allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

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TEST DRIVE MEME!

I ROLL TO SEDUCE THE BEAR

Tucked between the massive Lake Calenhad and the icy Frostback Mountains in Ferelden’s chilly, hilly south, the Hinterlands are a region covered in patchy forests, small farms, and a bustling fishing village called Redcliffe. The region was recently the frontline of a war between mages and Templars, but the Inquisition’s military presence has restored order and is now focused on helping the locals and influx of refugees rebuild their lives. Whether you’re a recent recruit or a hardened veteran, a Fereldan local or someone who recently fell out of a rift from another world, you may be asked to go lend a hand.

I. FLOODS

A burst of unseasonably warm weather (in no way inspired by real life events) is initially greeted with relief, gloves discarded and scarves unwrapped—but followed within the week by severe flooding across the region. Maybe you’re sent out to help debris from a road or collect the bodies of those swept away. Or maybe you’re less lucky and instead there when the waters come, shepherding refugees to higher ground, or caught riding in the flow on a dislodged roof or log. Maybe there’s a bear on the roof with you.

II. TREASURE HUNTS

Given the lack of banks and lockboxes, when the people here have something they value, they often hide it—under the ground, in a tree, behind a waterfall. So here you are, with a sketch of some landmarks found on a body, trying to find… something. If you find it, it might be useful: weapons, runes, a stash of supplies. Or it might be someone’s box of racy letters and a request to deliver them to a now-married woman who will slap you on delivery.

III. BEARS

You have turned the wrong corner, forded the wrong stream, crested the wrong hill, entered the wrong cave. Maybe you are far from camp. Maybe you are in camp. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased by bears. Did you provoke the bears? Are they huge? Babies? Fade-touched? Mage-controlled? What are they chasing you away from? What are they chasing you into? What do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you?

IV. CRYSTALS

Members and trusted agents of the Inquisition are given access to one of the Inquisition's stores of ancient, mysterious sending crystals, allowing them to communicate instantaneously by voice. It's magic. And a magical excuse to ask everyone what their favorite constellation is in the middle of the night.

Or to call for help because you've been treed by bears.

Either way.

V. MISCELLANEOUS

Choose your own adventure! Hunt game, kill demons, gather herbs, track bandits, haggle over the price of armor, fall off a deceptively tall rock, get lost circling the same hill ten times trying to find a way up to the weird glowing skull on a stick you can see is up there, climb trees or abandoned towers, rummage around in empty homes, run from a dragon, cry over how cute that fennec fox you just shot was, set up camp and chat around the fire, knock yourself out (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)—the Hinterlands are your Frostback Mountain oyster.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OOC: MAJOR VOICETESTING!!! ignore the handle, re-purposing an old account.]

I. Floods
You would think with everything Rhys had been through, he would be more aware of his surroundings. But, as can be the case with flash floods, he was caught completely unaware. He had decided it was finally time to come to Skyhold and offer his services to the Inquisition properly. This wasn't quite the welcome he had expected. Not that it ever was...

He heard the water crashing towards him too late and was swept away. It was all he could do to keep his head above water. There wasn't time to cast any spells. And of course, the armor he wore was weighing him down. He did what he could to call out.

"HELP! Someone! ANYONE!"

IV. Crystals
Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I am told I have you, the Inquisition, to thank for that. I am here to help, though I must apologize for the absence of Evangeline, she was needed elsewhere.

[He might sound just the slightest bit sad about that. He misses her, something he'd never thought he'd say when they had first set out on his Mother's Adventure.]

Were it any other reason, Cole would not have responded.

Rhys's rejection had never faded from his mind, the strong rush of emotions to never see that creature again, he called it friend and it had been inhuman all along; Cole would normally never have let Rhys see him again, never have gone against that wish.

But he would not and could not ignore this.

He doesn't have to run or climb, he simply moves with steps and thought to where he needs to be, on a stone arch where he can drop to his belly, one hand clinging to the rough stones while the other lashes out, whip fast, and snags the back of the armor. It wrenches his shoulder but his grip remains firm.

The sudden stop was a welcome relief for about a half second, until Rhys could feel the rush of water against him. He then started to think about trees and other objects in the water and the possibility that whomever had caught him (he hadn't seen the person) might get washed away. He kind of gestured towards the bank. He's still spluttering water.

"There."

He was only about six feet away. But, too far for his feet to touch or to grab hold of anything. He just hoped whatever had caught him had the strength to move him over. Another few feet would be enough. The weight of his armour would be enough to ground him so he could climb up.

