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countryclub2023-04-25 10:35 pm
reddosmod) wrote in countryclub2023-04-25 10:35 pm
Entry tags:
APRIL 2023 TEST DRIVE MEME
APRIL 2023 TDM
A Mostly Pleasant Arrival
Smile, You're a Monster Inside
AGE IS JUST A FRAME OF MIND
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: Delicious, Gelatinous Fruit Treats]
[Image Two: Women in white dancing around a May Pole (Animated)]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Creepy smile within smile within smile within smile to infinity]
[Image Two: Ghostly figure coming out of a mirror.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Child with Skull painted on half their face.]
[Image Two: Anime character transformed into a very old man.]
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: Delicious, Gelatinous Fruit Treats]
[Image Two: Women in white dancing around a May Pole (Animated)]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Creepy smile within smile within smile within smile to infinity]
[Image Two: Ghostly figure coming out of a mirror.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Child with Skull painted on half their face.]
[Image Two: Anime character transformed into a very old man.]
WHEN: May
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Forced honesty, personality changes, physical changes.
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Forced honesty, personality changes, physical changes.
Congratulations, sleeper! You're one of the lucky ones to arrive in a month that is not awful to come ashore. The transformational process is almost alarmingly quick and painless. In fact, it is so quick that it is deceptively easy to change back into a squid and do it all over again! Partial transformations are not uncommon during this month for the first twenty-four hours after arriving, and even brief transformations of minor facial features like hair color, eye color, height, weight and a few more extreme possibilities have been known to happen. Don't worry, because the transformations are all temporary and none are inherently monstrous (Unless you already are a monster, in which case good luck with that!). Greeters are present in force to help accommodate you as you make your way, your welcome backpack and items all freshly and neatly cleaned and ready for you as they put the robe on. Everything is so welcoming and inviting that it almost seems like they're having a party.
This is, in fact, because they are. The Wild Moon is about and festivities are in full swing throughout the month of Bauphomette. May poles are set up and it is possible to dance around one if you should wish. Doing so can help to ground oneself in their current form, which may help new arrivals settle in a bit better. Even ignoring that, it feels good to sing and dance, and everyone is very friendly. Even the usually grim Hunters who guard the roads and entries to the shores seem to have less stern smiles on their faces, though their eyes are ever watchful to keep the peace of the festivities.
SEASONAL DETAILS ON THE BOARDWALK
Throughout the Month of May, all of the possible events of last year's TDM in April are also available, should you wish to use them.
Decorations this month are decidedly floral in nature. Everyone is dressed in white, regardless of their usual preferences. Flowers adorn many of the people of Trench and the weather throughout the first week of May is pleasant. Even if it rains, it is a refreshing, light and pleasant rain, and there are many awnings and umbrellas to take shelter underneath.
And of course, there's refreshments. What festival in Trench would be without them? The foods this month have a very floral theme to them. Edible flowers have been grown and prepared especially for this time of year. They've been used to help create infused and gelatinous sweets, Floral spring rolls and edible flower cookies and the like, along with floral teas that are meant to calm the mind. Additionally, the people of Trench will note that any of the foods present can have a beneficial, albeit transformative effect on the mind and body. They promise it won't last long, but if you're really concerned there is hard tack and water available that's quite filling.
Changes from Food will last a few hours at most. There are several options available among the drinks and foods. These may be combined as the player sees fit. Drinks have mental effects, while Treats have physical ones, the Trenchies will inform:
Pomegranate Juice: Sweet and tart, anyone who drinks it or has some of the fresh pomegranate and seeds will feel compelled to speak nothing but the truth. Pomegranates are found littering makeshift shrines to Bauphomette throughout the party, and Trenchies insist they are free to take.
Petal Infused Hot Tea: Pungent and aromatic, it is relaxing. The heat gives a warmth and vibrancy that fills a person with confidence, to the point of arrogance and fearlessness, leading the emboldened to try something that they might not otherwise do, even if it's very risky!
Floral Iced Tea: While refreshing, it feels like there's something just a little lacking, and anyone who drinks some will feel that they need more but not what they need more of at first, making them clingy and affectionate towards other people, especially strangers.
