk to her. [ The man stares at him for a moment with wide eyes, he seems to take in the words, but makes no reply. Cole turns away, heading off from them without another word — leaving the man reeling for a moment before they resume their conversation with their companion. And then he's gone, disappearing into thin air.

The spirit wastes no time, honing in on the next hurt. Bigger this time, a low and aching thing. He crosses the Boardwalk over to a Hunter staring off towards the ocean, the grey swell seemingly calm. In a instant, he is there once more as if he'd never broken his stride. Stepping close, he tilts his head as he plucks at the hurt — holds for it a moment within him before he finds the words to say. The right words. The words to help, to let the pain fade. ]

You were the last thing he thought about. He didn't feel frightened, he felt loved. [ The Hunter doesn't move, doesn't seem to notice him either, save for the slow bow of her head. And quick enough he flits to the next person, someone tending to a store. He appears behind them, hovers at their shoulder. The softest voice as he speaks to him gently: ]

You were scared, backed into a corner. You didn't know what else to do. Tell them you're sorry.

[ The natives of this world see him, but for a moment. Seeing but unseeing. It is what he is. He is there but not really there. He helps the hurt then they forget him. And he is glad to help. But for Sleepers, they will notice him as he flits about: the strange, scrawny young man hiding beneath a wide-brimmed hat, twin blades strapped to his back. But Cole notices too, and he will voice a quiet surprise, curiosity when he confronts: ]

... You can see me—?

❥ stop staring straight through me | arrival: two
cw: n/a

[ He does not require soup, he does not eat. But he answers a question, and is given a voucher in exchange. It is better to have someone strong to work beside, he agrees. Adding 'only if they will help people' to his answer. He is reminded of those back home: the Inquisitor, Solas, Varric, Leliana, Cassandra, and all the others. Even the Enchanter. They are working together, they will help people. They will stop Corypheus.

He stands cross armed, head low. He doesn't seem to shift much, or interact. After his initial interaction with the Disciples and Scholars, he returns to being unnoticed by them. People are hesitant to take the soup offered, he finds. The worry, fret, remember old pains. A wolf amongst the sheep, all within a bowl or heaped upon a plate, or filled within a goblet or tankard. ]

Suspicion. Snakes, seeping with poison. They have made fools of you, burned and burned once more. [ Too many times mislead, too many times hurt by the offerings of food. It always seems to turn sour, to rot. Grows foul within their guts. He is quick to offer assurances. ] It is good soup. It helps.

❥ ghost in the world, ghost with no home | run
cw: monster horror, possible fighting in threads

[ He appears from seemingly nowhere, stepping out from nothingness. Had he always been there, following the lost? Who knows. But he is there now, and he is here to help. Only this time, it is in another way. He helps, but he can fight. He helps people by fighting.

They are not demons. Not the demons he knows. Monstrous, burning things with sharp teeth. It is easier to kill beasts, and monsters. Because that is what they are. The pack approaches, slow and salivating. Ready to pounce upon them both. His hands flex, he does not look to his companion. He'll fight these creatures, stop them from causing any hurt. ]

Snapping teeth. Hungry. Hopeful. Howling. You can't hurt me.

[ He reaches behind him, draws his twin blades from his back — holds one in each hand. Ready. ]

I will kill them.

[ Someone tell him 'no'. ]

A. Arrival

[She's drifting. Flashes of memories come and go, slipping through her fingers as she tries to hold onto them. The sound of waves--a beach? She was at a beach, once. Right? But this doesn't seem the same. She can't quite put her finger on it, but she's knows that that's true.

She can't seem to move her limbs--and there's a distinctly odd feeling of having too many of them that makes her mentally recoil and force herself to be still again.

It's daytime, which also feels distinctly wrong. It shouldn't be daylight. There should be a full moon. Someone whispers to remember and she feels a chill of dread and fear. She wants to remember, but also remembering is terrifying. She doesn't want to lose herself.

And then, all at once, she's whole. It's incredibly disorienting, but after a long, long time of just laying there and getting herself reacquainted with the weight of a body, she can change and get herself situated. The lighthouse makes her feel uneasy for reasons she's can't explain or remember and Ruka can be found quietly going through the contents of her bag, trying to figure out what everything is and why it's hers']

Do you... remember anything? [She finally ventures to ask whoever looks as lost and new as she is.]