Cole was not strong. But he could be, if he had to be. Rhys wasn't dextrous like him, couldn't dance along battlements. Wouldn't be able to keep his footing on the archway.

he managed to get a grip with his feet, using the strength of his legs to push along the stones, moving them inch by inch towards shallower water. He smothered the small sounds of pain that his body wanted to make, throwing his awareness to something else, anything else—Rhys, Rhys was there, so it was all on Rhys because he was the centre of Cole's world for so long—and digging up the strength to kick off, to hurl them both onto damp land because the only way he could get the momentum to move Rhys was with his own lanky body.

He crashed into the dirt a little higher up than Rhys. And it was that few seconds of feeling stunned, disorientated that meant that he just lay there for a moment gathering his wits, rather than just vanishing as fast as he could again.

It took a few moments for Rhys to catch his breath. When he did he huffed a bit of a chuckle. "Well, that wasn't quite the kind of welcome I expected."

He looked at his savior without really realizing that it was Cole. "Thank you. Your timing was perfect."

After a few more moments, he would Chaulk it up to shock, he recognized the man. "Cole. Is that really you?"

Cole looked back over one shoulder, and he wasn't as pale but he was just as gaunt and he was still dressed like he stole his clothing from the rubbish heap and his eyes were still brilliantly, vividly pale, almost glowing form under the brim of his hat they were so close to silver.

"... forget," he suddenly said, but it had never worked on Rhys and he knew, in his heart, it wouldn't now. Not against a medium. "No. You weren't meant to see me again. You didn't want to."

Rhys shook his head. "You just saved my life, right now, I'm very glad to see you."

He'd had time. He thought Cole's existence had meant he wasn't as good of a mage as he should have been. He'd thought that the might face being made Tranquil. It was enough for now. To be grateful for Cole to have saved his life. They could sort out the rest later.

Cole rolled up onto his feet, taking a step back in a very human way, arms wrapping around himself. The lightly armoured leathers and hat did a lot for hiding him, but under it, he was still the lanky young man that had haunted the Pit.

"Cole- There was a Cole. I'm not in his body! I'm not an abomination."

He winced and rubbed his face. "I mean, no- forget, can I try again? Hello, Rhys."

When asked later about this encounter Rhys would probably say that of course he remembered everything and had no trouble at all with Cole.

The truth was, he was a little bewildered by how quickly Cole was changing from one idea to the next. To cover it up, he slowly stood. His armor creaked and groaned with the change, mostly because it had been so wet. But that had been the power of the flood that Rhys hadn't sunk.

He settled to reply to Cole's last statement. He even offered a small smile. "Hello, Cole. It's been... awhile."

"Years," Cole replied automatically. "I'm not- I help people now. I remembered what I am. What I was before Cole." He winced again. "I'm not- good with people. Still. Just hurts. Not people. I'm not doing this right, but I can't make you forget and try again. Varric said I shouldn't do that anyway."

He ducked his head, plucking at the wraps around his hands. "I'm sorry. You weren't meant to see me, I know you don't want to. But you needed me."

Rhys was starting to shiver a bit from being wet and trapped in metal.

"Cole, before we go into all of that, do you know what this place is? Do they know about you?"

He waved off the questions.

"Better still, can we continue this once we've gotten to Skyhold?"

Rhys wanted to do right by this conversation. Help Cole the way he should have so long ago... but he can't do that when he was starting to freeze.

"Cold, wet, heavy, pressing down, seeping into my bones- Yes, I help here. They know what I am. A spirit. Some people don't like it, but no one tries to hurt me. A lot of people don't remember me, don't notice me." He was drawn forward despite himself, moth to a flame. "There are hot springs. I can show you. Find you dry clothes. Where-"

He didn't finish asking. "Hot springs. This way. Take off the metal, I'll dry and oil it."

Rhys nodded.

"Okay, good. Yes, I think a bath first. I doubt those leading the Inquisition in this place would want to see me like this. And you should as well."

Well maybe? At this point he wasn't sure if Cole felt his own pain and body or if he only experienced it through is empathy.

He was muddy, but not soaked like Rhys. "I feel pain when I get hurt," he said softly, in response to the question not asked. But he was good at pushing through pain, he had too much experience with it to let it slow him down.

He helped Rhys up the mud to more stable, less slippery ground. "Leliana is here. She remembers me. I don't know why."

"Then if you do not look after yourself now, I imagine you will be in a great deal of pain tomorrow."

Rhys really isn't in a place to do this right now. He just needs a minute, Cole. He checks his staff to ensure it wasn't damaged in the deluge. Satisfied he nodded to Cole.

"The Springs, then. And you owe me nothing, I can manage cleaning my own suit."

Though he wouldn't object to Cole helping him get out of the wretched thing. It was something that Evangeline had insisted that he wear when he travelled alone.

"Leliana is a very intelligent woman. And we never did figure out how your ability works."

He doesn't sound surprised at all. More tired than anything. It had been a long journey.

Rhys | Dragon Age: Asunder

I. Floods

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