Iced Water: It's not the tastiest, but has a way of washing things away. Water can cleanse and remove the effects of other drinks, though it leaves the person feeling emotionally drained if it is used this way.
Floral Spring Rolls: Trying one of these surprisingly edible treats will have the added effect of giving a person plant traits temporarily. Hair may convert into tresses of ivy or carefully manicured moss, or perhaps a mushroom cap! Skin might become bark-like or chlorophyl green. The more that one eats, the more that they change.
Gelatinous Sweets: These curiosities come with a note. “Have you ever wondered what it is like to walk in someone's shoes?” Eating one has a profound physical effect, causing a person's appearance to transform into that of another person in Trench! It may not even be someone they've met, or seen yet! It would be awkward to meet someone, not looking the way you're supposed to, or worse? Looking like them!
Edible Flower Cookies: They come with lovely notes saying “Eat Me!” What could be sweeter? Well, like something out of Alice and Wonderland, eating one can cause a person to grow or shrink by a foot. More cookies can cause the height difference to become worse and worse, though if you're only a foot tall, it's a good way to end up an inch tall! So, maybe eating more to fix the problem is risky.
Hard Tack: Like the water, it can fill the stomach and remove prematurely any physical effects, though if it does so, removing a physical change physically drains the character.
This is, in fact, because they are. The Wild Moon is about and festivities are in full swing throughout the month of Bauphomette. May poles are set up and it is possible to dance around one if you should wish. Doing so can help to ground oneself in their current form, which may help new arrivals settle in a bit better. Even ignoring that, it feels good to sing and dance, and everyone is very friendly. Even the usually grim Hunters who guard the roads and entries to the shores seem to have less stern smiles on their faces, though their eyes are ever watchful to keep the peace of the festivities.
Throughout the Month of May, all of the possible events of last year's TDM in April are also available, should you wish to use them.
Decorations this month are decidedly floral in nature. Everyone is dressed in white, regardless of their usual preferences. Flowers adorn many of the people of Trench and the weather throughout the first week of May is pleasant. Even if it rains, it is a refreshing, light and pleasant rain, and there are many awnings and umbrellas to take shelter underneath.
And of course, there's refreshments. What festival in Trench would be without them? The foods this month have a very floral theme to them. Edible flowers have been grown and prepared especially for this time of year. They've been used to help create infused and gelatinous sweets, Floral spring rolls and edible flower cookies and the like, along with floral teas that are meant to calm the mind. Additionally, the people of Trench will note that any of the foods present can have a beneficial, albeit transformative effect on the mind and body. They promise it won't last long, but if you're really concerned there is hard tack and water available that's quite filling.
Changes from Food will last a few hours at most. There are several options available among the drinks and foods. These may be combined as the player sees fit. Drinks have mental effects, while Treats have physical ones, the Trenchies will inform:
Pomegranate Juice: Sweet and tart, anyone who drinks it or has some of the fresh pomegranate and seeds will feel compelled to speak nothing but the truth. Pomegranates are found littering makeshift shrines to Bauphomette throughout the party, and Trenchies insist they are free to take.
Petal Infused Hot Tea: Pungent and aromatic, it is relaxing. The heat gives a warmth and vibrancy that fills a person with confidence, to the point of arrogance and fearlessness, leading the emboldened to try something that they might not otherwise do, even if it's very risky!
Floral Iced Tea: While refreshing, it feels like there's something just a little lacking, and anyone who drinks some will feel that they need more but not what they need more of at first, making them clingy and affectionate towards other people, especially strangers.
Iced Water: It's not the tastiest, but has a way of washing things away. Water can cleanse and remove the effects of other drinks, though it leaves the person feeling emotionally drained if it is used this way.
Floral Spring Rolls: Trying one of these surprisingly edible treats will have the added effect of giving a person plant traits temporarily. Hair may convert into tresses of ivy or carefully manicured moss, or perhaps a mushroom cap! Skin might become bark-like or chlorophyl green. The more that one eats, the more that they change.