B. Arrival pt 2.

[The soup should be good for her, but she takes one sip and feels her stomach roll. The salty flavor of it makes her think of seafood and squid and being a squid, and Ruka pushes the bowl away. She takes a few deep breaths and looks around, nudging her bowl towards whoever is sitting near-by and offers a strained little smile] ...You can have it. I don't know if I can eat it right now. I think I'm still... settling.

[She sighs and rubs at her forehead a little.]

C. Run

[All good things have to come to an end, right? Clearly they'd been having too many quiet days and something had to go wrong, as it usually does.

Ruka isn't sure how she got separated or why, but there she is, on her own and being quite unhappy about it. Her usual attack strategy involves taking exorcising pictures of ghosts, not full-on fighting monster dogs.

The good news is that she's able to get a good head start running. The better news is that there's only one of them and she's found someone to help.

The bad news is that it's most likely your character's problem now.

She waves her hand as she approaches, calling out quickly] There's one on my heels!

[Not directly, it's still a good bit back, but there's only seconds before it'll be at their location.

Run more, or fight??]

1. Arrival

Being a squid is actually not that weird to Paige. This girl has been turned into many a magical creature against her will in the past. At least she can go back to her human form on her own this time around. Once she does, Paige starts to look around the new place. It's a little weird to be anywhere without her sisters but she takes it all in stride. She's friendly enough to the people around her and pauses to take in the wares of the Boardwalk.

That question she's asked takes her a long time to answer. "Both" is probably not the response they're looking for, so she eventually chooses "work alongside" and gets the incense. Always a good thing for a witch to have, so she thanks them.

Eventually Paige settles down with some soup. "So what's the deal with this place, anyway?" she asks whomever is with her.

2. Run

Battling demonic dogs. Sure, she and her sisters had just re-embraced their destiny as the Charmed One so of course she would have to deal with demonic dogs five minutes later. Paige would much prefer consulting the Book of Shadows before fighting, but she knows some general spells that should get her by. If not that, then her telekinesis will do in a pinch. Paige tries to be careful in using her magic where no one will see her at it-- it's still instinctual to not expose herself. But she can't pay attention all the time and someone may see this woman chanting in rhyme or moving things with blue-white light. They might even see her disappear completely if a dog decides to jump at her.

3. Wildcard
[Paige is just beginning to come into her Whitelighter powers of having charges. Basically she's assigned people to protect and guide. We can handwave this for now if you want one of your characters to be her charge. She will be able to hear them calling for help/will sense they need help and go to them. It's not always something the charge is consciously doing so you can just say you want Paige to sense the character needs help/guidance. As always, I will match style! I'm on

seraphjewel if you want to plot a thing]

Edited 2023-03-26 13:52 (UTC)

The Gate
[ When he finally got to shore and into the town, he felt a bit in a daze. He hadn't thought he'd ever be back here. There's a mixture of many feelings swirling inside him. A strange sort of knot twisting in his stomach of anticipation and exhaustion.

He did not expect however to get bashed on the back of the head and get knocked out cold.

Waking up, he finds himself pushing himself out of the dirt groggily getting to his feet. He looks around confused as he hears a mass of voices chanting and cheering in the seats of a coliseum. Glitch frowned before hearing the growling noises of something creeping out from hiding in this arena. He turns to it, reaching for his back for something only to realize, there was no weapon strapped to it. He sighs deeply turning to it. ]

Great. Just what I wanted to do on my first day back; fight to the death.

A banal Arrival 2; electric boogaloo

[ The relative calm is enough to set him on edge. Trench had never been peaceful in the times he'd been here. Sure there might've been quiet moments but there was always something sinister just waiting to jump out. Something always lurking to ruin the moment.

When the Miso bowl is put in his hand he can't help but look at it suspiciously and say;]

The moment I eat this I'm either going to drop dead from poisoning or I'm going to be turned inside out. I just know it.

It's always fucking something. It's never this nice.

Run

[ This is definitely very much like Trench. Take something that's supposed to be loveable and loyal to a fault to humans and turn it into an insidious monster that wants to eat you. Glitch was sprinting through the streets dodging and weaving through alleyways.