Gelatinous Sweets: These curiosities come with a note. “Have you ever wondered what it is like to walk in someone's shoes?” Eating one has a profound physical effect, causing a person's appearance to transform into that of another person in Trench! It may not even be someone they've met, or seen yet! It would be awkward to meet someone, not looking the way you're supposed to, or worse? Looking like them!
Edible Flower Cookies: They come with lovely notes saying “Eat Me!” What could be sweeter? Well, like something out of Alice and Wonderland, eating one can cause a person to grow or shrink by a foot. More cookies can cause the height difference to become worse and worse, though if you're only a foot tall, it's a good way to end up an inch tall! So, maybe eating more to fix the problem is risky.
Hard Tack: Like the water, it can fill the stomach and remove prematurely any physical effects, though if it does so, removing a physical change physically drains the character.
WHEN: The First Week of May
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body Horror, Psychological Trauma, Possible Monster Transformation,
WHERE: Anywhere in Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body Horror, Psychological Trauma, Possible Monster Transformation,
“You know you're a monster, right?” You turn around suddenly, hearing a voice that may or may not feel familiar. When you do, you see someone there. They are grinning with a smile that would make even the Joker proud. The gash across their face is almost too large to fit between the ears and seems chillingly unnatural. Before you can react, you blink and they are staring at you as if nothing was unusual. Perhaps they are even confused as you speak, as if they have no idea what happened only a minute ago. This is only the beginning.
It keeps happening. You keep seeing people smiling at you in chillingly awful ways. Their eyes are too wide and their grin is almost impossibly large. Every time they smile, they say something to the effect of reminding you of your monstrous nature, of the fact that you are capable of transforming into a beast. Worse still, despite the fact that usually the month of May is a time where beasthood is rarely that prominent, and transformations appear to be far more natural and healthy, for some reason it is as if Baus' influence is not as strong as it should be. You can feel yourself getting more corrupt by the day, by the encounter. What is worst about it all is that you know that you are becoming corrupt and getting closer to beasthood, but despite your attempts to purge it, regardless of the methods that you use, nothing seems to work. Salt water from the lake, Moon Drops, interaction, they all seem to fail. The thing does not get consumed somehow, but there is no relief, no Nepenthe for your pain and corruption.
Only the oldest among the Disciples seem to have the answer. If you are there, purchasing and collecting incense to futilely ward this effect away, they may witness one of those smiling faces though they themselves will not have it. They will ward themselves and tell you the only solutions. Bausphomette uses her power and her magic to work a great effect, they say, and this means that the corruption in the blood is bubbling up more strongly, causing transformations and the wild moon to be out of control. You will either eventually succumb and transform into a beast, requiring that you be put down, or you must confront the corruption inside of yourself, something that you cannot do on your own.
If you do nothing, you will lose yourself within 72 hours, going progressively mad each day until transforming into a beast, requiring that you be killed. You may be warned by nervous natives before this that you are not looking well, and they may direct you to either the Luminarium, where you will be sent on to Cassandra and the houses of incense, or you may be directed there first. If you do not confront your corruption, you will succumb to it. The confrontation ritual is a simple one. Incense must be put in a circle around a mirror and lit. A friend must stand behind you, outside of a magical circle. They must put their hand reassuringly on your shoulder to support you and you must declare that “I am not a monster. You're the monster” to your reflection three times. On the third, the reflection of your friend will disappear and your reflection will smile like a fiend. “That's right. I am a monster, aren't I?” it will say, before erupting from the mirror, shattering it to dust as it transforms into your beast form. At this point, you must defeat and destroy your beast form, who collapses down into nothing but blood staining the ground. Afterwards, both you and your friend will feel stronger and more sure of yourself for a few days.
It keeps happening. You keep seeing people smiling at you in chillingly awful ways. Their eyes are too wide and their grin is almost impossibly large. Every time they smile, they say something to the effect of reminding you of your monstrous nature, of the fact that you are capable of transforming into a beast. Worse still, despite the fact that usually the month of May is a time where beasthood is rarely that prominent, and transformations appear to be far more natural and healthy, for some reason it is as if Baus' influence is not as strong as it should be. You can feel yourself getting more corrupt by the day, by the encounter. What is worst about it all is that you know that you are becoming corrupt and getting closer to beasthood, but despite your attempts to purge it, regardless of the methods that you use, nothing seems to work. Salt water from the lake, Moon Drops, interaction, they all seem to fail. The thing does not get consumed somehow, but there is no relief, no Nepenthe for your pain and corruption.