He's not paying too much attention of his surroundings aside from where the dogs might leap out next. Whether he joined someone in their own escape from the dogs or he's seeing someone approaching, Glitch just yells;]

MOVE, FUCKING MOVE! EVIL FUCKING, DOGS!

[ Very clear, yes. ]

Edited 2023-03-26 18:12 (UTC)

Here we go again.
[This felt pretty familiar. Coming out of the ocean, being a squid all squirming and such. then changing back into human form before she is able to even explore. It was all familiar yet felt all new at the same time.

So Minako went about exploring, curious as to how long since she was last here. What has happened since she left? Were the people she loved and cared for still here or did they leave? She had a lot of questions but no answers yet.

It felt like it had been an hour, but was only minutes before she was stopped was some people asking her what seemed to be a rather simple question in her mind.]

That ones easy. I am a believer of working with someone strong so that you can protect them even if it means your death.

[Minako at least in her mind as it was her duty at the end of the day, though her want to protect has extended over the time it was still something she was always willing to do and in the end her answer was met with a voucher which she wasn't paying much attention to what it was as she smiled happily before turning around to start her quest for answers once more.]

Bad doggy
[With her exploration and quest she had managed to travel quite a distance by foot and the young woman was getting rather tired. How many hours has it been since she started? She didn't know but she was still looking.

At least that was until she could hera the sound of howling. Was that a good thing or not? In Trench when was anything good? So even though she was getting tired she transformed into Sailor Venus to get ready for whatever may come her way.

So she walked until she came across a pack of what seemed to be zombie dogs. Well there numbers was pretty big, she wasn't sure if she could manage them all or if this was going to be a case of having to run. So with her belt in hand she unleashed an attack that send a couple flying, but more seemed to appear in their place. So after a few more tries the idea of running was the smarter option. So she turned on her heels and started to run, the dogs running after her.

Seeing someone she waved her hand slightly]

Hey, better run there are these pretty crazy dogs chasing me and I think they are a taste for human flesh or something. I don't know.

Wildcard
[If there is anything else you want to do let me know.

Golden Moths
He knew better then to get distracted by golden butterflies. Nothing good can come from getting close to such creatures. This world likes to make things difficult by using what should be the most innocent of creatures to do its bidding. So of course he gets caught by the butterfly and the light that occurs when he crosses paths with it and another trench resident.

He covers his eyes but its too late. The deed is done...and when he opens his eyes he stares at himself. He glances down at the body that is not his own and then sighs. "Sorry about this. But I suppose we have no choice but to deal with it." He just doesn't know if it is one of those times when he has to find the answer to breaking the change or if it is one that will wear off on its own.

Dogs
It had to be dogs...He was out collecting specimens in the forest when the barking started. He felt that stiffening of his back and every muscle in his body tightening with fear. The one thing he fears more then anything else is around him and that is a terrible problem to be faced with.

He can't move. He can't even turn around to look at what is inevitably coming closer to him. His breathing has caught in his throat and with each bark he feels his heart sinking lower in his chest. "Get up...get up...get up..." He keeps repeating these words to himself, desperate to get his legs to work. He needs to get out of this place.

Slowly his body starts to listen and he stands up straight. He turns his head to glance behind him and as soon as he does he ca see the dogs. Zombie dogs...of course...creatures he could easily control if he had the mental strength to do so. But the fact that they are dogs just throws all his ability to function out the window.

He needs to get out of here...somehow. But he also knows that he is quickly being surrounded. This is bad...

Wildcard
Open to whatever!

A weirdly binaural arrival

Rey can't say that she was expecting this. The last thing she remembers is playing tug-of-war with a lightsaber with ~~Ben~~ Kylo Ren over a lightsaber. One which seemed to split in half, knocking her unconscious.

And now she's a squid. Honestly, if she was any less used to weird things happening to her, she'd be alarmed, but this is more of a 'so this is what's happening now' kind of thing. Fortunately, Rey manages to make it to the beach and solidify into herself without a great deal of help. She's still herself, though she feels as though something is wrong.

Casting her view apart is only one person and one person alone. She's seen him in her visions even before Ahch-To and the Supremacy, but she's reluctant to reach out for him.

They didn't exactly part on the greatest of terms, after all.

"Oi, can I get something to wear? Something a little warmer?"