Only the oldest among the Disciples seem to have the answer. If you are there, purchasing and collecting incense to futilely ward this effect away, they may witness one of those smiling faces though they themselves will not have it. They will ward themselves and tell you the only solutions. Bausphomette uses her power and her magic to work a great effect, they say, and this means that the corruption in the blood is bubbling up more strongly, causing transformations and the wild moon to be out of control. You will either eventually succumb and transform into a beast, requiring that you be put down, or you must confront the corruption inside of yourself, something that you cannot do on your own.
If you do nothing, you will lose yourself within 72 hours, going progressively mad each day until transforming into a beast, requiring that you be killed. You may be warned by nervous natives before this that you are not looking well, and they may direct you to either the Luminarium, where you will be sent on to Cassandra and the houses of incense, or you may be directed there first. If you do not confront your corruption, you will succumb to it. The confrontation ritual is a simple one. Incense must be put in a circle around a mirror and lit. A friend must stand behind you, outside of a magical circle. They must put their hand reassuringly on your shoulder to support you and you must declare that “I am not a monster. You're the monster” to your reflection three times. On the third, the reflection of your friend will disappear and your reflection will smile like a fiend. “That's right. I am a monster, aren't I?” it will say, before erupting from the mirror, shattering it to dust as it transforms into your beast form. At this point, you must defeat and destroy your beast form, who collapses down into nothing but blood staining the ground. Afterwards, both you and your friend will feel stronger and more sure of yourself for a few days.
WHEN: The First Week of May
WHERE: In and around Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Significant Aging or Age loss. Body Horror.
WHERE: In and around Trench
CONTENT WARNINGS: Significant Aging or Age loss. Body Horror.
People seem to be convinced that something is a little off this month. The wild moon is particularly wild and unpredictable, and with it there almost seems to be an unpredictability to time itself. You woke up this morning, and when you were washing up you noticed it. Your hands look wizened, withered, wrinkled and old. Your bones creak and ache. Your voice shows the effects of aging. If you should see your reflection (if you dare to even look in a mirror this month, seriously), you look to be extremely old, or at least some of you do. The rest of you wake up, only to find an experience that feels almost familiar considering what many people in Trench encounter when they eat the wrong thing. Your hands are smaller, and your clothes don't fit right. Everything seems taller around you, and if you look? You're suddenly much younger, your body that of a child!
Well, this is annoying, because the only thing that you did was go to sleep last night. Nothing happened that should have hinted something was wrong. However, what is strange is that you mentally have not changed at all. Your memories are not limited by the fact that you are suddenly younger or older. You are simply trapped inside of a body that appears to be unnaturally re-shaped. As you try to go about your business, you may even experience a sort of see-sawing effect. Some will go from a child in the morning to near their death's door by the end of the day, while others may experience the exact opposite in the course of the day. Still others? You feel no change, and are just stuck in the body that you find yourself in when you wake up.
Thankfully? While the physical experience is exactly what it says on the tin (and therefore could very well come along with considerable arthritis and other health problems, though not ones that would lead to a fatal condition), it isn't permanent. Trenchies offer all manner of creams and ointments to help, but they do nothing to avert the curse that you are experiencing, only the physical ailments it may include. The actual condition will last for a few days, at most a week (and at the least a day), and seems as unpredictable a thing as is imaginable. Just the same, without warning, by the end of the first week of May, this impact seems to be gone, and there are still more whispers that usually? Bausphomette keeps the Wild Moon more in check. Some wonder what might have changed, or how the Pthumerian might be using their powerful magic, that it was not turned towards this.
Well, this is annoying, because the only thing that you did was go to sleep last night. Nothing happened that should have hinted something was wrong. However, what is strange is that you mentally have not changed at all. Your memories are not limited by the fact that you are suddenly younger or older. You are simply trapped inside of a body that appears to be unnaturally re-shaped. As you try to go about your business, you may even experience a sort of see-sawing effect. Some will go from a child in the morning to near their death's door by the end of the day, while others may experience the exact opposite in the course of the day. Still others? You feel no change, and are just stuck in the body that you find yourself in when you wake up.
Thankfully? While the physical experience is exactly what it says on the tin (and therefore could very well come along with considerable arthritis and other health problems, though not ones that would lead to a fatal condition), it isn't permanent. Trenchies offer all manner of creams and ointments to help, but they do nothing to avert the curse that you are experiencing, only the physical ailments it may include. The actual condition will last for a few days, at most a week (and at the least a day), and seems as unpredictable a thing as is imaginable. Just the same, without warning, by the end of the first week of May, this impact seems to be gone, and there are still more whispers that usually? Bausphomette keeps the Wild Moon more in check. Some wonder what might have changed, or how the Pthumerian might be using their powerful magic, that it was not turned towards this.
Duo Maxwell | New Mobile Report Gundam Wing
"You're kidding, right? Dancing?" Duo had been informed that it would help stabilize him back into human form to dance around that May pole. And he was... well... less than enthusiastic about the idea. "That's ridiculous." He had his arms crossed and looked very unconvinced.
Maybe some of those tasty treats or drinks might help him unwind...? It couldn't hurt if someone were to offer.
Though, later on, he could be found wandering the Boardwalk and trying a few for himself anyway. Free food was free food, after all, and beggars couldn't be choosers. Not having to try stealing it was a nice bonus.
{OOC: Duo can be found with pretty much any combination of effects because he's probably going to try everything. XD}
=====
Monster
"Hey... are you okay?"
Have a mid-teen checking you out. He looked Concerned with your well-being.
"You uh... seem to have... something..." He gestured at the latest transformational sign that you were becoming a monster. "Maybe, uh... you might want to get that looked at?"
{OOC: Not making Duo a monster in this one, but feel free to have him try to help you, or attack him if you are one.}
=====
Age Related
There was a small child (maybe 7?) running around with a long single braid that fell past his waist. Already dealing with the idea of being in a new place and having no resources, Duo was making do like he always did. It was back to being a street rat, it seemed, so look out.
He probably just picked your pocket.
=====
WILDCARD
{OOC: Have some other ideas? I'm open! Hit me up at
no subject
"That's not a safe thing to steal," Ezra snaps. Never mind that exactly how he first got his hands on a lightsaber....
He reels his tone back to more gentle. "So, how about you I let you go, you take your hand back, and we talk?"
no subject
"Kids can't get jobs, so how else am I gonna get food? I'm not begging for scraps."
no subject
"Well, I have been that kid worrying about the next meal, so I'd sincerely be delighted to buy you the next one. And do you know about the Orphanage? I visit there regularly. It's safe. No begging required."
no subject
"Alright, fine. I know I look like I'm a kid, which is why I'm running around scraping the barrel here for stuff, but I'm not gonna live in some orphanage. Whatever happened to me here better be temporary, and, if it is, I'm probably not gonna be welcome in some home for kids once it wears off. I already aged out of the system." Not to mention that lack of trust in the back of Duo's mind extended into the idea of orphanages, too. It wasn't like people hadn't tried with him in the past. He didn't do well in those settings.
no subject
"The Orphanage is Koz's domain, and he's a little-" Ezra waggles a hand. "Iffy on human ages. If you're a young adult, no one would make a fuss. Koz's one real rule is to not hurt anyone there. And as for what I'd get out of feeding you lunch-"
He shrugs. "I'd just be paying the people who became my adoptive family back, by honoring what they taught me. People helping each other is the only way there's really even a chance for anything to get better."
no subject
"I'm not staying in an orphanage," Duo grumped. The pouting when he looked like he was seven wasn't really helping, but... sure. "I've been on my own back home for like years now. I don't need it anymore." Sheesh. "This age thing better be temporary because I'm done being a kid. I don't need to relive it."
He huffed a heavy sigh, studying Ezra closely for a moment.
"I don't even know who you are."
Age Related
Which he is, but not in the ways one might expect.