And a little more covering, but who could blame her after seeing a certain person half-dressed?

Run

Rey wasn't exactly used to not being hunted. Actually, she'd call that an ordinary part of her life. It didn't matter if it were fellow scavengers trying to take what was hers or certain dark-sided individuals trying to chase her into whatever it was needed to be chased.

Starkiller Base. The Supremacy. All of it was the same as far as she was concerned.

But this new place, it seemed different somehow. As though the lights were dependent upon some outside source, one she didn't know. And the feeling as though she was being followed was strong, stronger than she'd even felt on Takodana.

The Force wasn't responding as it should. She should have been able to send the dogs, whatever they were, scrambling. But she reached out, trying to influence their minds only to no avail. They were determined to stalk her and her companion, no matter where Rey went.

And Rey was going from place to place with an air of urgency, feeling that she couldn't let whatever it was was chasing her could follow in her footsteps. She couldn't put a finger on why she felt that way, only that she did.

Dogs. Really. She should be able to influence dogs with the Force easily. But the dogs weren't responding and Rey didn't want to kill them, leaving both parties in a quandary.

Network: un: just.rey

Is it just me or is this place completely mental? Being a squid was one thing, but there are other things which are bothering me and I need a response to. Finn? Are you out there? Please tell me you are so we can figure this out together. ((OOC: wildcards welcome and contact me via PM to the journal for any questions or concerns!))

1. shore

He does not fight his way back into his own form as much as snap back to it, the reality of who and what he is reasserting itself as soon as it occurs to him that said reality and this one didn't match.

Unfortunately, who and what he is hates swimming. He can, at least, but he's hardly good at it. Especially in...this is an ocean. He is certain he has never seen an ocean before, let alone had to swim in the middle of one's waves like this. By sheer dint of determination he manages to make it to shore. But having crawled up onto the sand, he immediately doubles over to cough up a lung's worth of water.

Młynar Nearl will absolutely not do something as undignified as collapse in a heap and just try to catch his breath for a minute or thirty. But it's a much closer call than he will ever admit.

He crawls up to a rock and rests his back against it, pulling his knees up to his chest. Clothes. Those will be a priority very soon. First he cocks his head to one side, then the other, slapping his ears to get the rest of the water out. And then flicking each of the additional horse ears on the top of his head to do the same for those. He glances down at his tail, which is partly next to and partly under him. Ugh. That's going to be a pain to brush out later. But first things first. He looks back up to glare at the sea.

What the hell is going on? He somehow has an unshakable feeling that he is meant to be here, but he also has an unshakable knowledge that the process of getting here involved temporarily being a sea creature. How? Why?

He coughs again, spitting out yet more sea water.

2. boardwalk

a. people watching

The greeters had explained some basic facts of his arrival and apparent new home, and whether or not he believes any of it, Młynar's still feels on firmer ground having information. And, nearly as important, having a bag with his things in it. He'd rather not put all his clothes back on until he's had a chance to thoroughly wash off, so he is still wearing a standard arrival robe (with a roughly cut hole for his tail). But he has put his coat on over it - a heavy black thing with a decidedly military look, though he he wears it with only one button fastened. There is a small crest, embroidered in gold, on the left side of the coat, with "Nearl" spelled out beneath it. And under the coat, enhancing the military air, is his swordbelt, complete with sword.

Much better.

Now, he stands at the side of the boardwalk, staring at everyone who passes by with a stern expression. Behind that expression, though, is deep confusion. No ears, no tails, no traces of feathers or feather patterns in anyone's hair... He may have been a sea creature for a while (an experience with potential long-term effects he is trying not to focus on yet), but he still came back out of it a Kuranta. Sarkaz who have cut off their horns aren't that common, and they'd still have pointed ears. So...

If you pass by him, you'll find yourself suddenly asked "Is everyone in this settlement Aegir?"

b. passing judgment

Given current circumstances, he's not saying no to the broth. Młynar almost manages to return his now-empty bowl without being forced into this stupid debate.

Alas, as he sets his bowl on top of a growing "dirty" pile, one of the booth workers whips around to face him with an unnerving grin. "Sir!"

Młynar bristles.

"Sir, you still haven't answered the question! Please share your thoughts, do you believe it is better to have someone strong to work beside, or to know enough to walk on your own?"