He reaches out to catch the kid's arm with a gauntleted hand. "The only thing in there was a letter."
no subject
Didn't matter, though. Duo needed to get himself on a solid footing, and he couldn't do that as a kid. Memories from his early days of doing exactly this at this age were still pretty bright. It was hard to forget, but it had also been like ten years. He might be a little rusty on the pickpocketing...
"So says you," Duo quipped in return. "But I don't know you from the next guy. Got no reason to believe you."
no subject
"Check for yourself. I'll want it back."
If Duo does search Młynar's pocket, he will indeed find only an old, folded envelope (addressed simply to 'Młynar,' no further identification), with an old, folded letter inside.
no subject
That said, he raised an eyebrow at the envelope and letter for a moment.
"Why carry this in your pocket?" It was a strange thing to carry... especially in just an old envelope. "Would you want to keep this at home where it's safe?"
no subject
He plucks the letter back from the boy's hand.
"It seems they don't use money here. You'd probably have better luck doing a few chores for the locals in exchange for food."
no subject
Duo didn't hold the letter hostage or anything. The guy was easily able to take it back, but, once he did, Duo actually did back up and get some distance between them. Enough that he could run if the guy tried to grab him again.
"It's just good economics."
no subject
It's quite possible - no, it's guaranteed by human nature that some people will take advantage of a desperate person's labor, even in a place as surprisingly open and fair as this town. But not all of them. It's just a matter of finding the right ones.
He re-folds the letter neatly and puts it back in his pocket.
"Follow me."
He turns to head down a side street, not looking over his shoulder to check. Either the kid will come or he won't - Młynar isn't going to press the issue.
no subject
And yet... he couldn't help it. He followed... keeping his distance, of course, making sure he could run if he had to. But, the curiosity here was too strong...
no subject
"Oh, you're back." The man behind the bar (presumably Antoni) appears surprised, but not unpleasantly so. Młynar nods, walking in to put space between himself and the door. He doubts the pickpocket would approach otherwise.
"If you have some food for the kid, I'll clean for it."
no subject
"Oh, hey now! I'm not owing anyone any favors!" He heard that offer.
no subject
"It's not a favor. I simply don't have anything to keep me occupied right now. If you don't want it, I'll make a different trade."
no subject
"What do you need from me, then?"
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Monster - sorry in advance, he's a dumbass who only knows how to do one thing (but he tries anyway)
But instead of reaching for his blades, he grounds out between clenched teeth: "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
(It's probably the almond-shaped feline eyes. Or the pair of fangs he's angrily baring at the young man in front of him. But that would mean admitting his body is changing without his say so...and Zoro's frayed nerves aren't leaving much room for thoughts outside of "fight" or "die".)
no subject
The small but scrappy 18-year-old pursed his lips a bit and crossed his arms, one of his eyebrows rising up.
"Seriously. You should get that checked." Whatever "that" was...
no subject
Defiance pumps through Zoro's veins. For a moment, the world snaps back into a cold, calm clarity. Right. A swordsman doesn't let the spirit influence their body. Nor do they let their body influence their spirit. This is a test of will...and this man hasn't done him any harm.
His nostrils flare, and his chest expands with air. Then Zoro exhales, as he works to center himself.
"I heard people here get 'cursed'. You know anything about that?"
no subject
'Kid'... like he wasn't still one in a lot of ways. He was barely an adult, really, and Duo knew he looked young even at his regular physical age.
"So... you're thinking you're cursed?"
no subject
Because this baby-faced guy is still under his kid curse. Obviously. (Not to mention he's wrongly assuming this stranger's ailment was caused by something he ate, but shh. Too much screwy stuff here for him to keep straight just yet.) Still, age regression is nothing like what Zoro is grappling with right now, so he doesn't pry.
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not," he says, back straightening with self-assurance. His mouth twists into a feral grin. "If people wanna blame their rotten luck on a 'curse', then that's their choice. I only see an obstacle to overcome."
no subject
Duo frowned a little.
"So... uh, you gonna get that looked at or...?" He'd heard something about beasthood and transformations like that. That couldn't be good, right? "You uh... you know. Isn't there a way to stop the whole monster thing? or is that normal where you're from?"