Młynar straightens his back, coldly regarding the energetic novice. "Simple-minded nonsense."

And with that, he turns away to leave. Wow, rude.

i. under a soft moon; locked to scorpia

( the ocean has been calm and steady for the last couple of days, a sharp contrast against its usual choppy and treacherous waves. it's almost like a long simmering anger has finally been quelled or perhaps just simply the held breath before a shriek. on the night that catra's squid body resurfaces, the sea is more than especially gentle.

delicate waves carry her body inward, guiding her ever closer to the beach. back to the beach. back to land, to sand, to . . . a life she still wanted to live.

catra's mind is still hazy as she drifts along, barely taking in anything other than the big luminous moon hanging in the sky. for a brief couple of moments, this is her entire world. the gentle wind, the ocean carrying her along, and the moon.

by the time she washes up on the beach, her mind has cleared some. enough to start piecing together sections of her memories, but her limbs are still limp and jellylike. )

Ha!

( she laughs quietly to herself, full of disbelief and a strange sense of exhilaration.

she made it back. )

ii. what we do for soup

( the very night next, catra finds herself back at the boardwalk. it's pretty much exactly the same thing she did the last time that she showed up in trench, lured back to the strange place where she transformed back into her own body from . . . a squid. it's happened twice now and it's been a disgusting experience each time.

she thinks if it were ever to happen again, she'd scream. and potentially not stop. she'd have to think about it. however, the bright side of having been in trench before is that she already has a keen understanding of where she is. as such, she doesn't hesitate to take the locals up on their offer of free soup.

correction: not free. they wanted to involve her in a stupid debate for the meal.

the guy leans against the counter of the booth, looking at her expectantly. what was it going to be? was it better to have someone strong to work beside or to know enough to walk on your own? )

That's a stupid question. It's better to walk on your own.

( confidently.

then she glances over to the nearest person. )

Right? You agree.

iii. wildcard

( got another idea? hit me. or dm me as needed. )

[Arrival: Eye of the storm??]

[Making it onto the beach was so painless it leaves Dipper feeling uneasy. Perhaps its his attunement to his patron, the chaos god of the ocean, and also the state of the seas upon his and Mabel's departure, but all he can really do is mentally give a short thanks to Mariana as he drags himself back onto shore wet, sandy, and on a mission.]

[A mission? He's on a mission. What was the mission....augh, he's got squid brain and he's trying to remember why he came out of the sea with such purpose. Oh well, he'll remember it eventually. He knows he just has to find a few people. Somethiiiiing. Something was going to happen probably. Maybe? Dang it!!]

Diiiiiiiisco girl, coooming through, that girl is youuuu--

[There we go, his words are back. He's functional, on two feet, no tentacles, and he can speak. That's a new record! Way better than the first time he dragged himself on shore. Now-- there!]

[Dipper runs by the Greeter holding his bag, grabs it, the robe, and as he's flinging it on he calls back:]

"Welcome to Trench", got it, believe me I know exactly where I am, man! Bye-thanks-see-you-later!

[He's heading onto the boardwalk, but hey, he might stop if he's called out to! Or if you are having trouble trying to unsquid yourself.]

[When you take your fast travel for granted.]

What? Oh, come on!

[He keeps grabbing the lamp and it ...sure isn't working. Why?? This is new! And annoying! He really wants to get to gaze and find his uncle!]

Why is public transport always a nightmare- ...Hey! Hey you!

[He's talking to you, whoever you are.]

I've been gone for ...an ambiguous amount of time, can you tell me what the heck is going on? Are the lamps busted?

[It's always zombie dogs somehow.]

[The hounds are coming, and it's starting to look pretty dicey! Perhaps you're backed into a narrow alley, or you were just shy of the next district when they caught up with you.]

[They close in, when suddenly the air around you seems to ripple and then pulse. The hounds bark and yelp as if something unseen suddenly attacked them.]

[Dipper, in all his gangly teenaged glory, pops into existence as if flinging off an invisible cloak, his hand outstretched.]

Oh man I didn't think that was going actually to work- hey, we need to book it. I disrupted their minds but It's only going to stop them for a few seconds!

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Questions!

Bluestar | Warrior Cats | Paleblood

cole | dragon age: inquisition | (still kind of voice-testing)